Bald patches under the saddle - what to do?

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Ahrena

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Okay, about 2 months ago, Lacey got ringworm which caused a patch of hair about the size of your fist to fall out. We called the vet and had it treated straight away and it cleared up within a week or so.

I carried on riding er, assuming the hair would grow back. It wasn't really growing back but 2 weeks ago I set off on a 100 mile 6 day charity ride. We completed the ride but the bald patch started to rub slightly.

In the days after the trek, the skin on the other side of her back went a bit crunchy and then the hair fell out there too in 2 smaller patches. We called the vet who said wash her in the lotion he gave us for the ringworm as it would kill any infection.

So shes not got any crunchy skin anymore, and we've been putting BMT lotion on it (advised by someone from the yard who is 1 of those people who has had horses all her life and just has so much knowledge locked inside her when you ask) but the hair isn't growing back.

I havn't ridden her since my trek as it was a bit rubbed - the rubs have now healed, but I wasn't planning on riding her again until the hair grew back. But its not showing any signs of growing back what so ever so I'm not sure what to do?

Maybe I could ride her, as it was only like 6 hours of riding that made her rub? Otherwise it looks like she'll have to have months and months off. Has anyone got any other ideas of helping it grow back?

The saddle fits fine, it was made to measure and its been regularily checked and reflocked as her shape changes.
 
Depends how badly and how deep the skin was damaged with the original ringworm. If the damage went deep enough to destroy the hair follicles, they may never grow back. That's what freezemarking grey horses does: destroys the hair follicles so the numbers and letters stay hairless forever. I guess you'll have to be careful now because if a bald bit of skin is being rubbed regularly the skin may be prone to soreness and infection after infection. She may start to be unhappy being ridden. It's worth trying one of the supplements for hoof & hair quality but I don't like the sound of it tbh. Hope some time off will help x
 
God I hadn't thought of that! It has been about 2 months since it initially came off and hasnt started growing back at all :S

I've just ordered some of this
http://www.tailgator.co.uk/tg/pages/eqyssmegatekhorse.html

as it got recomended to me so hopefully that'll work :S

cos if it doesn't ever grow back it might always rub and then she may need to be semi retired or osmething already, I can't work her if she keeps being rubbed?? :S :S
 
Hmm, not sure about the wisdom of doing it long term, but when my mare got a fly bite under the saddle which got rubbed, I bought a wintec foam saddle pad like this and cut a hole out just over the bite. It kept the panel of the saddle off the rub and I could continue riding her while the hair grew back.
smile.gif
 
OOOH YES

why on earth did I not think about that?

I don't see how it could harm even long term, as it just stops those patches being touched by the saddle.

Can you put a saddle cloth over that? Normally I'd put a pad (I use a prolite pad but I'm not cutting holes in that lol!) between the sadfdle and saddle cloth but that'd kinda defeat the object of it.

Thanks
 
Hehe, glad to be of service. It certainly worked for me. I put the pad straight on her back, and saddle on top - I didn't use a numnah as mine are all too thick to take a pad as well.

Well, actually last time I used it I had just butchered an old nuumed numnah so I put the wool (minus numnah) on her back, then the pad, then saddle, but guess I'm in a pretty unique position having a bit of old wool hanging about. The pad on its own worked fine, provided you wash the grease/sweat off every time.
 

Sure, I was more thinking if the hair follicles aren't damaged, then for shows ect where atm I have her posh saddle cloth. But it doesn't massively matter, we'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it.

Ooh I'm so pleased, I was convinced I wouldnt ride her for the rest of the summer
laugh.gif
 
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