PurBee
Well-Known Member
My gelding came in from turn-out last year stamping hind legs. Really bothered by something. He didnt repeat it subsequent days so didnt have an ongoing issue - but was left wondering if he had a bite annoying him, causing the stamping. There were no flies around him and no severe tail swishes, so assumed a bite.
I scratched around underlegs/sheath….then he itched doing mega-gymnastic the back of his pastern. So i itched there and he loved it. He stopped stamping. We do have tiny grass ticks here and as theyre biting-in to lodge themselves, they can be just like a horsefly sting. Very annoying and itchy. Trouble is, ticks cant be shook-off by twitching skin/stamping legs easily, due to their hooked legs grabbing hold - so it made sense he’d be stamping vigorously to get the tick to let go. Do you have ticks in your fields?…any long grass areas?, which is where they prefer to hang out.
p.s - ticks can climb tails and lodge into base of tail - once lodged into skin for blood feed of 2-3 days theyre mega itchy all the while theyre feeding. There are some species of ticks that are the size of a small speck of dirt - insanely tiny. We get the bigger ones here too, but the teeny ones are virtually impossible to see once lodged-in. They look like a tiny black speck of dirt on the skin. Only know its really a mini tick when you try to swipe it off, it doesnt move. They are best left on rather than removing them with tick tools or fingers as you’ll risk decapitating them, and they can carry yucky bacteria, so decapitating them runs the risk of head left lodged in, infection etc. Best to treat with an insecticide like icaridin 20% - errin paddywack started a thread today about such a product on fb - im yet to read the thread, but icaridin is good at repelling ticks/midges/horseflies for 6-8hrs. Id try that on his hind legs and tail skin if you do suspect ticks.
I scratched around underlegs/sheath….then he itched doing mega-gymnastic the back of his pastern. So i itched there and he loved it. He stopped stamping. We do have tiny grass ticks here and as theyre biting-in to lodge themselves, they can be just like a horsefly sting. Very annoying and itchy. Trouble is, ticks cant be shook-off by twitching skin/stamping legs easily, due to their hooked legs grabbing hold - so it made sense he’d be stamping vigorously to get the tick to let go. Do you have ticks in your fields?…any long grass areas?, which is where they prefer to hang out.
p.s - ticks can climb tails and lodge into base of tail - once lodged into skin for blood feed of 2-3 days theyre mega itchy all the while theyre feeding. There are some species of ticks that are the size of a small speck of dirt - insanely tiny. We get the bigger ones here too, but the teeny ones are virtually impossible to see once lodged-in. They look like a tiny black speck of dirt on the skin. Only know its really a mini tick when you try to swipe it off, it doesnt move. They are best left on rather than removing them with tick tools or fingers as you’ll risk decapitating them, and they can carry yucky bacteria, so decapitating them runs the risk of head left lodged in, infection etc. Best to treat with an insecticide like icaridin 20% - errin paddywack started a thread today about such a product on fb - im yet to read the thread, but icaridin is good at repelling ticks/midges/horseflies for 6-8hrs. Id try that on his hind legs and tail skin if you do suspect ticks.
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