Sweet Itch

I know that sweet itch is a skin fungal, I seen an product for it, but I don't know what it is, or what causes it. Is it seasonal, can a horse catch it from another horse?
Thanks

Dealing with Sweet Itch: How to Help a Horse Suffering from SSRD | Suite101.com

Haruko has Sweet Itch.
She's 15 and it's bad already, so It's almost certain she'll be PTS in some years when it gets worse.

It's caused by bites from midges. The little bugs that are always around in the Spring and Summer.
They only bite the legs but the chemical produces something that comes out through the skin, thus causing them to scratch on anything possible.
Sometimes it's mild but ti will always get worse, never better.
Also there's no cure, once a horse has it, that's it.
It's not contagious but in rare cases it can be hereditary, meaning the horse can pass it on t offspring but only a 5% chance.

There's various creams you can get plus a specially designed Boet rug.

When there' no midges there's no sweet itch. That's why horses with sweet itch are normal looking through out the Winter.
Some people don't use creams or rugs on badly effected horses. These people are morons.

Hope that helped some.
We always bring Haruko in if it's not raining and in the day just to keep them away a bit more, they normally disappear at night.

wehave a pony with sweet itcch, it doesnt cause anything serious, just an irritated and unhappy horse, it is true it wont go away but you can prevent it, wee rug ours up with a mesh fly sheet, his mane and the top of his tail are covered in vaseline (this helps to stop the midges getting to the skin as these are the areas that are badly affected) you can put garlic in your horses feed as midges do not like the smell and taste of this. there is a vaccination out for it i think,but your rick your horse getting diabetes if this is given, best way is to bring your horse in at dawn and then again at dusk as these are the times when midges are out the worse.

The midges, do they crawl up the legs or do they jump like a flea? The reason I'm asking is would vaseline on the hoofs (around the top)help to keep them off?