help!!! very itchy tail!

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TandD

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so we are fully moulting season (im pretty sure its still august.......) and all of a sudden we are itching our tail on everything....fencing, stable doors, trees, food buckets....humans!!!!

our tail has taken 2 YEARS to grow out (old owners had shaved the top off) but within 2 week it now looks like an old scrubbed out bog brush (with 'bits' in!) and i can see it taking another 2 years to re-grow....

so can anyone recommend a really good anti-itch something to help with our tail woes????? (before i take clippers to the whole thing!!!!) the hairs quite brittle and fine and the skin underneath looks very dry and 'crumbly'...however i have tried frequent washing, not washing, using different normal shampoos and mane and tail spray conditioner.........

i am really hoping none of you come back and say possible sweet itch! do 17.3 warmbloods get sweet itch???? she doesnt have any crusty bald patches, no 'folds' and no body hair loss........ just an itchy tail with brittle hair!

lemon pie for any recomendations!
 
Any horse can get sweet itch, but as it's only the tail, it could also be pinworm, so watch out for any yellowish discharge near the anus. For itching I recommend benzyl benzoate or Neem oil. I use a mix of both and when applying with my bare hands this summer I can vouch for it easing the itch. I get awful heat rash and it really helped me!

My mare has sweet itch and one thing I do in moulting season is to roughly massage her rump with a rubber curry comb, taking care not to brush loose hair into the tail. Then I apply the goo and use my fingers to massage it right into the dock.
 
My pony has sweet itch and i use oil on the top of his tail which soothes itching and helps reduce friction and if you really massage it in will encourage better growth too

Ive used Supreme mane and tail rebuilder but have recently bought a carrot seed oil from the equine essential oil company which is supposed to be very good too

I also always use rugs with tail flaps all year round
 
Try Lavender wash, maybe you are washing too much and yes doesn't matter what breed or size they can get SI, but if she was it she'd be rubbing mane belly and legs.
 
Poor thing! Have you tried an anti itch shampoo such as the barrier one? I have heard Listerine can be good to kill any fungus/bacteria in there aggravating the problems.... Most people say it is midges but I am not sure I'm convinced! I spray lots of fly spray on my girl anyway though as she is a bum rubber!
 
My 16.1 ISH mare was the same, but she was really itchy all over but especially in her tail. Like you i Tried all kinds of shampoo, washing, not washing a last ditch attempt was feeding her turmeric as it seems to get good reviews for most things, started feeding it, after a couple of days itching was gone. To test I stopped it or a couple of days, after 2 days of not having it she was itchy again so she'll be on it forever now! And it's so cheap you've got nothing to lose if it doesn't work!
 
Goldenstar said:
Are you sure he has not got pin worm
Click to expand...

i cant be certain that the horse hasnt got it as i have really been 'looking out for it'...but will have a good look tomorrow
i havnt noticed any skin irritation around the bottom...its purely focused on the tail.
can the vet do a simple check e.g. poo count???

and we will have a go with all these potions you are suggesting!!!!! one of them must be able to sooth the tail!
 
I use nettex summer freedom cream. It soothes, encourage hair re growth and stops from itching. I apply once a week on pony that has sweet itch, she hasn't itched or lost a hair once this year (last year she was nearing bald!) Highly recommend it
 
I'd be thinking pinworm, mine gets frantically itchy on his tail, rubs it on anything and everything. Lots of tail swishing and unhappiness but no itching elsewhere. It doesn't show up in most worm counts and i don't always see the discharge present. Mines worm count this week was zero but he definitely had pinworm. I wormed double dose strongid, result is much happier pony. But you then have to disinfect everything. Maybe have a chat to your vet if you notice any small discharge under the tail.
 
Give tail a good wash, spray with white vinegar and water, clean sheath, check for bean, use coopers for sweet itch and worm with an ivermectin. Life will be good for poor itchy pony.
 
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