Tail rubbing

[NewToMini's]

My filly is rubbing her tail bald. She did it last year, too. How can I make her stop? She only does it when she's shedding. I'm not too fond of mullet tails, so I'd really like to know how to stop this behavior (or at least protect her tail from it) XD

Her mom does it, too, but not as bad

 

[merlin100]

Ouch. that looks sore.

I wonder if some equine friendly remedies would work?

 

[amysue]

She must be rubbing it to alleviate some sort of discomfort associated with itching. Do you spray or wipe flyspray on her? Have you checked to see if the skin between her teats is clean? Does she have a skin ailment such as rainrot or itch? Does she have pinworms? Is she allergic to fly bites? Some horses have very sensitive skin and cannot handle the sun or bugs, if she can get relief from triggers, her itching should stop. You could buy a tail wrap or try protecting it with vet wrap, but that may make her even more itchy and cause her to rub harder.

 

[Cayuse]

All of the above advice! Plus check the underneath part of her tailbone to see if it has a build up of crud. That will get them itching.

I use a shampoo with some betadine in it when mine get rubbing. I think it is called either Horseman's Dream or Horseman's One step. But if it's worms, only a de-wormer will fix it.

 

[NewToMini's]

I spray fly spray on her when the flies are bad (She doesn't seem to be sensitive to bites, I've never noticed any bumps )Probably spraying her about once a week right now. I just gave her a bath last week (made sure to scrub her dock really well and rinse thoroughly). She probably does need her teats cleaned, though.

She doesn't have pinworms. She's dewormed regularly and I checked her dock and butt for the worms when she first started rubbing this year and couldn't find any.

She only rubs when she's shedding.

 

[Mona]

I agree with worms, or even lice. And yes, smegma between the teats will also cause them to itch badly. I do not think it is flies causing the itch.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

I agree with the possibility of worms but I also agree with Cayuse, I always bath mine in a betadine shampoo for the first bath after winter, have done for the last 5 years and no longer have bald tails.

 

[amysue]

Another thing to consider is an allergy. Could she be allergic to something blooming this time of year? If she only does this during shedding season it could be a coincidence. They sell pet shampoo with hydrocortisone in it, maybe give that a try.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

If you don't want to bathe her completely, just wash the tail. I like Grandpa's Pine Tar shampoo. Someone on the forum suggested it a few years ago and now I'm a fan. I order it from Lehman's catalog but think I may have seen it in a farm store. Pine tar is a very old product; it has mild disinfectant properties. Another thing to try is rinsing after you shampoo with white vinegar. It supports the skin's PH. And a dirty udder might also be a culprit.

I hate it when my horses are itchy.