MegDay1993
New User
Help! I have a connemara pony who i have owned for 6 years he lives out and is 17 years old.
Recently we have been finding small clumps of his mane, tail and forelock on the ground we instantly thought someone was cutting his mane- but then when i looked at them closer i could see the hair follicles! It doesnt happen everyday not even every week but when it does it is quite alot, the clumps are all generally the same amount and there is about 4 or 5 in a pile, whilst he was eating his dinner yesterday we found another clump that had obviously fallen out whilst he was eating!
We have ruled out:
.Rugs- he has the same rugs as last year and we didnt have this problem and its also his tail that is falling out
.Other horses grooming- he has been with the same horses for 3 years and keeps himself to himself
.He is not overhot we have made sure he is a good temperature and people are visiting alot and checking him to make sure he is not hot
.It is not stress, nothing has changed infact he is in less work because of the shorter days
We have looked at his mane and tail none of which are dry have flaky skin on them.
He did have a really bad episode of choke and he had his diet changed a few months ago from chaff and pasture mix to soaked badminton high fibre complete cubes, he is also fed garlic and 365 complete (a general supplement which he has been on for 3 years) he also suffers with a bad cough and we struggle with his weight he is normally on the skinny side but he has seemed to get on really well with this new feed and he is the perfect weight for this time of year considering he is going into the winter!
He is a very trusting horse will walk up to anyone for a cuddle it has crossed our minds that someone could be ripping his hair out, but why?
I also found an odd cut on my other horse on the inside of her off hind just above her fetlock it is a dead straight deep cut we are clueless as to how this happened as we have no fencing which could have done it and shouldnt think it was a kick as it is on the inside and it is perfect and pretty deep, like a cut with a knife, she has now got funny with being caught she always walks away from me when i say her name she stops and lets me catch her but now it only seems to be a select few that can get near her!
Have i got a sicko in my field who enjoys torturing horses or am i being paranoid?!?!?
Or is it just a coincidence that my mare has a cut at the same time my gelding is losing hair (I am not ruling out any health issues)
Anyone had the same or have any idea what it could be!
Thanks
Recently we have been finding small clumps of his mane, tail and forelock on the ground we instantly thought someone was cutting his mane- but then when i looked at them closer i could see the hair follicles! It doesnt happen everyday not even every week but when it does it is quite alot, the clumps are all generally the same amount and there is about 4 or 5 in a pile, whilst he was eating his dinner yesterday we found another clump that had obviously fallen out whilst he was eating!
We have ruled out:
.Rugs- he has the same rugs as last year and we didnt have this problem and its also his tail that is falling out
.Other horses grooming- he has been with the same horses for 3 years and keeps himself to himself
.He is not overhot we have made sure he is a good temperature and people are visiting alot and checking him to make sure he is not hot
.It is not stress, nothing has changed infact he is in less work because of the shorter days
We have looked at his mane and tail none of which are dry have flaky skin on them.
He did have a really bad episode of choke and he had his diet changed a few months ago from chaff and pasture mix to soaked badminton high fibre complete cubes, he is also fed garlic and 365 complete (a general supplement which he has been on for 3 years) he also suffers with a bad cough and we struggle with his weight he is normally on the skinny side but he has seemed to get on really well with this new feed and he is the perfect weight for this time of year considering he is going into the winter!
He is a very trusting horse will walk up to anyone for a cuddle it has crossed our minds that someone could be ripping his hair out, but why?
I also found an odd cut on my other horse on the inside of her off hind just above her fetlock it is a dead straight deep cut we are clueless as to how this happened as we have no fencing which could have done it and shouldnt think it was a kick as it is on the inside and it is perfect and pretty deep, like a cut with a knife, she has now got funny with being caught she always walks away from me when i say her name she stops and lets me catch her but now it only seems to be a select few that can get near her!
Have i got a sicko in my field who enjoys torturing horses or am i being paranoid?!?!?
Or is it just a coincidence that my mare has a cut at the same time my gelding is losing hair (I am not ruling out any health issues)
Anyone had the same or have any idea what it could be!
Thanks