Help - weird patches by horses eyes on both sides

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MagicMelon

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This is so weird and the exact same thing happened to two of my other horses a couple of years ago one summer (and a neighbours horse last summer), now a friends horse who is at mine has it.

Basically, just behind her eyes (on both sides) the skin has gone scabby and now the hair has started to fall out. Just a patch on either side, about the size of a base of a bottle. It doesnt seem to bother her but looked horrid. I tried numerous creams on my own horses when this happened before but nothing worked, it just seemed to clear up on its own after 2 or 3 weeks but I'd really just like to know what's causing this??? Any ideas?!
 
In cows loss of hair around the eyes is a sign of copper deficiency, which can also be caused by excess iron and manganese. Did all the horses recover when they went onto autumn/winter hard food with copper in it after being on grass only for the summer? Just a thought.
 
Not sure if its the same thing but my mare started with scabby bald patches next to her eye then it spread to one side of her face (while she was on box rest), but she was rubbing it and making it sore. Vet said it was dermatitis, maybe caused by an allergic reaction and said to change her bedding to shavings, get her in the air as much as possible (not easy as on 6 weeks box rest) and to use 100% aloe vera gel. It completely cleared up a week or so later.

So maybe give aloe vera a go? and maybe it's being caused by something your horse is coming into contact with.
 
Flamazine from the vet :D

My girly has autoimmune disease and first sign of her skin flaring up is around her eyes. flamazine will bring it down over night for us.

Also find I have problems with head collars due to the location of the buckles :) so she can't wear one in the field
 
cptrayes said:
In cows loss of hair around the eyes is a sign of copper deficiency, which can also be caused by excess iron and manganese. Did all the horses recover when they went onto autumn/winter hard food with copper in it after being on grass only for the summer? Just a thought.
Click to expand...

My boy and his siblings have all had this when at grass in the summer - resolved when on hard food or when supplemented with copper - but the patches never became scabby, just hairless and depigmented.
 
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