Horses tail breaking off. :-(

Aztec1

Aztec1

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Can someone help me please I have a 4 yr old which has just been broken for the show ring but his tail is so thin he hardly has any left after his dock ... It's as if it has been chewed but it hasn't ... Can anyone help either a cause or a solution please ??? It is just snapping and breaking off !!!!!
 
Aztec1 said:
Can someone help me please I have a 4 yr old which has just been broken for the show ring but his tail is so thin he hardly has any left after his dock ... It's as if it has been chewed but it hasn't ... Can anyone help either a cause or a solution please ??? It is just snapping and breaking off !!!!!
Click to expand...

Is this happening with the mane too or just the tail?
 
Gosh, I thought you meant the actual dock had broken off. At least that's still there!

Some breeds/types are known for having quite brittle manes/tails - for example, apaloosas. Could the breed account for the hair loss in your horse?

Is someone chewing his tail off - cattle, cheeky colt etc?

Excess selenium can cause hair loss on manes/tails (and also sloughing of hooves) - are any other horses on the same pasture/feed showing similar signs? Is the selenium content of forage/feeds known (a lot of the UK is deficient, but there are some areas that have relatively high levels)? Are you sure you are not doubling up on selenium in different feeds, supplements, balancers etc? Ideally looking for dietary selenium of around 1mg per day for a 500kg horse.

Other than that, I'm out of ideas but I'm sure there must be causes I've not thought of.

Sarah
 
flintfootfilly said:
Gosh, I thought you meant the actual dock had broken off. At least that's still there!

Some breeds/types are known for having quite brittle manes/tails - for example, apaloosas. Could the breed account for the hair loss in your horse?

Is someone chewing his tail off - cattle, cheeky colt etc?

Excess selenium can cause hair loss on manes/tails (and also sloughing of hooves) - are any other horses on the same pasture/feed showing similar signs? Is the selenium content of forage/feeds known (a lot of the UK is deficient, but there are some areas that have relatively high levels)? Are you sure you are not doubling up on selenium in different feeds, supplements, balancers etc? Ideally looking for dietary selenium of around 1mg per day for a 500kg horse.

Other than that, I'm out of ideas but I'm sure there must be causes I've not thought of.

Sarah
Click to expand...

I find it very odd that its just the tail, if it were a deficiency, I'd expect it to be apparent in both. I suspect there may be something externally causing this that you have not identified. However, I would not discount the use of a good supplement, something like biotin... Don't touch seaweed there is too much iron In it for sustained use, and something topical like megatek rebuilder.
 
Have you been using silicon products on it (some people use furniture polish!)

I wouldn't brush it, but I would separate through it using a little bit of oil and my fingers to stop it getting tangled.

Get him on a good vit min supplement as well :)
 
My mare has/had (i hope had) a brittle tail so I've avoided brushing it like the plague.

I've been feeding more vits and mins and have started to now gentle start brushing again now, its been 3 months since I started the new feed.

so far so good, but I still only brush once I've coated the tail in Avon skin so soft dry spray oil! it's really good!

I will not attempt to brush it is she's muddy or wet I just leave it then and then next time gently wash and condition before brushing...

It's working so far...
 
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