wooly coat

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GlacierRidge

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I bought a large mini/small pony last November, for a pet, maybe a driving prospect down the road. He's cute and sweet as can be....he's about 38" and grullo. He just turned 2. His coat is different than my other mini, or any I have seen, it has always felt more "wooly" than I'm used to, and now he's just not shedding out as well as I'd like. I've been giving him the shedding blade treatment, and he's now on a vitamin supplement with his grain with soy oil and a probiotic in it, but I only just started that over the weekend.

What is shedding out ( not much!) is shiny and healthy looking underneath...."normal" looking. I'm just wondering if anyone has seen coats like this? Just not your typical horse coat......seriously, it's like wool underneath. Extremely dense, thick...now of course he kept himself QUITE warm all winter, but now it's coming out all matted up in little balls. He is shedding out like one of my goats is.... a horse in sheep's clothing I swear....lol

Angie
 
[SIZE=12pt]I'm assuming he's free of parasites?
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If so, my next guess would be a possible thyroid imbalance. Is he easy or hard to keep weight on?[/SIZE]
 
I was thinking hormone imbalance, too, but then I thought back to when my gelding was a baby. He had that curly, wooly coat too, and it seemed to take longer to shed out. He looked like a really ugly llama all winter, and in the spring I had to clip him because people kept asking me "what is THAT?"
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Anyway, Risha shed out nicely this year. He's four this spring, so maybe the wooly coat is a baby thing? (Risha is the only one I've raised from a baby, so maybe others can say if this is a common thing.)
 
I find some do just shed out better than others. Some shed evenly and quickly, but I have a couple that every year look like moth eaten rugs for awhile. I wait till it seems really loose, then I use my dog rake, works way better than a shedding blade!
 
Mine were all shedding out like crazy about a month or so ago. Then they just quit. Some shedded out completely, then some didn't. Nights were cold and days were still chilly so I didn't worry about it. I've still got some real hairy horses that I'll end up clipping soon as the weather makes up its mind that its summertime.
 
I've heard that Minis are prone to not shedding out like a "normal" horse, but I don't know whether thats true or not?!

Either way, I clip our Minis every spring and then partway through the summer. Otherwise, they get totally overheated
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We groom them continually through the winter and shedding season, but they always end up needing to be clipped!

Good luck
 
I cannot help with the shedding problem, but maybe Body Clipping him to keep him cool?
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I have a couple like that. They kind of shed out like an angora goat! I find the wooly hair all over the wire mesh in the paddock! They eventually shed out ok though. I think they just have a really good winter undercoat to keep them warm in the winter. Linda
 
Do ask your vet about checking for cushings although ponies & minis can have a heaver coat then large breeds. Usually the cushings horses have an oily coat and it sheds out on the top of the body but not as well underneath.

A 2 yr old is probably just a heavy coat.
 
It is extremely doubtful that your horse is Cushings at age 2. Cushings typically occurs in older horses.

Liz R. (also moderator of Yahoo Cushings/IR forum)

Edit to add: Here are good examples of a Cushings coat - this was my 21 year old mare Misty who was Cushings/IR:

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Thanks for the replies. I haven't taken a sample into the vet clinic to check for parasites, but am considering it. He is on the same worming rotation schedule as my other critters. He is easy to keep weight on, he's not obese, but he's definitely not skinny either! Sounds like someone else posted something very similar to what I'm seeing with my guy....he'll leave dreadlocks on the fence where he rubs. His coat is nothing like my other mini....both in looks and texture. Having bought him after he already grew his winter coat, I am sure eager to see him all shed out....but I may clip him and just help him out alittle bit! But we've still had some frosty nights.......so not yet.... I'll just keep up with the shedding blade and elbow grease at graining time!

Thanks much!

Angie
 
I dont know about anyone else but I have noticed a big difference in the way my horses are shedding this year. I just wonder if its the weird weather. It is still below average temp here.My minis got a thicker coat than normal this past winter and now just arent shedding as quickly. They are matting up more than shedding. So I just think its the weather...
 
I wish I had thought to take a before picture of the yearling filly I clipped last week. She had actual wool. When I clipped her it was exactly like shearing a sheep.
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It came off in sheets and if she hadn't shed /rubbed off places and I knew what I was doing I could have taken it off of her in one big fleece like they do a sheep. lol. Nothing wrong with her either, she just doesn't want to be cold in the winter. I actually had a family here looking at a pony I was selling and the 6 year old came running up to us and says "You sure have funny looking sheep" rofl I hadn't clipped anyone yet. His parents were embarrasses until I showed them the mares the boy had seen. Then they laughed too.
 
My 4-year-oold stallion/soon-to-be gelding has a virtual mountain parka for a winter coat. When he finally sheds out he has a gorgeous, shiny coat, but until then his beard rivals ZZ Top and his body coat mats up. Right now he's in between -- his butt is shiny and pinchable, but I just pulled out huge clumps from around his ears and armpits.

It doesn't sound too unusual, but it never hurts to consult your vet and do a fecal count. You might ask your vet about increasing his fat intake, perhaps adding flax, black oil sunflower seeds, or vegetable oil, although I'd want to be certain there were no underlying problems.

I'm only going from my personal experience, so please ask your vet.
 
That soft sheep wool underneath is his foal coat. I had the same problem last year with a 2 yr old so I had the vet look at her and that's what she told me. She said a few will even go to 3 yrs old before loosing it. When people came to look at my horses last year it was embarrassing when they asked "what's with that one"? She looked horrible and mangy! This spring she is gorgeous! She is a dark silver dapple and has so many spots she looks like a dalmation. Keep up with the shedding blade to help him out and soon your sheep will turn into a lovely horse.
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Interesting.... I only have two minis....and the first one was summer of his three year old year when I got him.....so it makes some sense we could still be dealing with a foal coat here. Seeing summer photos of him last year, his beautiful, sleek, grulla color.....I knew he had it in him somewhere! We've had 7 foals born here....but never a mini foal! So minis can hold onto that baby fuzz for 2-3 years, huh? Interesting! He seems healthy in every other way.....

(to the person who said they clipped and it came off in sheets, I do believe this is exactly how his would come off too!)

Angie
 
I would clip a area on her side and see if she has lice! Them dang things will do that I've had problems with horses coming from the north country come in the winter (when they still have thier winter hair) and then go to clip them for the first spring show and find that they are COVERED in lice!!!!

I've even clipped thier necks and NEVER saw it...... but you go to clipping thier back and sides...... and it's just something one would never think of........ I never did NOR ever had a problem with it.........but a bad hair coat can DEFFINATELY be a sign of lice!
 
I just took some pics this afternoon...before I took another fur coat off him at graining time (although he never looks like it when I'm done!) Don't know how well it will show up....

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