Watching your itchy horse can be distressing on many levels.

Horses can be driven crazy by the irritation of sand fly bites and mosquitos but that may not be the only cause. It’s no fun watching your horse being so distracted by itching.

Itching can be caused by a reaction to the saliva from sand fly bites (midges) and effects horses here, particularly in coastal locations. When the horse is bitten by the midges small lumps develop in the skin and because they are intensely itchy the horse rubs itself, causing loss of hair and irritating the skin.

Serum oozes from the irritated skin and scabs form. In chronic cases the skin becomes thickened and corrugated. Bear in mind that the appearance of the skin is distinctive, but other diseases that can look similar include ringworm, tail itch, bites from stable or buffalo flies, and rain scald.

Call us to arrange a consultation with one of our horse veterinarians to determine the cause, administer some relief and help you make your horse comfortable again.