Can anyone help?

O

OhPurplishOne

New User
Joined
24 December 2010
Messages
6
Location
Scotland
Visit site
Hello, new here and desperately looking for advice.
My loan pony had been itching his bum, so I gave his tail a wash and discovered two small (size of fingertip) rashes on both sides of his bum, with slight blood coverage (so slight I thought it was just the rash). I cleaned the area, but now it looks just the same as it did before!
I got him wormed, sent off a poo sample for an egg count and got the results today saying that he's got nothing to be worried about.
He's never had sweet itch, which the vet suggested could be the cause over the phone without seeing him. Also that it could be lice, which I don't think it is as he's shown no other signs.
Someone mentioned that it may be bum sting? I've never heard of it and don't know the treatment and google hasn't come up with anything.
He's a very hairy cob, with an incredibly thick tail if that helps?
Thanks a lot in advance :D
 
It's probably low grade sweetitch. Have you moved him from his normal home to you as his loan home? Sometimes a change of area can exacerbate a low grade sweetitch, eg if he's moved to a wetter, lower, more wooded area etc etc etc. Just bathe gently with hibiscrub to stop any infection in the places he's rubbed the skin away then apply an appropriate cream/midge repellent (ie safe to use on broken skin).
 
I've had him since October and he goes back at the end of this month. He hasn't been itching excessively and not the entire time he's been here. There is a collection of dried blood at the top of his dock but the rashes don't look bloody or sore.
I'll try hibiscrub today, hopefully it will improve. Thanks very much for your reply.
 
I'd second low grade sweet itch if he is itching his tail/bum area. I bought a mare a few weeks ago and she has started scratching up against her stable wall already, but has never had it before as far as I can tell because her mane and tail are gorgeous and long. We back onto woodland so I think we have more than the average amount of midges here and it dtrives them mad.

If he is going back the end of the month it's not worth buying any sweet itch rugs so just buy some good repellants and try to keep him in at dusk and possibly dawn when the midges are worse.
 
Murphy's the same, his mane and tail are very long and really thick! The field he's in has 2 acres of woodland. I've known him for 3 or 4 years and worked with him in the summer.
Since I washed his dock and rashy bits with some anti itch shampoo he doesn't seem to be scratching as much and I wouldn't have known he was itchy if I hadn't seen him doing it myself as there are no
I haven't got access to a stable, so I will just spray him til he stinks!
 
Just keep clean and apply Sudocreme. Its quite common, just more obvious if the horse is pink skinned. I have a thick tailed hairy cob who gets sweaty easily and is the same.
 
It's getting warmer, the midgys are out and he'll be getting rid of any winter coat.
It's the time of the year they all feel itchy any horrible, a good bath and a brush, with a medicated shampoo should ease the itching.
 
horserider said:
Just keep clean and apply Sudocreme. Its quite common, just more obvious if the horse is pink skinned. I have a thick tailed hairy cob who gets sweaty easily and is the same.
Click to expand...

So it could be because of the sweat? That's what I thought when I first saw it, but that was with no experience in the matter.
Would plaiting his tail when I ride stop him sweating there as much?
He's very pink on his butt and mostly black on his nose.
My friend suggested the sudocreme too, is it okay to go on after he's been washed with hibiscrub?
 
Bug2007 said:
It's getting warmer, the midgys are out and he'll be getting rid of any winter coat.
It's the time of the year they all feel itchy any horrible, a good bath and a brush, with a medicated shampoo should ease the itching.
Click to expand...

I can't give him a full bath yet, but he gets groomed regularly and I washed his feathers and tail last week with medicated anti itch shampoo but the sprinkle of blood is back.
May be getting the vet out for his field buddy, so I'll get her to take a look when/if she comes.
 
OhPurplishOne said:
So it could be because of the sweat? That's what I thought when I first saw it, but that was with no experience in the matter.
Would plaiting his tail when I ride stop him sweating there as much?
He's very pink on his butt and mostly black on his nose.
My friend suggested the sudocreme too, is it okay to go on after he's been washed with hibiscrub?
Click to expand...

I've had my hairy boy for years and its just something I regularly do, just like cleaning the muck that collects in mares udders. He gets midge bites in his pink sheath so I put sudocreme on there, but with the area under his dock, it doesn't seem to be bites, just dirt and grease that looks reddish brown. Sometimes I just wipe it with baby oil to get the muck off and keep the skin healthy and clean. Sudocreme is soothing and but midges do hate it, if they are getting in there.
 
horserider said:
I've had my hairy boy for years and its just something I regularly do, just like cleaning the muck that collects in mares udders. He gets midge bites in his pink sheath so I put sudocreme on there, but with the area under his dock, it doesn't seem to be bites, just dirt and grease that looks reddish brown. Sometimes I just wipe it with baby oil to get the muck off and keep the skin healthy and clean. Sudocreme is soothing and but midges do hate it, if they are getting in there.
Click to expand...

Thank you, I'll definitely give it a try. The rashes are right next to his bumhole, and were quite red even after the wash.
The bit at the top of his dock sounds like yours too, the skin underneath the grime looks healthy and unaffected.
Thanks everyone for the help!
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top