Horse moulting - big bald patches?

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HashRouge

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Hi all, just wondering if anyone has come across anything like this before?

My Welsh D gelding (17 this year) is losing his very thick winter coat, but it is coming out in patches and he has big bald spots as his summer coat doesn't seem to be coming through yet. He currently has only lost his coat on part of his shoulders, his face and his chest, and is almost completely bald in these areas. If I look closely I can see a few darker hairs which may be the start of his summer coat (he is liver chestnut in summer but a much brighter reddish colour in winter so there is a big difference in coat colour). His poor bald spots are very exposed to these horrible little black flies we seem to be getting at the moment, and I'm having to slather him in fly cream.

Some of you may remember that I posted last year about him losing his coat quite late, and I considered testing for cushings at the time. In the end, the vet said to leave it unless he had any other signs and as he didn't, I'd rather forgotten about it until now. But I have to say my first thought is that I'll try and have a chat with the vet on Monday and see about testing for cushings when possible (not completely sure what my vet is doing during the lockdown). In the meantime though, I thought I would ask on here whether anyone else has had a horse moult like this and, if so, whether there was a cause. I'm sure that his summer coat will come through eventually, but I hate to see him with his bald patches, he doesn't look his normal gorgeous self :confused:. I'm also worried about his skin getting sore and irritated without the protection of his coat. Poor boy was all over me today (he's a devil to catch normally) and I couldn't help wondering if he was feeling a bit sorry for himself (though I may be protecting, he probably just wanted food!). Any suggestions much appreciated.
 
Just out of interest, do these patches look like he’s been rubbing/itching?
my father in law was complaining about his horse coming out in these big bald patches so I chucked my head over the gate earlier to check and he’s got lice. He’s obviously very itchy so been rubbing on what he can!
 
My oldies were super hot in their huge coats over easter weekend, and then started moulting a bit like this - clumps coming out over their shoulders and top of their backs. they also then suffered the little black flies. I can see the summer coats coming through now though, so they look really raggedy but I'm sure it will all sort out in a week or 2.
 
Bs_mum said:
Just out of interest, do these patches look like he’s been rubbing/itching?
my father in law was complaining about his horse coming out in these big bald patches so I chucked my head over the gate earlier to check and he’s got lice. He’s obviously very itchy so been rubbing on what he can!
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I'm pretty confident it's not lice - he's not itching as far as I can tell and I gave him a really good groom today as well as bathing his bald patches and couldn't see anything. I'll have another look tomorrow though just in case.
 
Mine has a patch like this on his inner thigh (hind leg). I’m putting Camrosa on it. It’s not somewhere he could have rubbed. If I feel gently there does appear to be new coat coming through. But it is odd. My first spring with him so I don’t know what his normal is. His coat is usually lovely soft and shiny. He’s turning 10 this year and otherwise in great form. All a bit strange.
 
Happened to Granny horse one year when she hadn't had grass all winter... had been mostly stabled in an american barn set up and has no turnout (bloody nightmare winter, don't ask!). I assumed she was missing something from her diet or the lack of sunlight/artificial light had confused her coat change somehow. It grew in normal after a while. It didn't happen again so assume it wasn't cushings.
 
I would have a chat with the vet again. My mare did this, was almost bald at one point and it turned out she was PPID and IR.
 
I've found this with two of my horses as they aged - both had mild Cushings but were on medication for it so I wonder if it's just a feature of aging. They both lost hair in clumps and sometimes seemed almost bald underneath, sometimes with new coat coming through. During the moult they look awful but final summer coats are fine!
 
I wouldn't rule out lice. My 12yo welsh D did exactly this a few weeks ago, but with associated itching. Vet said he has seen lots of lice cases this year due to the mild winter.

This particular boy is really sensitive, so the itching was driving him mad and really obvious, but others aren't as easily bothered.
The odd thing is that the rest of the herd were unaffected.
 
This happens to some extent with one of my tbs, it is worse when we have sudden changes in weather. This year has been worse than usual but I also think that is because I haven't been riding so not grooming as often.
 
My old gelding who has Cushings developed some bald patches and was very itchy. He had fleas. Treated by vet and coat ok now. Possibly due to a poor immune system
 
It may just age, my youngest two four and seven have almost a full summer coat, the older ones are in various stages of moult. One with EMS is hanging on to it, had to clip off his chest he was so hot, very old pony says there is just not enough mud to pull it out, you can literally pull out in handfuls.. The rest are all a bit moth eaten and have bare patchs. I tend not to worry.
 
Knew a Shetland who lost parts of his winter coat before the summer cost came through. The summer coat did come through normally a week or two later
 
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