do shetlands itch alot when shedding winter coat?

[pachypach]

We have just acquired a shetland for company for my cob mare.
Never had one before. He is extremely woolley (due I think to living out without a shelter).
the owner says he has no history of sweet itch and has no ilnesses.
However, today he has started to itch a fair bit. (I've had him 3 days).
not to the point of rubbing raw, but noticibly itching himself and on trees.(compared to my mare).,
I groomed him this afternoon, he is losing a bit of hair but only a bit.
Does anyone have any experience if shetlands itch alot when they are about to lose their winter coat?
I checked for lice, but can't see any, but have dusted him anyway (hard to get it down to the skin as his coat is mega think!)

 

[now_loves_mares]

I was going to suggest lice. My TB was itching at her ear, I hunted and hunted and found nothing. My vet was out the next day anyway so checked her and found one tiny critter by her ear (she says she loves looking for lice, the weirdo, so clearly has the knack). We couldn't find any on the Shetland, but vet said that whenever a big horse has lice, chances are there will be a hairy Shetland near by. Both were treated with something that I think it actually the cattle treatment, same as Spot On perhaps?

Sounds obvious but did you check outside in good daylight? I had hunted at night with a head torch, but daylight was so much better.

 

[Cupcakes and Horses]

In my experience yes Mine loves itching on anything he can and he loves nothing more than a good groom with a metal curry comb when he is malting. Which is most of the year I'm don't know where it all comes from I could fill a bin bag every day and still never come to the end of it

 

[Enfys]

Yes they do.

If you suspect lice worming with an ivermectin based product will help.

If I have a lousy shetland I just clip him out, wash, powder, worm and blanket him. Inconvenient but effective. Getting powder or even a wash down to the skin through fuzz designed to withstand Shetland Isle type climate is not an easy undertaking.

 

[jendie]

Mine do when they have mites

 

[Kenzo]

I think it's natural for all horses/ponies to have a good old rub when shedding a winter coat but if they are rubbing all the time specially the rump area then it looks like it could be a lice infestation which is typical this time of year.

Much easier to treat if your in the position to clip the coat off, it's a more quicker way to ensure they are treated, all the little buggars are gone and to make the pony more comfortable in the meantime, but clipping is not always an option and you may not want to do this.

Powder treatments are pretty much usless on really thick coats (such as Shetlands) although I think the powders are pretty much useless anyway, Coopers FR plus is very good but with a real thick coat your going to have to be very thorough when using it.

 

[pachypach]

I won't be able to clip him as he lives out, and the weather isn't warm enough yet. same for bathing him yet.
could I use frontline spray in various key places on his body?
(I used this for my mare's legs when she had mites and it worked).

 

[Stinkbomb]

Mine itch but you really have to check them well for lice. I could see any a few years back but they were so itchy and clipped them. They were full of them!!! Try deosect, ive found that works better than frontline .