Sweet Itch and Itching in Horses
Relieving your horse’s sweet itch
Sweet itch is an allergy to insect bites, mainly from Culicoides midges: intense itching at the base of the mane and tail that comes back every spring. Two steps work together to bring relief: reduce the bites, and care for the skin damaged by rubbing so the hair can grow back.
Sensitive Shampoo for sensitive, irritated skin, dermatitis, itching.
- Formulated for sweet itch
- Calms itching
- Cleansing
- Highly concentrated
From 29,00 €
Thermequin Sanitizing, soothing and healing spray for horses
- Reaches what the cream
- One to two applications a day
- Suitable for skin
- Avocado oil, aloe vera
32,00 €
Thermequin Soothing & healing cream for skin, horse wounds
- Leaves no greasy film
- Softens scabs
- Visible hair regrowth
- No essential oils
34,00 €
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What is sweet itch in horses?
Also called summer eczema or insect bite hypersensitivity, sweet itch is an allergic reaction to the bites of Culicoides, tiny biting midges, and other insects. It affects around 5 to 10% of horses and ponies in France, making it the most common equine skin disease there. It is not contagious. Some breeds seem more prone to it: Icelandic horses, Friesians, Shetlands and heavy breeds.
It appears in spring, gets worse in summer as insects become active, and eases in winter, only to return the following year. A horse that itches all year round may have something else: lice, mud fever, a food or contact allergy.
Sweet itch symptoms
- Intense itching: the horse rubs against trees, posts and walls.
- Broken, ruffled mane and tail hair, hair loss at the base of the mane and tail.
- Thickened, leathery, sometimes cracked skin.
- Rub wounds, scabs, weeping areas.
- Restlessness, constant tail swishing.
The areas most affected are the mane, tail, croup, neck, back and the midline of the belly. Only a vet can confirm the diagnosis by ruling out other possible causes.
Sweet itch and itching: how to relieve your horse
Reduce the bites. Fly rugs and masks, a clean environment, repellents: see our fly and tick care.
Break the itch-rub cycle. As long as it itches, the horse rubs and the skin cannot repair. First calm the itching, then repair and nourish the skin, which is often dry, so the hair can grow back.
A three-step routine:
- Sensitive Shampoo: twice a week at first, then once a week, then twice a month. Chamomile, calendula and comfrey calm the itching.
- Healing cream*: a thin layer on damaged areas. It absorbs without leaving a greasy film, so bedding does not stick to it.
- Soothing spray: at the base of the mane and tail, where cream is hard to apply, once or twice a day until the skin settles.
None of these three products contains essential oils. The cream and spray come together in the Essential Pack.
Our articles on sweet itch in horses
Sweet itch: frequently asked questions
Is sweet itch contagious?
No. It is an allergy specific to each horse: it cannot pass to other horses or to people.
Cream or spray: which one?
Both share the same soothing actives. The cream suits accessible areas and rub wounds; the spray reaches the base of the mane and tail, and takes over on skin too sensitive for the cream. They work together.
Can sweet itch go away?
The allergy stays: sweet itch usually returns every insect season. The aim is to reduce bites and keep the skin in good condition, so flare-ups are milder and the hair grows back.
When should I call the vet?
To confirm the diagnosis, and as soon as lesions become infected, weep or spread.
*Does not replace veterinary advice.
