Mites are very persistent. This is because the eggs remain viable for a long time and due to the life cycle of the mites. Did your horse itch last winter? Then there is a good chance that there are still eggs somewhere on his body. Those eggs hatch as soon as the temperatures start to drop. When autumn comes, that is. The larvae of the mite live close to your horse's skin, under the hairs. They eat skin flakes. Over time, the larvae turn into adult mites. And those mites, which look like small spiders, want to reproduce and lay eggs again. To do that, a female mite needs blood. She therefore bites your horse to drink blood. And then she lays eggs deep in the coat. Biting and drinking blood causes a lot of itching and discomfort for your horse. The skin can be quite damaged in case of a significant mite infection. Horses of modest breeds with long socks, such as plow horses and Friesians, are often more sensitive to mites.

Precautionary measures

The complete life cycle of mites takes about four weeks. What makes control difficult is that both the eggs, the larvae, and the adult mites can all be on your horse at the same time. Especially those eggs are almost impossible to get rid of. The best way to control mites is a total approach, starting well in advance. Try to make life difficult for the mites both from the inside and the outside. It is wise to start with measures as soon as the temperature drops below 10 degrees and your horse starts to grow its winter coat. Make sure to have a clean stable, clean blankets, and clean brushes. The mite eggs can survive for a long time in brushes and blankets.

Prevent the mites from laying eggs!

To make your horse as unattractive as possible for mites, it is smart to give a herbal supplement through the feed that is specially made to combat horses stamping. Such a supplement contains powerful herbs such as echinacea, astragalus, gentiana, thymus, fenugreek, sepiolite citronellol, and citronellal. These herbs ensure that your horse no longer smells good and tastes bad to the mites. As a result, the female mites stop biting and sucking blood. As a result, they can no longer lay eggs. This way, you interrupt the life cycle of the mites. Start at the beginning of autumn, and your horse will 'taste bad' by the time the mites want to lay eggs. Always choose a 100% natural product!

Total approach

To keep mites under control, you can take a number of measures to prepare your horse as well as possible for autumn and winter.

• Start with precautionary measures at the beginning of autumn.
• Give your horse a detox, for example with liquid nettle.
• Clip the socks
• Clean the stall, brushes, blankets, and saddle pads.
• Provide an herbal supplement based on echinacea, astragalus, uncaria, and citronellal to make your horse unattractive to mites.
• Feed as little sugar and starch as possible (mites love carbohydrates). This is mainly found in concentrated feed. Choose a grain-free mineral pellet.
• Don't forget the readily absorbable omega-3 (DHA and EPA), this is found in salmon oil or algae.