I could cry, anyone want a sensitive skinned chestnut

Pidgeon

Pidgeon

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Ok so 11 days after Pidge's sides were bad I took him to Somerford again and had an absolute blast round the farm ride, jumped lots of fences from all different paces and he was awesome gave me such a buzz
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My new Ariat close contact chaps have finally been broken in and are feeling good though can't say the same for my wallet
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So imagine my disappointment after washing him off to see a couple of small patches on either side that were sticky
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Chucked his thermatex on and we came home. Yep two small patches on his sides again, nowhere near as bad as last time thank god.
Cue another vet visit and more medicine. We're going to try keeping him on the piriton until the winter to see if that makes any difference as he's not sure if the original bits hadn't totally cleared or whether these are new bits. I'm angling on new bits as they are in a different area. It's something to do with how hot he gets and the bacteria in his skin. He did get a tad sweaty as some chap just cantered past us when we were on the farm ride and Pidge got a bit keen thereafter so sweated up from excitement rather than exertion
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So not really giving him away
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but am after some tips from any of the other people on here who have sensitive skinned horses?
 
I have a very similar problem with my chap. It looks like I've over used the spurs, except i don't wear spurs!With my chap it's to do with stability of my lower leg. Because I have a slight twist in my lower right locaised to the right leg my heel tends to sit against the horses flank, and repetitive movement with gripping marks him. I am really trying to loosen my leg and this does seem to be workng
 
Thanks what do you use to help heal it? Pidge's areas are slightly sticky this time as opposed to last time where they were very sticky and the skin all wrinkly
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The vet understood that it is impossible to not get him hot and sweaty so we need to look at managing this rather than preventing it if that makes sense?
The areas from yesterday are just behind his saddlecloth where he sweated and then it dried with bits of dirt in it
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Thses were his sides on the Monday night after it had dried up from his cortisteroid jab in the morning
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left side
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right side
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Beau gets bald patches on his sides from his rugs over winter, to stop them from getting to bad we rub some yellow gunk- Fish oil based stuff for aiding the healing of skin on- which acts as a moistureriser and lubricant (when hot forms a sort of oily layer) does make his coat a bit sticky.

We also use methylated spirits (the clear stuff, that can be bought from chemists & some supermarkets) to toughen up the skin.
I would recommend trying it, as when mixed with a bit of water helps wash all the sweat/dirt out of the coat. It will kill off any bacteria (meths = an alcohol = disinfectant), and toughens the skin.

Warning - don't use on raw / very red skin as it bloody stings!!!

Hope his sides heal!
 
Not sure that would work as wouldn't it just rub against him more with my leg on?
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Just so fed up of this as it is so sore for him and why happen now after over 4 years of having him! Nothing has changed he's got hot and sweaty before with no problem
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The only thing I can possibly put it down to is that he has gone very hairy so am wondering whether it is too early to clip? Normally don't clip him until the end of Sep/begin Oct.
 
Well Pidge is chestnut and ISH but a gelding
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so 2 out of 3 match
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how do you deal with her sweat rash? So frustrating as everything is just coming together really well and then this
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are the marks where the girth buckles are? .. looks a bit like it could be, in which case, might be worth putting a buckle guard the wrong way round (so is under where the buckles are) so that you have a bit more padding in that area.. might be completely wrong and ignore me if so
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but if your saddle flaps are a bit on the thin side and he is sensitive might be what is causing it... in the pics it looks too high up to be your legs ? esp on the right side
 
I have a very thin skinned orange one and it is a complete nightmare!!!

From where the sore bits are, how about buying a rather over sized dressage square? OK, it won't look the best, but I would think it would stop this area coming in contact with anything other than a cotton numnah...
 
Yep that sounds like Pidge, he has a silky bib to stop shoulder rubs in the winter and wears one in the summer under his fly rug too. He gets swathed in sheepskin when clipped as he rubs everywhere after he's had his second clip around Christmas time, neck where reins go, shoulders, girth straps you name it he rubs in all sorts of places
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Needs to be clipped though as gets too sweaty and is kept in full work over the winter.
 
It's from when he had his jump saddle on see here -
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The marks from last week were kind of below the saddle flaps and at the back of the girth hence me thinking it was my suede chaps that caused it.
 
Tell me about it
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He has a full sheepskin numnah for his jump saddle and the Mattes saddlecloth for his dressage saddle. Both in XL sizes so not sure I can get anything any bigger?
Is wool the best for him as he's so sensitive or is something else better?
 
I use that Swis formula stuff, there's another similar gel called blue wonder or something like that - I'll have to check my brush box. This speeds up the recovery of the skin and slows the cumulative effect .
 
I have had a similr problem with my TB, but in the elbow area behind the girth. It is quite clearly a sweat rash. Originally spent a fortune on a Frank Baines Sheepskin girth thinking this would be the best. Quite the opposite! Now just use plain leather and its absolutely fine.

I think sometime sheepskin is worse because it absorbs the sweat. Might be worth trying just plain cotton, or similar. I have previously used sheepskin for years when I did endurance with no problems at all but maybe it just doesn't suit all horses.
 
If it is related to sweat why not clip him? I have 2 that I clip all year round. If it is related to bacteria could you treat with famazine cream to kill the bacteria as they do with mud fever, you could also wash off with diluted Hibby scrub. I would worry a bit about slappingon thick creams as it might block the pores and make it worse
Good luck with it.
A
 
I would wipe the area daily with surgical spirit to toughen the skin and keep it clean, don't put aloe vera on as it till just keep the skin very soft. I have to do this as my coloured is mainly chestnut and if I have spurs they rub him badly, a couple of days with surgical spirit and he is fine. mine used to blister his bottom really badly in the lorry because he would sit on the back, the only thing that worked was the surgical sprilit - I tried various thick slidey creams and gel but basically he needed to toughen up to stop blistering.
 
I have a chestnut gelding (but hardy cob!? -not) Frank doesn't have very good skin and can be prone to rubs in various places (though not quite like your boys)

I found last year that he was better if I kept him clipped. even if he had a bald patch and I clipped over it it seemed to get better quicker. He isn't too bad at the mo as he has just started moulting and I will see how the weather goes but I will be clipping him reasonably soon.
 
Is the affected area under the numnah.or near your heal.In the pictures it looks like the numnah.In hot weather I dont use a numnah,(all they really do is keep the saddle clean).It is amazing how less sweaty my horse gets.
 
Inchs own dressage squares are REALLY deep... My Wow saddle has slightly longer flaps than normal and even they are covered with lots to spare!

Sheep skin is one of the best things for sensitive horses, Grace has a girth sleeve on all of the time since getting girth galls in the spring.

I'll give you my top tip... invest in some Germoline. It is amazing stuff, I can't believe how quickly Grace's cuts heal now with this when before they would take months and months!
 
To me the area looks like it would lie under the saddle? I have a very sensitive skinned horse thats also allergic so I know how you're feeling, Personally I would only use a thin cotton numnah, preferable one with no hard seems. If the area is not in contact with the saddle I use a little permaline on it before i ride this seems to help.
 
Poor pidge!
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, don't cry!
I would think washing with hibiscrub, then surgical spirit would be a better idea than creams, and brush any dead skin away to stop it getting manky and greasy.While it's oozing i would think sheepskin would make it worse, but might be better once its healed?
 
This probably won't help at all, but it sounds soooo similar to a skin infection I get on my hands, which is caused by a virus and just basically has to runs its course for a month or two. I wonder if horses can get something similar? I have a skin cream called Dermol which really helps as it is designed to control the bacteria and stop the itching...have no idea if it would work on horses or if there's something similar available but thought i'd mention it.
 
Is this the same do you think?

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Bodey came in from the field a few times over the summer with it and it's not in a place that gets rubbed by tack. We never worked out what it was but thought maybe he'd rubbed against something that caused a reaction. Jo kept the area covered with a fly rug and slapped loads of sudo cream on and it went away. Just thought it may be the same thing and not related to your leg rubbing him?
 
That doesn't look like it's from your chaps, it looks like it's under the saddle / saddlecloth area. Have you changed what you're washing your numnahs with?

My friend's horse gets a funny reaction to sweating and the bacteria in his skin. The only advice the vet gave her was just to make sure he gets a really good bath in some special shampoo as soon as possible after getting hot.
 
Thanks been up this morning and they are in exactly the same places as before so plenty of cold hosing to take some of the heat off them, poor boy
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Mm you may be on to something there as his Mattes dressage saddlecloth is only half wool whereas his jump numnah is full wool. I have a half wool jump numnah so will perhaps try that instead.
Just feel so fed up and frustrated (and upset as Pidge is sore) and with not knowing exactly what is causing it just makes it worse
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Pidge, that really does look like under the saddle/numnah than you legs.

Have you schooled him without using the fluffy one and seen what the reaction is?

ETS: do you really need to ride him with a wool/half wool one? We all know how warm wool gets, it is warm and sticky at the moment so perhaps it's just TOO warm underneath? If it's a saddle fit thing, you need a better saddle as we all know a well fitted saddle shouldn't need anything underneath rather than padding it out
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Might have to resort to that if this continues as can't really stop riding him
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Vet did mention diluted hibiscrub so will dig it out and wash him off with some tonight.
 
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