Hair 'snapping' in patches :-S

katypudding

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Really interested in any thoughts on this as I’m baffled!

I’ve got 2 Shetlands who’ve recently started getting very odd patches in their coats.

Firstly, they don’t appear to be rubbing or scratching.

Secondly, the hair is not ‘coming out’ so much as ‘snapping off’ at the base.
It almost looks like someone’s come along and very neatly snipped away patches of their coat, leaving slightly bristly patches. They are definitely NOT bald patches - there’s coat there it’s just very short :-S.

Thirdly, I’ve tried near and around the patches pulling at their coat to see what happens. It just snaps off quite easily at the base (it doesn't 'pull out' it 'pulls off'!). It’s quite bizarre!

Fourthly, the patches are on their body - their chest, their neck and their back. None on their legs or hindquarters. So I can't imagine it's an obscure kind of mudfever or rainscald.

I had a vet out to them when the patches first started appearing and she felt it was an allergy of some kind and to leave it alone. She felt certain it wasn’t lice etc (and certainly I can’t see anything) and their skin - even in the patches - is healthy - not sore or scaly or anything out of the ordinary. Ponies are also not at all distressed by it.
I have treated it with lice powder to be on the safe side, but it hasn't helped.

The patches have since got bigger over the course of afew weeks. They’re no worse and the skin is still healthy as can be - they’re just spreading.

The vets coming back out again next week as I’m not content to leave it. But in the meantime would be really interested to hear any thoughts on what this might be!

Any ideas??????
 
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i have no idea... but i do know of a shetland up here who's been reported to horsewatch with 'shaven' patches... sounds v similar to me... she assumed it was man made so to speak...
 
i have no idea... but i do know of a shetland up here who's been reported to horsewatch with 'shaven' patches... sounds v similar to me... she assumed it was man made so to speak...

Thanks for your reply Posie.

I can definately say they've not been tampered with by anyone.

They're behind my house. So whatever it is it's something medical/allergy related/god knows what etc.
 
Thanks for your reply Posie.

I can definately say they've not been tampered with by anyone.

They're behind my house. So whatever it is it's something medical/allergy related/god knows what etc.

interesting = i'll be keeping an eye on this then as they are baffled by the patches up here - so maybe it's the same thing but because of the mane plaiting in the same area (big media coverage - people getting paranoid) she assumed man-made! :)
 
No I can most definately say it's not man-made.

For anyone to get to the ponies they'd have to pop over a 6ft gate, not alert the dogs and not set off the yard alarm! So if it's people doing this they're ninjas who can leviatate and mentally manipulate the electric system!!!

Also, I've tried pulling at the hair myself around the patches and it snaps off with almost no effort (so that's certainly not normal). It's weird it just snaps off into your hands, but is definately not 'pulling out' - it;s snapping.

I am baffled to say the least. Never seen anything like it :-S.
 
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