Itchy and scratchy??

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HorseandGroom

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Hi just taken on a retired polo pony, a nice mare but when I run my hand over her back it is scabby - real small scabs - tiny amounts of clumped fur can groom out easily at times as well, but no bald patches. and she can be a bit itchy. IE swinging round to chew her sides.

Should I suspect mites or fleas or could something else be the cause here.

I know someone will have an idea

Thanks

Ian
 
They could just be clumps of dead skin( which would explain the itchyness) - that will easily brush out as with the fur.
Parhaps if she hasnt been brushed for a while a good groom could be all she needs and then investigate further afterwards.
She is probs swinging round as could be unconfortable aswell.
You would definatly know if it was rain scald as she would have big bald patches

Hope this is of any use! : )
 
It sounds like rainscald to me, do the hairs come out like 'paintbrushes'? You would have to have a very bad infection before there were huge bald patches. Perhaps a phonecall to your vet and an anti-fungal treatment would be in order.
 
It does sound like rainscald from your description.
However, perhaps the horse has managed to scratch itself raw on a tree or similar. Nell had lice when I got her, though they only hatched and became obvious a few months in when spring/summer came. She rubbed her tail raw in the stable one night and the hair came out in the classic rain scald painbrush manner, this is what first alerted me.
I first treated her with louse powder, then spot on for cows which did seem to eradicate the lice, she was still a bit itchy though, probably mites given how hairy she is, so recently I got the dectamax injection done on her which has been fantastic, she has not gone to itch once which is amazing!
 
When you see her itch can you part the hair in that place and have a good look at her skin - if it were fleas or mites you stand a good chance of seeing the little nasties ! (if they are there)
Live nasties perfer darker warmer corners, armpits, girth area, in front of hind legs etc (rather than the back which gets wet) so my guess would be rainscald too
 
My ex - polo pony had just the same! Friend who viewed her with me thought it was where dried sweat had not been cleaned off.
I thought it was rain scald.
Whatever it was it cleared up very quickly and agree with the above; her coat looks great on linseed.
I think mine may also have underlying ulcers making her sides slightly tender and a normally placid girl quite girthy. When we went to the yard the ponies wore grazing muzzles to stop them eating their bedding.
 
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Mine had this and it was rain scald, but the microbes had got in due to him sweating in his rug after belting round the field, opening his pores. He'd dried by the time he came in so we didn't know. He was very itchy, bumpy and later scabby (the scabs were little yellow crystals with hair stuck in). I used keratex and turned out without a rug or in a LW. Also used microtek gel occasionally. Cleared up quite quickly but he was a menace while it was itching. I also took him off Alfalfa as there was a chance he was allergic to it. Good luck!
 
She might also be sensitive with regards to diet. I would move her onto a basic diet and reduce sugary foods. My mare will always be scurfy to a point, but feeding her only chaff, hay and supplements (Yeasacc, linseed and magnesium) has gone a long way to improving her skin.

For grooming, my girl loves a rough massage with a rubber curry comb. Gets all the scurfy bits out and sends her wild!
 
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