There are a variety of different problems that affect horses' skin. They often appear very suddenly, but can take a long time to resolve.

This summer's unusual weather pattern has affected the type and incidence of skin diseases in our horses.

It is unusual to be seeing cases of mud fever in August, but this year many owners are still battling with this common winter condition.

The high moisture levels and warm spring seem to have resulted in a high level of insect hatching, so many horses that have never been previously affected are suffering from sweet itch or fly bite allergies.

Sweet itch is caused by an allergic reaction to the culicoides midge. When this midge bites, it injects a small volume of saliva into the horse, setting up an allergic reaction.

The constant rubbing results in damage to the horse's skin and in some cases this can be quite severe.

Avoiding the midge biting is obviously the best course of action.

Using fly repellents and high quality fly rugs (as pictured), and only turning out between about 10am and 4pm, all help. Despite the best management, some horses remain badly affected.

But it is now possible to desensitise horses.

The first thing to do is to find out what the horse is allergic to.

This can be done either via blood tests or by intra- dermal skin testing.

Small doses of different potential allergens are injected into the horse's skin and the resultant reaction measured. A bespoke hyposensitisation vaccine can then be prepared for the horse.

The success of this treatment is variable and it is not always possible to desensitise a horse to everything it is allergic to.

However, in many cases, desensitisation makes a real difference to affected horses' quality of life and also to their level of performance.

  • For more information, contact The George Veterinary Group Equine Clinic on 01666 826456.