best cure for sweet itch!!!!!!!!

There seem to be as many ways of managing it (not cure, I wish!) as there are affected horses, I'm convinced there are a whole load of allergic conditions included in the term. My two have minimal grass (lots of grass has been seen to make them itchy), soaked hay because they are inclined to tubbiness anyway) electric fencing everywhere and good quality rugs. The worst has a boett, the other has a good Derby House fly rug with attached neck and belly flap, and he barely itched last year. Occasional fly repellant (whichever I have handy) when the flies are actually bothering them.

No cure as far as I know...

My horse isn't a sweet itcher, but has bad problems with midges in his ears, gets all crusty and rubs himself raw if fence posts are convenient. My friend (who does have a mild sweet-itcher) recommended a product called Natural Bio Stimular from Neomed (have to order from Germany). It's an oil mixture. I did a week-long trial with summer fly cream (the yellow stuff) in one ear, the oil in the other and the difference was huge. No more crusts, no more fly mask needed (at least up til now this spring).
My friend's horse is rugged and only has mild sweet-itch and is coping well. I wouldn't say it's a miracle cure (don't believe in such a thing), but I have to say it beats the sudocrem/summer fly cream treatment by miles. Use it on my horse's willy too, and any other spots where I see skin problems.

i have made a ickle discovery in the last 3 weeks on sweetitch. i have had the vet out to the itchy mare due to a resportiory issue, which was put more down to allergies in the end and a back end of a viral infection. anyhow was suggested to use some respirtory supplement (but cos i am tight i didnt want the new market one as wanted to try a cheaper option first) went to local tack room discovered resportor (will look up brand later as ment to be working ) but since i have given her this she hasnt itched. still in the bug rug (rambo sweeticth hoody) although the belly flaps is the only downfall on that make as not enough of it.

this respotor supplement (in a white tub) cost me £15 think it is 500g but do larger tubs. smells intresting (horse version of vicks) . nothing else has changed ie diet wise ect and even lived out and didnt icth when brought in for the dinner.

I have heard skin soo sof t works as a lotion. I use baby oil or johnsons lotion which seems do somthing but not enough on its own and gallons of fly spray. have you got any rivers / ponds / ditches with water still about? if so move her/him away. prevention is better than cure when it comes to sweetitch

What works for my horse is using "Switch" once a week (think you used to just be able to get it from a vet but you can buy it on line now and I make sure I rug Bella from March onwards with her Rambo Sweet Itch Hoody or her Snuggy Sweet Itch hood and an ordinary turn out rug if the weather's yukky in March!

Please can I ask somebody to try feeding Manuka honey? Its available from most supermarkets for around £6 a jar.

Frank's bum looked like a bog brush when I came back off holiday so I fed him some (as my other boy is on it for headshaking) and he's not scratched it since.

I am keen to find out if it's a fluke or if there's something in it - it certainly helps my headshaker

I tend to dip a carrot in the honey and put it in my boys dinner (approx 1 teaspoon full)

Ooh, that's interesting. I'll look for some tomorrow when I shop - how long did you do that for?

ETA - are you sure it's manuka honey, not locally grown honey? I know people with hay fever find locally grown honey helps, because of the local pollen in it.