Hedgewitch Itchy Gel contains a blend of essential oils in an aloe vera gel base to help deter feather mites or midges and relieve any itching, while promoting the restoration of the skin. It also soothes sore, irritated skin and can be used to apply to insect bites for fast relief.

Formulated as an easy-to-apply gel, it can also be applied as a preventative application for mites and midges. For horses with a lot of feather, more water can be added to the gel (spooned into another container) to let it down in consistency and make it go further.

Seasonal itching

Itchy gel has been specially formulated to help with itching and to fend off midges. allowing the skin to repair. It's non-greasy and plant-based formulation doesn't leave residues that attract dirt which can exacerbate itching, as often happens with traditional benyzl benzoate treatments for sweet itch.

It is also suitable for horses with seasonal itching and those that scratch the tops of their tails or manes. It's also worth trying  in combination with Horse oil with sweet orange and peppermint for added relief.

About feather mites

Also known as ‘heel mange’, the irritation is caused by Chorioptes mites. It can be a very distressing condition, making horses extremely itchy. Affected horses constantly stamp and bite the legs or rub the backs of the fetlocks and pasterns against anything they have access to, often the stable wall or fence posts. It is most common in heavily feathered breeds, particularly coloured cobs, draft horses and Friesians.

Chorioptic mites are far smaller than lice and not visible with the naked eye. They live on the horse’s hair and skin and can sometimes burrow into the skin causing irritation. Mites often occur in association with mallanders, which provides a food source for them.

Our feather mite gel contains sweet orange and peppermint essential oils with BP grade neem oil in an aloe vera gel base. Neem provides a hostile environment for chorioptes mite and also acts as a deterrent to midges causing sweet itch. Both orange oil and peppermint help relieve itching and contribute to the deterrent effect on insects.