Itchy horse this time of year.

[Wheresthehoofpick]

I was very good and Father Christmas brought me an early Christmas present ?

I have had her a week. She passed 5 stage vetting.

She's fit, fully clipped. ISH X cob
Stabled in an enormous barn on straw. (Quarantine) No hard feed. Haylage. In a 100g rug.

She is really itchy. Particularly behind her saddle patch where clipped and flank. Clearly doesn't like being hot. So have reduced rugs right down.
Rugless when possible.

any ideas?

 

[Trouper]

Nope - sorry hasn't happened unless there are pictures

Seriously, I would continue to minimum rug for the weather conditions (or leave off entirely if you can) and give her a wee while to settle to new food (?), water supply etc before going too mad. I am assuming you have looked closely for any unwanted visitors or skin infection in the worst area - or spoken to the vet who did the vetting?

 

[stangs]

Does she have dandruff? Is she itchy all the time or just when when rugged or when she's been worked?

 

[Wheresthehoofpick]

No dandruff that I can see. I wondered about giving her a good bath - but with what?.

Can't see any beasties. Though I am not sure I would know where to look. She has no hair on her legs.

She clearly loves a good scratch and a mutual groom.

 

[Goldenstar]

Sky arrived with me hideously itchy .
He’s worse on shavings and straw and we bed him on rape .
He likes to be very very cool he’s clipped within an itch of his life and wears no more than a 200 gram rug in the coldest weather .
We bath him at least twice a week and use a medicated shampoo that we have discovered by trial and error that ones best .
We never all year round let him go more than three week without clipping .
Twice a day what ever the weather he has time with no rugs he loves this .
I groom the old fashioned way every day ,well I don’t at the minute because I can’t so it’s going to be interesting to see if he gets worse .

I would talk to the vet we needed to settle Sky with steroids at first .I would wash your horse with Malaseb and see if that helps .This does with Sky but we don’t need to if we stay on top of it.
Alfalfa is often blamed for itching but it does not affect Sky but if you are feeding it it’s worth excluding it to see .

We did various tests on Sky with never really produced useful results .
It’s not really a problem with him at all now because we have learnt how to manage him .

 

[poiuytrewq]

Did you clip her or did she arrive clipped? Was it a fresh clip?
My older horse is insanely itchy after clipping, I have to use baby oil in my clippers to do him which really does help but otherwise it takes a week or so to calm down.
Can/have you asked the old owners,?
Super pretty girl! Good luck with her

 

[Wheresthehoofpick]

She was clipped three weeks before I got her apparently. She was on sales livery.
I'll check in with person who vetted her and see what I can find out. There's no evidence that she's rubbing herself raw - but with a new horse it's always a bit ? is this the beginning of something.
When I saw her she was itchy - but she had a fleece on under a turnout and seemed too hot so I didn't think much of it.

 

[Peglo]

She’s very beautiful ? well done on being so good all year and getting an early present ?

 

[Wheresthehoofpick]

She’s very beautiful ? well done on being so good all year and getting an early present ?

Thank you. I have retired one and heart breakingly sold one this year - it's been a long long search. She is super. I am insanely happy with her. She just makes me smile. She's a real character.

 

[Peglo]

Thank you. I have retired one and heart breakingly sold one this year - it's been a long long search. She is super. I am insanely happy with her. She just makes me smile. She's a real character.

that is just lovely. Nothing better than finding the one that just makes you smile! Looking like a super festive season for you.

 

[spotty_pony]

Is she used to being on straw?

 

[Gloi]

I'd always give a mite treatment just in case

 

[SEL]

My Appy got a bacterial infection of the hair follicles under her armpits last year which was possibly from getting too warm. Took a course of antibiotics to stop her itching.

Lovely, lovely horse - my kind of Xmas present!!

 

[Wheresthehoofpick]

So little update. I think she is just hates being hot!! And by that I mean anything less than virtually freezing?

She was standing out rugless in a bracing gale waiting for the farrier / hey presto no itchiness. Not even a tickle.

She is now turned out in a no fill on freezing nights though fully clipped and happy as Larry.

rugless the rest of the time.

She looks quite fine and I think I thought she would be colder than she is. Just shows takes a while to get to know a new horse....

 

[teddypops]

I have one that likes to be cool. She gets very itchy if she is too hot. She is clipped and usually just wears a no fill turnout in the winter. 50g if it’s really cold and naked whenever possible.

 

[Lady Jane]

@Wheresthehoofpick . Some horses just like to be on the cool side. She has told you very clearly how she is comfortable. Think of how little rug washing you will need to do - and how few rugs you need! Down side - you may have to get all turn out rugs off before the ground dries up and may have a pretty filthy horse

 

[eggs]

One of mine gets very itchy if he gets too warm so even when fully clipped he rarely wears more than 100g and currently is without a rug as it has gone so mild.

In summer I wash him occasionally with Eqyss MicroTek shampoo and that really helps with his itching.