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T O P I C R E V I E W
SKTao
Posted - 14 Jan 2011 : 10:48:20 AM Hi All, After much deliberation on which sweet itch rug to get Tao I finally decided I like the design, shape and fit of the snuggy hoods sweet itch rug so went ahead and ordered it 2 days ago and its finally arrived today. To my horror the fleece part protecting the whithers and under neck part of it has come in lepoard print!! LOL! Poor Mr T is going to feel all embarrased around the ladies!! Anyway I am going to try it on tonight and hope Ive bought the right size, he has had a growth spurt and gone from a 5'3 to just under a 5'9 rug within 4 months!! Have bought a 5'9 which hopefully will have a bit of room to spare on him. Have had to sell my lovely Neon Lister Clippers to buy this rug so its best be good! Will let you know how we get on with it. I read many a review on the different types of sweet itch rugs i.e Boett, DeMeulenkamp, Pagony and Snuggy Hood and decided this one would be best for him. Figured I would buy it early in preparation for midgey season to arrive. Unfortunately the 22 acre field he's in has a canal on one side,a river on the other. (I was told he didnt have sweet itch etc when I bought him,( there were no signs as I bought him in January) I wouldnt have bought a horse knowing it had sweet itch because of where it would be kept however now I know he has it we will deal with it as best we can and I just want him to be happy and as itch free as possible!!) The upside to where he is, is its very flat so its quite windy which does help blow the flies away. Anyway, has anyone else used one of these rugs before? Or any of the other SI rugs listed? Do you use any products etc? Thanks, SK x
This is the design of rug Ive gone for:
17 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
SKTao
Posted - 19 Jan 2011 : 12:26:37 PM Thanks for that Deb! Will have a 'google' of it later
@Nichole - I thought the Demulenkamp looked like it would do that, alot of photos ive seen of horses in them it looks very tight around the shoulders but like you say good for a spare when washing the other but as the same time a very expensive spare lol! Might try one of the pagonys for 'wash' days, they are those £60/70 ones from the makers of the DMK.
@Hussar - I never heard that one before about the sugar :-D then again I suppose its like if we drink alot of sweet drinks and are hot and sweaty on a summers day, we're more 'fly attractive' i guess? Have heard good reviews about the rambo Sweet itch hoody but it looked very similar to the HY Guardian fly rug I used last year and was really happy with how well that worked and what a good fit it is, its a mit manky and torn in places now so ready for the bin, but will get another one for definate as I found that actually worked really well for a fly rug. Plus I got in in a sale at my local saddlery last January for £25 instead of the £45-60 they usually are :-D
I know Im probably being over precautious about how bad his SI may be as I havent had a full summer with him yet so havent had the chance to see it 'progress' - he would probably be fine with just a fly rug on but would rather be safe than sorry :-) xx
Hussar
Posted - 19 Jan 2011 : 12:15:27 PM I'm a big fan of the Rambo Sweet-itch Hoody, as my boy has mild SI. I tried the Boett and didn't like it for lots of reasons, but the Hoody gives good coverage, is quite robust, easy to put on and washes/dries well.
It might also have been coincidence but following a tip from a vet last year I cut as much sugar out of my boy's diet as possible - and he seemed much less inclined to rub than in previous years. The vet reckoned that it's not called 'sweet' itch for nothing!
zebedeedeb
Posted - 18 Jan 2011 : 9:58:35 PM hi i buy the neem oil from ebay ... it is approx £16 per litre.. when it is cool it is very thick but when its warm its runny.. its a natural oil from the neem tree.. use it neat.. directly onto the mane base and tail root, and anywhere else that is needed.. it is also antiseptic and anti fungal.. so apply to any cuts and even mud fever,,, its the best thing ive ever used ,, the flies and midges hate the smell of it,, bit like onion soup,, but it works and is relitively cheap compared to other more expensive ones that dont work.. a litre usually lasts me a whole year,, and i start using it from mid march till end of oct into nov..google it.. u will see it has been used for many years ..hope this helps others and your itchy horses....deb
Nichole Waller
Posted - 18 Jan 2011 : 9:30:35 PM I've got a demulenkamp as well....! (I've tried them all... ). The demulenkamp is ok as a spare when i wash the snuggy hoods but i don't like leaving it on for long periods. It's not a great fit and it slips back making it very tight round her neck and shoulders. Also the leg straps are quite tight and i've cut a girth sleeve up and i put that over the leg straps.
I normally only have it on for one day while the other one is washed and dried.
IMO Boett and Snuggy Hood are the best.
SKTao
Posted - 18 Jan 2011 : 11:33:59 AM Thanks everyone. Has anyone ever used one of the demulenkamp sweet itch rugs? They are the boett copy made by the same company that does the pagonys? Will let you know how I get on with the sunggy hood one. Here he is modelling it at the weekend:
He didnt look too impressed! lol. Where do you get the Neem Oil from Deb and how do you administer it, i.e do you mix it with any other lotions and potions?
SK x
AJJ
Posted - 16 Jan 2011 : 6:46:23 PM If your horse won't eat marmite and it is easier to administer Brewers yeast is the best supplement which is rich in vit b as is marmite, I found this very useful last year and feed it to the rest of the gang,
Amanda
LadyLuck1
Posted - 16 Jan 2011 : 12:11:42 PM I posted on another site as Kirstie started itching last summer and vet has said it will develop into sweet itch, anyway lots of people said to feed marmite so we are feeding that and rugs will be going on in feb. We will have a mane this year she looks silly with a lovely long forelock and a short spikey mane. Mary
AJJ
Posted - 16 Jan 2011 : 11:11:57 AM Forgot to mention, I have my colt on Hilton Herbs SI trial at the moment, a supplement currently then in spring will be using a salve as well, so will keep all posted, I will do anything for his lovely blonde locks to re grow!! which a beginning to, well he has half a mane
Amanda
AJJ
Posted - 16 Jan 2011 : 11:09:29 AM Out of my 5 I have 2 which can become sweet itchy, I say itchy as it is not really fully blown sweet itch but if the rugs aren't on in time as Laura says you struggle all summer!! I personally haven't used snuggy hoods so would love to hear how they go, I personally use the Boett which I cannot recommend highly enough, however, with youngsters and one being a colt they are thugs in biting them, I am constantly repairing them Will probably need to re invest in a couple more this year.
Amanda
Mrs Vlacq
Posted - 15 Jan 2011 : 8:27:39 PM SI rugs need to go on in Feb as once a horse has rubbed he will keep doing so, trashing your rugs... boooo! I've heard good and bad about the snuggy hood rug - originally the fabric had a stretch content which degrades swiftly with washing, treatment oils and daylight. But haven't seen one to comment personally - do keep us posted!
zebedeedeb
Posted - 14 Jan 2011 : 8:34:33 PM hi my 7 yr old mare developed sweet itch at the age of 3, i had her at 18 months , no one knows why,, i used to buy the expensive rugs but now i buy a general fly rug with neck which i then sew in and sew more velcro fastenings around the neck to close it up. then sew about 6 inch of extra fabric around the hood where it attaches to the neck so it overlaps well,,, i also use neem oil which is the best product on the market to stop the midges.. my rug cost around £30 a year and she has a full mane and tail with no rub spots at all... so some thing and i believe its the neem is winning my battle for me ..... deb
Nichole Waller
Posted - 14 Jan 2011 : 7:38:04 PM I have one for my Sweet itch mare. (in fact this is my second one!) They are very good and definitely do the job, but you do need to make sure they go on in time (before the midges come out).
My current one is a little big around the neck and it slips back across her withers. I either need to put some darts in the shoulders or send it back and get them to do it for me.
If they are wearing them during coat change (which they probably will to avoid the early midges) then you need to bring them in every few days and take all the rug and hood off and give them a good groom. The loose hair can collect in the belly piece and also in the points of the ears.
I wash mine every two weeks in non-bio washing powder with NO conditioner. You need to keep them clean otherwise all the grease from their coats makes the inside dirty and their coats become very dull. (then you need a spare one for when you are washing the other one...)
Also, watch out for sun damage... Mine got bleached in the sun, then the material gets really thin and when i pulled the hood on i put my fingers through the material...! Same with the body. It lasted ok with some patching for a while then i finally had to replace it last year. (had the first one about 3 years)
Lizbuf
Posted - 14 Jan 2011 : 2:29:09 PM Hi!
I cant remember for definate but im pretty sure i ordered his normal rug size, he is 12 now thought so isnt going to do much growing lol. I did have problems with it rubbing his shoulders and a couple of other places and i told them at snuggy hoods and they altered it, and im sure they didnt charge me? They even put extra fleece for me, and im sure they do a repairs service. They were very helpful, i had to photograph my lad and email them with the pics of where it rubbed. I did have to get a bib for the shoulder rubs though which he still wears now, its a bossi's bib which you can get on line and they reconmended it to me, works a treat, got my other lad one too just in case!
SKTao
Posted - 14 Jan 2011 : 1:54:38 PM Hi Liz, Did you order the same rug size as normal or did you order one size bigger? My main concern was it possibly rubbing his shoulders. He wasnt too bad until May last year and he was just in a fly rug, but then he went back to Ireland and it flaired up whilst there. As this will be our first full summer together I just want to get as prepared as possible for it. I hear the snuggy hood customer services department are good when it comes to returns or exchanges etc and provide an end of year service for any patches that might need sending out? SK x
Lizbuf
Posted - 14 Jan 2011 : 1:46:21 PM Hi!
I have one of these rugs for one of my boys(the bay in sig pic). He hasnt got bad sweet itch as such but he despises flies and has come up in lumps from bites and is also allergic to some shop bought products. I got one of theses 2 summers ago and i do really like it, seems to help him in the field even if the flies get bad, (it has the leopard print on too but i like it he he he!). I had a few fitting problems at first, it seemed to rub in certain areas but the snuggy hood people were really helpful and it now fits fab. I started of a trend, there is now about 4 people on my yard that use them lol
SKTao
Posted - 14 Jan 2011 : 1:30:45 PM He got sweet itch as a 2 year old (when In Ireland as he was bred there) his breeder gave him to a friend of a friend in wales on the condition it was a a long term, permanent as possible home, as she didnt want him to stay in Ireland due to the very fly ridden conditions and humid weather where they are. (A very long story later...lol) I bought him off the girl he was given to in Wales who told me he didnt have SI or any conditions such as. It was only after contacting his breeder a few months after I bought him that I found out. Unfortunately moving to another yard isnt an option. He was ok at the begginning of last year covered with a HY Guardian fly rug until May when he went back to Ireland to be broken in, so I havent had a full summer with him over here yet. x
Lanabanana
Posted - 14 Jan 2011 : 12:24:39 PM I'm no expert on sweet itch, but I think it's highly possible that your boy has developed sweet itch BECAUSE of where he's living and not necessarily something that he'd previously suffered from. I used to own a Sec C mare (my cousin still owns her 20 odd yrs later), up until she was 3 she had no signs of sweet itch. We moved yards to a place where part of the grazing was marshy and there was a long track to the fields which was enclosed by hedges and permanently muddy, within a very short time she developed severe sweet itch, however a few years later when she was moved back to the yard where she had previously lived the itch disappeared just as quickly as it had arrived.
Will probably need to re invest in a couple more this year.