Strange hair growth pattern

[mydaddysjag]

Midas is a yearling gelding. He is a light palomino, however, when clipped he turns WHITE. His coat also seems to grow extremely slow. He was at the trainers until July 3rd. Before I brought him home that day, the trainer clipped him with a #30 blade. She said she normally wouldnt use a 30 on him, but I had a show in 3 weeks, and If for some reason he gave me problems clipping him, his coat wouldnt be long and outgrown by then. We decided that Normally we would use a #10 a week before a show. Well, I found out very fast that Midas isnt quite normal when it comes to growing a coat. He grew hair on his neck, and half way up his legs, but not on his belly or back. He had an amazing golden color, but the judge probably thought it was pee stains because the rest of him didnt match. Anyway, He also grows "tufts" of hair. Instead of growing hair all over on his belly and back, he gets 1/2" x 1/2" tufts. He probably had about 15-15 of these tufts. These are not areas that we missed when clipping, but honestly are areas that grew back much quicker. 2 days before the show I went over the tufts with a #10 blade to knock the worst of them off, but honestly, I still see them. I've allowed his to grow a coat until our next show (mid october) but he still has the tufts that are longer than the rest of his hair. He is also still darker in certain areas.

I tried the shampoo for palominos, and even that dosent help. He is getting Purina Strategy feed, Timothy/Alfalfa hay, 1 oz of BOSS, and 1oz of Nu-Image.

My trainer and I decided that it would probably be best that I allowed him to grow a coat until 2 weeks before my state show, and then clip him with a #10, and if he grows that back after a week, I could always do it again, but if it's slow to grow back again, he will have 2 weeks to grow as much as possible.

I realize that it will be chilly when he is clipped for that show, and I do have plenty of blankets for him, but will he need a light as well?

With the big horses we blanket them and keep them under lights, but thats to keep their winter coats from comming in, and to keep them nice and shiny. I would assume that it wouldn't be necessary for a mini since he will be clipped anyway, and he will have enough blankets to keep him warm, but I figured I should ask anyway.

So, has anyopne seen a coat like this before?

 

[mininik]

I would have your vet run a blood panel. Thyroid and Cushings can effect hair growth.

 

[MiniHunterHorseFan]

I have a palomino that when clipped turns light. He had some rain rot and the hair grew back but white. So it looks like he has white spots. A white spotted palomino appaloosa! Lol

 

[Tami]

Yep, my yearling filly did that. I clipped her in April. Her hair grew back just like that. She had tufts of black hair, but just on her neck and some on her head. Her hair on her rear end grew back good. Here is a photo of her in July at a show. See the little black spots? That is where the hair grew in tufts and when I clipped her for the show it made it look like she has black flecks. She finally has grown to be black again. And she never had rain rot. It just grew back different after she was clipped.

 

[EdensFamilyFarm]

I have a buckskin stallion that does the same thing the tuffs are sometimes even hard to clip off and are tuffer to get the clippers thur he gets them mostly on his neck but if you really look they all over his body in places. He is in wonderful health no problems on a very good diet and is check by the vet regularly just a odd thing I guess. by the way very cute black and white pinto above me I really like her!

 

[Magic]

I had bought a yearling colt that grew tufts of hair like that, someone else called them "pig hairs" because they did seem to be more coarse and really stuck out. He outgrew it or something though, because when he was older it didn't happen anymore.

Hopefully your colt does the same thing.

:

Oh, you shouldn't need a light for him, I wouldn't think, but that is up to you. Good luck at your show!

 

[bevann]

Not sure what is going on, but a friend of mine has abuckskin that always had a fuuny looking colt early in the show season.this past winter she fed him Black Oil sunflower seeds in his feed and his coat was beautiful and nice golden color even early in the show season after the first clipping of the year.You might give it a try.

 

[mydaddysjag]

I do give him black oil sunflower seeds daily. I always shorten it to BOSS, sorry, I always forget that not everyone knows what im talking about, lol.

 

[Bess Kelly]

As suggested the BOSS can help, also flaxseed does wonders -- for intense color, shine and a really tight coat. I've seen this with an animal that has some skin issues -- something you might not even notice it's so minimal, like dry skin, and the oils in these two products help. Also, if the animal had certain worms it can cause poor hair growth (5 day, dble dose treatment helps) and this tuffs, sometimes larger patches too.. And it will probably take an entire season to change so start now.

Many pallys clip out white. I've shown what appeared to be a totally white horse but he was a pally pinto. If clipped short you could see the darker lines of the spotted areas. I find the gold is darker as they age and also with the flaxseed.

 

[mmmorgans]

Yep, my yearling filly did that. I clipped her in April. Her hair grew back just like that. She had tufts of black hair, but just on her neck and some on her head. Her hair on her rear end grew back good. Here is a photo of her in July at a show. See the little black spots? That is where the hair grew in tufts and when I clipped her for the show it made it look like she has black flecks. She finally has grown to be black again. And she never had rain rot. It just grew back different after she was clipped.

We have had that happen as well - and oh by the way Tami - your filly is gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tami]

Aw thanks. She is all of 25.5"..lol. And 17 hands of attitude.....

 

[mydaddysjag]

I would love to feed flax, however I board my horses, and I wouldn't be able to grind the flax fresh everyday. Hopefully I will be able to bring them home within the next few years. His diet consists of Purina Strategy, Select Nu-Image (which is soybean meal based), BOSS, and alfalfa timothy mix hay.

He is on a regular deworming schedule, and I plan on doing the 5 day safeguard double dose around october 1st. We will be leaving for a 5 hour trip to a 4 day show on the 11th, will worming him with the 5 day double dose that close be a problem?