My horse bites himself - help

[Lisa1979]

Has anyone ever heard of this condition, and if so please please help! I've had my horse for 10 months, and ever since I had him he has suffered on and off with a skin problem on each side of his stifle. The problem resembles a dermatitis (itchy dry skin in small patches around the stifle and a little on the belly) which itches, and to alleviate the itching he bites himself and draws blood, therefore its gotta itch pretty bad to break the skin. This leaves small scars all round the stifle area. I have had him tested for allergies and ringworm and the only thing that came up is that he had a slight allergy to soya and oak trees (they rated 3 out of 5 on the report, 5 being the highest). I have taken soya out of the equation for 6 weeks (there are also no oak trees around) but 2 days ago he bit himself again. I am baffled. The other thing i can think of is that it could be due to stress perhaps, and rather than it being an allergy it could boil down to a psychological problem? It took him a long time to settle into his new environment (understandably, i bought him when he was 3yrs 3months) which must have been stressful, and I have recently started to increase his schooling work and I am demanding more of his attention which he finds difficult. Its not the amount of exercise, as he is a fit horse and can cope with it, it seems to be the amount of attention i am demanding off him, if that makes sense. When I saw him before buying him last year he was completely clear, but strangely enough between the time I saw him and the next time I bought him he had it, and the vet prescribed it as dermatitis.. so its not like he has contracted the condition since i've had him. He can't be the only horse in the world that suffers from the same problem, if anyone has come across this i'd be so grateful for any help and advice.

 

[Dougie]

very possibly phsycological. he will have gotten into routine of biting himself, know even though the itching may have gone he feels he has to still bite himself. in dogs you give them a lamp shade(buster collar) to stop them....dont think you can in horses some how??

 

[spaniel]

You can get an anti bite collar for horses....however, whether this would lead to other behavioural problems if this biting IS psychological is a risk I suspect. It may be enough to break the habit though. The collar fits down the neck and is rigid so the horse cannot bend the neck round.

You could try a grazing muzzle although the horse would still be able to swing round and hit himself which may not solve the problem.

 

[cariadssogreat]

I have had a horse with a similar sort of problem. Firstly as much as it is hot at the moment I would always ensure that he is wearing a rug. That way you are still allowing him the relief of the action - but hopefully preventing him breaking the skin. That is certainly what I would do initially. Some horses are incredibly sensitive and dont always show it in the most obvious way. Is he turned out in company? Does he have limited turnout or 24/7? Is he showing any other behavioural symptoms? Oh and finally what is he fed on?

 

[Lisa1979]

you can get collars for horses but i think it would drive him insane. the strangest thing is that its not like he does it all the time, the last time was 2 months ago, and before that it was 6.. it could be a million different reasons, its finding the right one which is proving very difficult!

 

[piebaldsparkle]

You could try feeding Aloe Vera as very good for itchy skin, Aloe Vera Gel could also be applied directly to itchy/sore patches. Cider Vinger id supposed to be good too.

 

[Lisa1979]

rugs... yes he's torn about 6 of them now, no matter how tough, even tried a jute rug and he tore through it! To do that you've got to be desparate to get to the skin haven't you? Its so frustrating to see him like this. Touch wood he's not bitten since the last time, 3 days ago, and b4 that was 2 months ago. He is turned out in company every day, and is out grazing from early morning after i've ridden til about 5pm. I originally couldnt keep him out on his own as he used to go crazy (i have the electric fence burns to prove it!) but as he is maturing he is absolutely fine if left on his own on the odd occasion. He's not showing any other behavioural symptons apart from being moody, especially in the mornings, I am normally greeted with a snarl, as he is expecting to be a: fed or b: exercised. But he's not vicious in any way, just pulls faces. I'm feeding him Dengie Alpha A, oats and vit & mineral supplements, as 99% of ready made feeds have soya bean extracts in them. He's only been on this feed for 6 weeks and it seems to be agreeing with him fine. Previously was on Dod & Horrell Pasture Mix and has also been on Leisure Mix, so with the different feeds he has been on, the most current is the most natural - at least I know exactly what he is eating. What was the problem you had with the previous horse?

 

[Lisa1979]

I am using aloe vera at the moment, its one of the most essential products in my first aid kit! I think i'll continue to use it on the bitten areas even if he doesnt bite again for a while, as it will help to repair the tissues that have been broken. Thanks for your helpful advice!

 

[BethH]

Out of interest, how much work are you doing. I was advised that my 4 year should be worked 4 x a week as a 4 year old, 5 x as a 5 yr old etc, and to keep the sessions short and sweet ending on a good note as they have shorter attention spans at that age and it is easy to switch them off if you overdo it. Some horses just take longer to mature, mine did, I just wonder if he is struggling a bit if he is doing too much could make him feel a bit anxious - this is just a thought not a criticism

 

[MillionDollar]

I might be wrong, but it really sounds as he has the stereotypy behaviour- self mutilation. It is quite common, although not as common as cribbing or wind sucking. How much is he turned out? Does he have access to ab lib forage when he is in?

 

[H's mum]

I've read your post and the replies - there are several things that spring to mind - if your horse has a cereal/starch/sugar intollerance - this can bring about biting/itching - I know that my mare, when she's fed feed she's intollerant to she itches - her tail is bald - she's generally a very itchy/bitey/scratchy horse - she scratches and bites and rubs all over her body!

Have you tried sudocreme on the itchy/scars/scabs? Sudocrem is brilliant - it soothes and is anticeptic - and reduces swelling - I've used it succesfully on my intollerant mare and also a horse I had which had sweetitch - it's worth it's weight in gold IMHO!!!


It's really frustrating though - I do sympathise with you

Kate x