Re: Fly parasite

[Annette Gordon <agordon@worldofwonder.net>]

Dear Randall

Sounds like what your horse has is what we call in the UK sweet itch, caused
by a bitting midge, culcoides midge. However I'm sure you have bigger
fiercer bugs than we have to deal with. 

My mare gets sweet itch and I deal with it in a number of ways. One I try
not to have her turned out at the fly times of the day ie. dusk and dawn. I
feed a good quality garlic which is supposed to give off an odour that keeps
flies away. It is also ful of, I think potassium and other goodies that help
itch problems. Homeopathically I get a pill distilled from the culcoides
midge which I give my mare when things are really bad - a U.S. homeopath
ought to be able to make an equivalent according to the type of bugs buggin
your horse. 

I also feed a herbal preparation from Hilton Herbs called "Coat & Skin"
which is supposed to help but doesn't work as well as the garlic and the
homeopathic pills. 

Any lotions and potions with benzlbenzoate are very soothing for sweet itch
sufferers help the itching to stop and keep the midges away. But my lates
breakthrough is a fly spray that I bought in the U.S. last time I was there
called Bite Free. It has been really good and keeping the flies away.
However if your horse is already itching and scratching and has scabs it may
not work. It has been a great preventative this summer and has stopped the
biting before the itching and scratching can begin. We have had an
incredibly wet summer here and plenty of midges to deal with as a result. 

Hope this helps. 

Annette