Rubbing manes and tails? Danderuff?

[MooreAcres]

This year has been awful for me as far as getting my horses to grow and keep full manes and tails. A few of them are consistently rubbing bald spots into their manes and the top of the tail head. Some even have a horrible case of danderuff. They are current on deworming and nothing else has changed in my normal "routine" in years. Despite being on limited turnout, they manage to get horribly grungy days after having a bath, almost as if I never took the hose/shampoo to them. Any suggestions? I've heard listerine and baking soda. What are your tricks? Bathing more frequently? Keeping them in sleezies so they can't rub their manes? Tail bags?

Thanks guys, you're always such help

Erin

 

[muffntuf]

Sounds like they are having the same issues my ponies are having - the no see ums are bad this year. They even hide in my hair as I am coming inside. They like to bite the tail dock and mane skin. For hot spots get some Healing Tree wound spray and soak their tails and manes when they have a hot spot.

You can also try skin so soft 50/50 with water, but I like the tea tree wound spray best. Make sure their mane and tail dock are clean before applying.

 

[circlesinthesand]

In the land of heat and humidity where water and thick winter fuzz is a huge problem, I use a mix of a little tea tree oil (you need a 5% dilution for it to be worth it) with water and vegetable glycerin (not only does it help suspend the tea tree in water, helps moisturize the hair but only when it's humid, don't use in extremely dry air) with bit of lavender essential oil for a nicer smell. Lavender also has properties that help with hair growth, and anti dandruff/mane&tail crud

because it's a pretty good antiseptic too. I started using it because of a bad problem I was having with one of my horses. It sure cleared up some NASTY crud I had on one that was really in bad shape. He was fighting not only the crud in the mane and tail but I was having issues with thrush, and scratches and...poor boy was just in bad shape that particularly wet winter. I had bought pretty much everything there was on the market (this was before you started seeing 'tea tree' stuff for horses) and the stuff just kept coming back but this stuff cleared it up and kept it gone. I haven't really had much problems with it since.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I would be curious as to the age of your afflicted horses. Around 4 years of age is when the itchy skin condition begins to rear its ugly head.

I would not waste my money on skin tests, cortinsone, antihestimines, or deep veterinary investigations. Been there. Done that. Although I have to say that the cortisone seemed to give a little relief for a week or so. But it has side effects.

I even heard that the 5 day Power Pack worming regemine sometimes helps. The theory is, the parasite migrates from the mane area to the other parts of the body. The Power Pack attacks more of the parasites than simple worming. Sounds good! But I've tried that also.

The only thing that seemed to help the ones I've had, was keeping them confined in the daytime, covered with a sheet from head to tail. It is miserable for them, and for us having to watch their misery.

 

[ThreeCFarm]

Marsha, I wouldn't automatically discount medications just because they didn't work for Dusty. Not every itchy horse has whatever Dusty's problem was. Through the years I've had two minis that benefited from dex during the spring. One was fine at my mother's house and in one of my pastures, but when I moved her to another pasture, she got very, very itchy all over her body and was rubbing herself raw. Per my vet, we put her on dex for a period of time...started at a higher dose, then slowly decreased the dosage until she was off it and she was fine for the rest of the year. Another one had bug allergies here, but was fine at her breeder's house. We also gave her dex like with the first mare, and kept her covered in a fly sheet with a neck cover and fly mask when turned out. Both horses were fine.

 

[Miniv]

And always rule out LICE before anything. Tea Tree spray for hot spots works for us a lot.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Marsha, I wouldn't automatically discount medications just because they didn't work for Dusty. Not every itchy horse has whatever Dusty's problem was. Through the years I've had two minis that benefited from dex during the spring. One was fine at my mother's house and in one of my pastures, but when I moved her to another pasture, she got very, very itchy all over her body and was rubbing herself raw. Per my vet, we put her on dex for a period of time...started at a higher dose, then slowly decreased the dosage until she was off it and she was fine for the rest of the year. Another one had bug allergies here, but was fine at her breeder's house. We also gave her dex like with the first mare, and kept her covered in a fly sheet with a neck cover and fly mask when turned out. Both horses were fine.

Yes, the cortisone was the only thing that gave any relief, but my vet is very reluctant to use it because of founder risk. I know of some horses that benefit from it; their owners start them on it routinely in the spring.

Another owner I know, besides the cortisone, uses a hrose vaccum every day on hers. I saw him last fall and he was much more comfortable than I had seen him in the past, though he still looked ragged. He was even moved to a different part of the country and still suffered. But she was able to ride him and enjoy him.

Covering with sheeting is really helpful. I'm not even sure but that the sun contributes to the problem.

I roached the mane on my last one with that problem--it looked terrible anyway. I didn't have a hrose vaccum, but used a house type. I think it helped a little.

I'm just saying, this is generally a bad issue and there is no easy fix, if any fix at all. Hope your situation works out well, Erin, like the other poster's and not like mine.

 

[Charlotte]

With rubbing of BOTH mane and tail I would first rule out lice. Easy to do. Use horse lice powder and do from between ears (being careful not to get in eyes) all the way down midline to the end of tail bone. No need to rub it in....just sprinkle on and move hair around a bit. I do a treatment every 2 weeks for 3 treatments, but look at the recommendations on your product.

At the same time I will deworm with an ivermectin product in case the lice are blood sucking variety.

Lice are easy to kill.

if you have one out of a group with lice it's probably a good idea to treat the whole group.