How to help your horse with summer eczema through the summer

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Does your horse shed its skin every summer? Then your horse may be suffering from summer eczema. Horses with summer eczema are hypersensitive to the proteins in the saliva of midges (the Culicoides midge). Each time a mosquito bites, a little bit of this protein is left behind, causing sensitive horses to itch more and more.

Approach against summer eczema
Summer eczema cannot be cured with a single supplement; a total approach is required. Start taking measures before the first mosquito bites your horse and prevent more mosquitoes from biting. Most horses with summer eczema have itching on the mane and tail, but itching on the head and belly is also common. There is no miracle cure for summer eczema. However, there are ways to reduce the itching and rubbing and give your horse a better summer. A combination of measures works often best.

Supplement
One of the measures you can take is to use a supplement. Finecto+ Horse, PUUR Culico and VITALstyle DermaControl are supplements to support your horse.

We recommend continuing to give the supplement throughout the fly season. Sometimes it stops already at the end of August, but sometimes not before the end of September. We recommend to feed the supplement in any case from March to September in combination with grain-free mineral pellets such as Vitalbix Daily Complete Timothy, directly absorbable DHA, which is contained in our Excellent Equi Salmon Oil and cannabinoids.

Eczema rug
The use of an eczema rug is also a very effective measure against mosquitoes. As soon as the temperature rises above 10 degrees, a sensitive horse should wear an eczema rug. This can also be done under the regular winter or rain rug, if you think it is still too cold or if your horse has been clipped. Moreover, put your horse in the stable at dusk. The Rambo Hoody eczema rug is highly recommended. This rug is made of durable tightly woven 1000D polyester which protects it from even the tiniest flies and provides optimal UV protection. In addition, we have many other eczema rugs that protect your horse against the mosquitoes. For example, the Bucas Sweet-Itch Light X, the MASTER (Zebra) UV Eczema Rug, the Amigo Ripstop Hoody and of course many more eczema blankets.

Fly Spray
On some sunny days, there may suddenly be many mosquitoes and flies. Your horse is then more likely to be stung. On those days, spray extra strong fly spray on the mane, tail and legs of your horse. For example, you can use Skincalmin Neutralizing Spray, Itch Stop Plus Spray or Cavalor Sw-Itch. It is also important to take care of any little wounds that do occur. Because these wounds will also itch when they start to heal. For this you can use the NAF D-Itch Lotion, Skincalmin Relief Lotion or the VITALstyle DermaControl Lotion.

Diet
It is known that sugars are linked to bites from midges in horses with summer eczema. In one way or another, midges seem to have a preference for these horses, especially when the resistance is lower. Therefore, a diet is definitely a basic requirement for summer eczema.

Please note the following points:

Give low-sugar feed (both roughage and concentrate)
Give low-sugar snacks. Apples, carrots and sweets contain a lot of sugar
Stimulate the resistance and intestinal health
Add herbs which make the horse unattractive to midges
Give an antioxidant supplement with high therapeutic value such as CBD or salmon oil
Ensure a good skin condition with e.g., silicon or biotin