Mane and tail rubbing

Jean · Postby **Jean** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 5:37 am

Our sales yearlings are really itchy and rubbing, have been dewormed so that is not an issue. It has been extremely wet and now hot here so I am presuming it has something to do with this. Have tried Listerine with no success seems to leave a scum on them, Any Suggestions?

KamiBrooks · Postby **KamiBrooks** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 5:55 am

Gold Bond Athlete's Foot Powder sometimes helps... I use this on an arab ith sweet itch. If you look for information on treating 'sweet itch' and you'll find a lot of things that people have tried.

skeenan · Postby **skeenan** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:16 am

It's been a big mystery to me. I went through it last summer- one of ours rubbed half his mane off and the top of his tail. I can tell you what I tried that had little effect:

MTG (or MSG... the mane & tail grow solution)
Human scalp itch products
Neosporin spray
Wipe brand fly spray (I was told it could be no-see-ums)

Calm Coat oil seemed to help somewhat, but I had to constantly wash the areas with a mild solution of Benedine & water, and then you have to be careful that it doesn't dry out the skin. The oil causes dirt to stick to the areas... which seemed to make him more itchy.

He isn't doing it (yet) this year... keeping my fingers crossed, as his tail & mane grew out over the winter. He's been moved 2 miles to our house since, and I can't believe we have different insects here. The only other thing is that I changed his diet last fall, to one that has less protein. I have no idea if it's somehow connected, but it's all I could attribute it to!

Good luck... the only idea I had that I didn't try yet was using a liniment... I thought if I could "numb up" the areas, they wouldn't feel so itchy! Or, perhaps a Solarcain spray would work, as it does the same for itchy sunburn.

kimberley mine · Postby **kimberley mine** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 7:11 am

If it is a fungal infection of the skin (e.g rain rot), mixing a tablespoon of tincture of iodine into a bucket full of water, and sponging that mixture on the skin, will help.

What kind of soap do you use to bathe them? Could they be allergic to the soap?

marg · Postby **marg** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 8:09 am

hi,Do not know if you have this product in the states but it is awesome.It is kind of funny cause my Mom used it on me as a kid as a disinfectint years ago >It is called Dettol.I had a mare come home from Kentucky with a skin condition that we couldn't get rid of.The farm in Kentucky told us to use the white powder that you put on roses but we absolutely didn't want to do that so we tried Dettol after many products hadn't worked.It worked great.We get it in the drug section at Walmart in Canada so I think it would be available to you down there.It is great on cuts---small or large ones-----rashes ----all kind of things.I can not stress how good this stuff is----cheap too.If I was using it on a rash I would dilute it a bit.Cuts------we put it in water and soak the cut ----then, put it on full strength.Marg

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 2:07 pm

Dettol is good, a bit pricey here... but you could also use tea tree oil, mix it up in a sprayer with witch hazel, and some glycerine and lanolin for the coat.

Jean · Postby **Jean** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 5:33 am

Thanks everyone for you input. We are not bathing the yearlings except with water. I will try the Gold Bond and the Dettol. Do you dilute the Dettol.? Do you just sprinkle the Gold Bond on and work it in?

TBLADY · Postby **TBLADY** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 6:59 am

have you tried simple dandruff shampoo? We use it a lot for the itchies

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 8:42 am

It sounds like mites that are terrible in the spring... if you separate the hairs at the root, look for "dandruff" that moves... really slowly. The tea tree/Dettol, etc., will kill them, you can also throw some pyrethrin compound in. The key is to spray it in the roots of the mane and tail to the point of run off.

KamiBrooks · Postby **KamiBrooks** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 11:27 am

I use the gold bond on the entire mane (at the roots) ears to shoulder, tail head, under tail and up through their midline below to/including the chest. if their midline is itchy, they'll rub their tail trying to get at it. But I have two mares that have this pretty bad and confirmed alergic.

I also use a dog shampoo with hydrocortisone (made for dogs with mange?) on them.

I also give flax seed (1/2 cup per feeding) to increase skin oils

If it is really bad, you can try a steroid (?) type shot from the vet. Some have said that relieves itching for a couple months to an entire season. But you need to evaluate the potential side effects. They're so young, it is probably some fluky thing from this season and not a true allergy. But you mentioned that they're sales yearlings, so you might have a bigger interest in keeping them from rubbing all their hair off.

TBHorseNut · Postby **TBHorseNut** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 9:02 am

I bought a mare out of a farm dispersal and bought a load of lice with her! It transmitted to her pasture mates, too.

Luckily, it was spring and I just bodyclipped and isolated the two other horses that eventually got lice as well. Then I used an iodine-based shampoo and scrubbed their mane and tails. Took about 1.5 weeks and it was gone.

Good luck!

TBHorseNut

Jean · Postby **Jean** » Fri Jul 08, 2005 5:38 am

These yearlings do not have lice and have been dewormed with Ivermectin. Has anyone tried MTG? I hear it is a great product.

TBLADY · Postby **TBLADY** » Sat Jul 09, 2005 5:21 am

MTG is a good product. However I ahve seen it dry out skin causing yet more irritation....so just watch. But it is a wonderful product just don't over use it.

Skipitgirl · Postby **Skipitgirl** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 3:41 pm

Listerine- the original not the flavored, will help the itchy tail. Just rub it in.

Gem · Postby **Gem** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 1:44 pm

In Engalnd we get a lot of sweet itch and a brilliant treatment is Benzyl Bensoate , it will keep just about any thing away!