It’s Itchy Scratchy Season: Why do horses itch?
Spring and summer are often difficult seasons for itchy horses and their owners. With warmer weather and longer days, there are more biting insects, mycotoxins and allergens present in the horse’s environment.
Higher humidity and proximity to bodies of standing water such as dams and puddles significantly increases horse exposure to the biting midges that cause chronic itching in horses commonly known as Queensland Itch, Sweet Itch or Summer Eczema.
For most horses the itch cycle begins with an immune response to insect bites. Many itchy horses are hypersensitive to the saliva of midges from the species Culicoides. Insect bites tend to cause itchiness around the head, eyes, ears, mane, topline and tail.
Image: BugGuide.net
For other horses the trigger can be feed or pasture mycotoxins or contact allergies caused by hypersensitivity to pollen, sawdust or other particles in the environment. These horses can develop hives or simply begin scratching.
Itch around the head, neck, chest, shoulders and underside of the belly can occur due to a sensitivity to a parasitic nematode, Onchocerca cervicalis. These nematodes are transmitted by Culicoides midges. The tiny larval form (microfilariae) live in the horse’s skin, mostly around the head, neck, shoulders, chest and underside of the belly. The adult worms become encysted in the nuchal ligament of the neck where they are resistant to deworming chemicals.
Pinworms and other intestinal parasites can cause itchy tails and hindquarters.
To successfully manage your itchy horse it is important to try to identify the trigger of your horse’s itch.
Hi, in spring/summer my horse gets itchy on his face and gets sores, in the past I wormed him with ivmectin and it stops the itching and new spots popping up.
Do you have a product that could help stop the itchy Cycle.
Thanks Kerrie
Hi Kerrie,
Adding Farmalogic Omega Balancer to his diet will help support itchy skin and manage his immune response to insect bites. You’ll still need to use insecticides and physical barriers (rugs, fly screens, fans) to prevent the bites. Washing with Hoss Gloss to manage bacterial infections is a good idea – but don’t do it too often and dry the skin too much.
Hi Kerrie,
Farmalogic Omega Balancer is effective for many horses when used alongside appropriate topical and insecticide measures. The omega-3s in Omega Balancer support healthy skin and help to regulate the immune system. See our ebook on managing itchy horses for more information. It’s free – go to https://au.farmalogicglobal.com/product/itchy-horses/ to download.
Dear Farmalogic Family,
How do I get rid of/treat the parasitic nematode Onchocerca cervicalis?
My horse is presenting itchy in the relevant areas related to this parasite.
Hi Sharon, you’re best to talk to your vet about the optimal worming schedule for Onchocerca in your location. It generally takes a few treatments, spaced at precise intervals to break the worm’s lifecycle.