Horses tail - bald at the top, does not rub?

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Kraft

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Hi all,

Please can you help me, i have had my horse for 8 weeks now (skinny TB, Ex race horse) who does not have much of a tail. Infact i would say he is getting balder. Right at the top of his tail, in the centre there is hardly anything, just a few sprouts of the odd hair.

He does not seem to rub it and it is not sore or flakey.

Any tips? or ideas why he is like this?
 
Even though you don't see him rub, it sounds like he must be rubbing it out. If it were a skin condition then I would expect the skin to look flaky or sore. Is it itchy from the flys at all - they are terrible this year it seems! In the mean time I would stick on some sudocreme (the most regularly used item from my first aid kit, fab stuff!) to protect the bare skin and relieve any itching he is feeling.
 
Dont really have useful advise, but my TB mare had this problem about a month ago, as well as her mane seems to slowly be disappearing lol. but her tail was very itchy and would literally BEG me to scratch it for her, so i got some watered down TCP and prayed and rubbed it into her tail and mane and she hasnt been itchy since :) plus her mane is growing back now :D
 
If she is hot there tail can literally fall out! Is he rugged at all? If the rug has a tail flap it can make them hot under neath and the hair will fall out.
 
Are you putting any fly spray or lotion on it?

I got my mare in February and when the flies starting coming out I started putting fly gel on her tail. Caused the poor girls tail to fall out.
 
My boy's tail firstly got eaten by another, right at the top (!) and then he rubbed it out, although it didn't look flaky or anything, but I saw him scratching. I've been applying aloe vera gel to the top since he did and he has hardly rubbed it since, it's growing back lovely and I think quicker. So maybe try this or something to promote growth? :)
 
I really dont think he is rubbing it as the tail at the top (what little there is) as it is very straight and does not look like it has been rubbed.

I put a fly rug on him during the day, maybe the tail flap is rubbing on him? - will check tonight when i go down the yard.

Dont rug him at night so not too warm.
 
Do you know i swear my TB does NOT rub his tail yet every year at the same time it all falls out, overnight just at the top. For the rest of the summer it wont get any worse there is no soreness or scabby bits.
I really dont get it!
Last summer he was out and it happened this summer he was in and it still happened??
When it grows back it will be black again. - He has a really thick lovely tail esp for a TB.

So i sympathize- its just weird!
 
With mine i was his tail flap as he was still in a lightweight over night and was swishing his tail to get rid of the flies but in the process was catching it on the tail flap of the rug.
 
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