Mare problems? Scratching hind end

[Blimpy]

I wonder if anyone has ever seen symptoms like these before. My 5 year old mare has been scratching her hind end for a couple of months now. Its not normal scratching though and she does not appear to be itchy on the outside. Its more like she is pressing her bum into things if you know what I mean (sounds weird). She has completely broken the drinker in the stable from literally sitting on it. She has destroyed a load of the fencing in the field from doing the same thing. She reverses into it and will rub from side to side a bit and basically sit down on the fence/drinker or whatever. When she comes into the stable in the evening her feed is normally in the pot. She will go straight to the feeder grab a mouthful and then reverse at full speed back into the wall.

She has been perfectly fine to ride/jump. Up until now that is. Took her out to a show and she warmed up lovely, a little distracted (put it down to her being in season) but jumping well. Took her into the ring and she would not go near a fence. Kind judge even let me put it to poles on the ground and she wouldn't even step over. Had to give up. Went back in to the warm up and she jumped fine. Tried once more in the ring. She would do nothing. Just would not go forward. She did not seem in any way stressy but was having none of it. Planted herself. Again, fine in the warm up. She has only jumped about 7 or 8 rounds as she is not long broken and has always been perfect. She is a confident happy horse usually and has been exceptionally easy.

Now I know she is in season and I wonder if it could be something to do with this? But I just don't see why she is fine and happy to jump in the warm up but not in the ring?? She hasn't had any bad experiences either and we are still jumping tiny fences. One other thing, she has been coming into season all through the winter but she has been happy to work through it at other times.

The vet has checked her over fully re the scratching and couldn't find anything obvious. I am obviously getting the vet out again now but just wondering in the mean time if anyone has ever seen anything like this before?

Appreciate if anyone has experienced anything similar as I am really worried waiting for the vet

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Worming up to date? (re the bum scratching) and has a worm count been done?

 

[Blimpy]

Yep, worming all up to date......

 

[Borderreiver]

What has she been wormed with and when? Wormed horses can still have worms. Might be pinworm? Consider a sellotape test contact Westgate Labs. The test is free if done alongside your usual worm count.

 

[Blimpy]

Will do, Thanks. My vets provide a worming regime each year which I have been sticking to but I will have a look at the sellotape test too. Worms couldn't really cause the ridden problems though, could they? just to say she looks fantastic and has a great coat, nice weight.

 

[catembi]

FWIW, my old girl did this her whole life, & I had her from the age of 3 to the age of 40. I think she just...errr... 'enjoyed' it...??!!

I also used to compete most weeks, & she would do 2 good comps, then on the third one she would spend the whole comp squealing & doing airs above the ground! Wouldn't consider jumping or doing anything that she was told. She was a hormonal madam right to the end.

T x

 

[Blimpy]

Thanks for that, hmmm I hadn't really thought that she could be enjoying it But that could actually be it! She certainly doesn't look unhappy when she is doing it! Vet already thinks I am mad. He will really think I'm mad if I suggest that!

Hopefully her display last time out was just because she was in season. I wouldn't mind just avoiding brining her out when she is in season if that was all it was. She certainly had no intention of going anywhere near a jump let alone over one. Whatever I wanted her to do she wanted to do the opposite.... Hopefully it because her mind was on other things rather than something physical....

 

[dianchi]

Not chestnut is she

Like Catembi, my mare does this- thinks its the funniest thing in the world.
She is 20 now, she isn't going to change, sometimes we are on top of the world, other days we aren't.

Some days, we get eliminated half way round the first class, then win the second.

Mares- gotta love them!

 

[scrat]

Have you checked her teats? My mare rubbed the top of her tail out because she was irritated by dirt and general gunge that had accumulated between her teats. After a clean up (which she loved) she stopped scratching. I now clean her about once a week so that it doesn't build up again. That doesn't really explain your mares behaviour when jumping but its worth checking.

 

[Blimpy]

She is not chestnut but she must think she is That's interesting re the teats. I haven't checked her but I will do that tmw. Its good to hear that other mares have problems when in season too. I've had plenty of mares over the years and ones that can be a bit tempermental when in season but never behaved like she did. Maybe there is a more serious issue. Hopefully not but time will tell I suppose.....

 

[Tnavas]

My first thought would be severe case of pin worms - have a look around her anus - is there a creamy deposit there - the female wriggles out of the anus and lays eggs around the anus.

To prevent them laying wipe Vaseline all around the anus and the underside of the dock. Talk to your vet about a suitable wormer.

Second thing to consider with the rain you've had is a fungal infection in the tail hair - wash well with Nizoral shampoo.

My mare is terrible after we've had rain and can rub her tail out, she's also wrecked sections of fencing too.

 

[Jnhuk]

Pinworms? Have you done the sellotape test when you did your WEC?