Tail and Mane Eczema

SME is an abbreviation for tail and mane eczema, or summer eczema.

This is a condition in horses where intense itching occurs. As the name suggests, horses primarily experience itching on the tail and mane, but it can also appear in other areas such as under the belly and on the head. The itching is caused by bites from Culicoides midges, which are found in wooded and watery areas from April/May. Horses with tail and mane eczema are allergic to the saliva of these midges, which causes severe itching after a bite.

The Skin

The skin is not the origin of the problem but is where disturbances in the body become visible from the outside. The skin is one of the body's excretory organs, similar to the lungs, intestines, and kidneys. The skin eliminates waste products through:

• Sweat glands
• Sebaceous glands

Problems arise when the skin has to remove more than the normal amount of waste products, which usually means that the liver and/or kidneys are not functioning properly and are compromised. The skin will attempt to take on this detoxification task by removing waste products through sweat and sebum. This, in turn, causes disturbances in the skin's flora. This dysbiosis in the skin allows pathogens to settle there. This causes itching in the horse, which rubs and scratches, and the first inflammations appear. These inflammations ensure that the immune system remains in a constantly active state. The bite from the midge causes proteins from its saliva to enter the horse's bloodstream. The immune system, already overly active, goes into a hyperactive state, leading to an allergic reaction. Thus, the midge is not the cause but the last drop that overflows the cup!

Detoxification

The liver, kidneys, and gut microbiome play a very important role in the detoxification of the horse's body. You need to support these organs to ensure that the immune system eventually reacts less strongly to the midge bite.

Additional Approach:

• Start with minimal negative load on the kidneys, liver, and intestines.
• A good diet that minimally burdens the organs. Elimination of ingredients such as grains, sugar, and starch. Minimizing the use of deworming agents and regular medications. Feeding with non-packaged hay can make a difference in this case.
• Helping the body remove harmful substances through detoxifying or cleansing herbs, for example, in the spring and autumn. This is an individual process, so always consult a therapist if in doubt.
• Support the microbiome to ensure proper gut function, which optimizes the condition of the skin.
• Desensitization with drops containing the midge's own saliva.
• Phytotherapy, to soothe the immune system and care for the skin from within. You can apply it for a longer period, such as during the summer months.

If you can support the body in a holistic manner, the treatment will be successful and will reduce the acute reaction to midges.

A few additional tips to help a horse with severe complaints:

• Midges are most active during sunrise and sunset, so let the horse out on the meadow only between 11:00 and 15:00 hours, if the weather is not hot.
• Use an eczema blanket.
• Since midges lay eggs in damp places like puddles, ditches, and water buckets, you can try to eliminate these spots as much as possible in the area where the horse is kept.
• Use a soothing and insect-repelling lotion containing marigold and clove, among other ingredients.
• Young grass, especially at the tips, has a high content of fructosamine. These sugars, in excessive amounts, burden the liver and can lead to insulin resistance, increasing the likelihood of SME.
• It is advisable to start prevention and combat symptoms at the beginning of April.

By starting additional treatment early, the symptoms are significantly reduced. However, long-term treatment is often necessary throughout the summer.