Clipped yearling having a hard time growing coat back

[griggsmel]

Ok, I clipped my yearling filly for a halter show and I did it with a size 15 blade, which I know isn't too short compared to what they use for shows. The problem is, I did that back in March and she still has half her coat missing and looks like she has mange because it's growing back randomly. Does that happen to a lot of people? Makes me never want to clip her again. It happened to my other mini mare, too. They are both silver and when the hair grows back it's red/chestnut, so it just looks so bad.

 

[Genie]

I have had that happen too. I had a suspicion that she was "wormy"

 

[griggsmel]

I have had that happen too. I had a suspicion that she was "wormy"

She's not wormy, I know that for sure

 

[LittleBittyBritches]

I had some like that, was told to wash in iodine shampoo and takes care of it.

 

[Riverrose28]

sometimes the hair grows back after the first clip looking like pig hair. I would recommend rebath, scrub really well, then reclip. Hair should grow back in a more normal fashion.

Edited to add, use a #10 blade this time, not a 15, also make sure the blade doesn't get hot.

 

[LittleBittyBritches]

My filly looked like this when we shaved her for the first time

 

[griggsmel]

So giving the bath is accomplishing what? Are you guys saying it's some type of fungus maybe? Gosh, I hate to reclip her but it does look like pig hair. I used the 15 blade because that's a short as I wanted to go even though at the shows they use up to 30 on the bodies. That's crazy, I think, but it's what's done. It wasn't her first clip, just her first clip with a #15 blade. I will clip her again and see what happens.

 

[LittleBittyBritches]

A bath with iodine shampoo or medicated shampoo. Yes could be fungal or bacterial. Or not, just going from my experience.

 

[ohmt]

Often times when it's patchy like that, it means there's lice so i would delouse and give her a bath. Sometimes they have a hard time growing it back when they have a nutrient deficiency as well.

 

[Riverrose28]

It's almost impossable to diagnose what is going on over the forum, with that said, we show, and I do realize that most show/training barns clip their horses now with a #30 all over. Once someone started doing it, now they all are doing it. someone said last year it was to show off muscles better! Well in my opinion, only use a #10 on the body, if you want to use a 30 or 40 on bridle path, face, pasterns, that is up to you, actually we place very well in the show ring without the extremes. When you us a #30 on the body the horse is more prone to sunburn, not to mention if the blade was used before on another horse, you could spread something if the blade was not disinfected. Also it may get very hot causing clipper irratation. Young horses such as weanlings and yearlings still have sensitive skin, so are effected more often then older horses. i've encountered the pig hair before and recommend as I stated before, a really good bath, any soap will kill bateria, then reclip using a #10. If it is lice you will see them, if it is fungus you will see round patches or black spots or even scabs. Then if you see that treat accordingly.

 

[Riverrose28]

sorry for the second post, but I forgot to mention something. If you used stuff on her at the show, such as oil, sprays and then did not bath it off, it may cause irratation. You can use dawn dish detergent on the oil you put in the mane and tail, it is safe after all it's used on animals and birds caught in oil slicks, I've used it with no ill effects.

 

[griggsmel]

It's almost impossable to diagnose what is going on over the forum, with that said, we show, and I do realize that most show/training barns clip their horses now with a #30 all over. Once someone started doing it, now they all are doing it. someone said last year it was to show off muscles better! Well in my opinion, only use a #10 on the body, if you want to use a 30 or 40 on bridle path, face, pasterns, that is up to you, actually we place very well in the show ring without the extremes. When you us a #30 on the body the horse is more prone to sunburn, not to mention if the blade was used before on another horse, you could spread something if the blade was not disinfected. Also it may get very hot causing clipper irratation. Young horses such as weanlings and yearlings still have sensitive skin, so are effected more often then older horses. i've encountered the pig hair before and recommend as I stated before, a really good bath, any soap will kill bateria, then reclip using a #10. If it is lice you will see them, if it is fungus you will see round patches or black spots or even scabs. Then if you see that treat accordingly.

I am so glad to hear that because I hated the thought of clipping so close and don't want to do it. The 15 was as short a clip I wanted to do. I will go take a pic today before I do what you suggest. She is very healthy and well fed so I don't think it's nutritional. We never ended up going to the show, so the oils aren't the issue either. Her hair is so short I would see the lice I would think, but will check more closely. As for scabs, spots, etc., there aren't any signs of fungus, she is very smooth, just the weird coat.

 

[griggsmel]

Here are a couple pictures. She's a silver color, so when she's clipped she looks silver but when she grows out it looks red. She was clipped in March. I bathed her and sprayed her with a fungacide spray but I just don't think that's what it is. She eats Triple Crown feed, gets plenty of fresh grass and is wormed regularly, so I just don't know what it is. I am going to reclip tomorrow.

 

[chandab]

Here are a couple pictures. She's a silver color, so when she's clipped she looks silver but when she grows out it looks red. She was clipped in March. I bathed her and sprayed her with a fungacide spray but I just don't think that's what it is. She eats Triple Crown feed, gets plenty of fresh grass and is wormed regularly, so I just don't know what it is. I am going to reclip tomorrow.

Looks like she's probably silver bay (depending on the shade, they are often mistaken for sorrel); mine clip off silver but grow back their golden or red hair depending on which silver bay.

Yearlings often have a hard time shedding and growing coats, just give it time, and perhaps another clip to even it out. March was early enough in the year, that she'll probably need another clip to get that smooth coat you are looking for.

 

[MajorClementine]

I'm guessing she has what you call "shave shock" it's a result of shaving a double coated animal. It doesn't occur in every animal but it's more likely in young animals. What happens is, when the guard hairs (the nice shiny pretty ones) are cut short they get smothered out by the undercoat (the fluffy or rough hair). It's like kind of like weeds choking out grass. Make sure she's getting the oils and Omegas in her diet and that will help build up the coat. A coat supplement with Biotin would also be good. You need to support the growth of the guard hair. I doubt it's a fungus or a skin problem unless she is flaky or you have seen her seem itchy.

 

[MajorClementine]

sorry for the second post, but I forgot to mention something. If you used stuff on her at the show, such as oil, sprays and then did not bath it off, it may cause irratation. You can use dawn dish detergent on the oil you put in the mane and tail, it is safe after all it's used on animals and birds caught in oil slicks, I've used it with no ill effects.

Double post as well.... only use the BLUE dawn with the pictures of the cute sea creatures on it

 

[griggsmel]

I'm guessing she has what you call "shave shock" it's a result of shaving a double coated animal. It doesn't occur in every animal but it's more likely in young animals. What happens is, when the guard hairs (the nice shiny pretty ones) are cut short they get smothered out by the undercoat (the fluffy or rough hair). It's like kind of like weeds choking out grass. Make sure she's getting the oils and Omegas in her diet and that will help build up the coat. A coat supplement with Biotin would also be good. You need to support the growth of the guard hair. I doubt it's a fungus or a skin problem unless she is flaky or you have seen her seem itchy.

Interesting, I have never heard of that. I reclipped her today and gave her another bath. She isn't itchy at all and there aren't any patchy skin spots. She has triple crown rice bran oil in her feed and gets tons more ALA omegas from the grass. Her vitamins/minerals are all at the right levels, too, so hopefully the new coat will come in nicely.