Older horses - Summer coat?

[bouncebackability]

Hi all, first post!
I'm a long time lurker so pleased to meet you all!

I'm just wondering if any of you have older horses that are still in work and were clipped over winter?
My 22 year old mare was clipped out late on (Feb - due to the bad weather) and is now growing her summer coat in patches. She has a lovely coat on her neck and quarters but very clipped, baldy bits on the top of her legs and belly. Should i be worried about cushings?
She's otherwise fit and well, in light work, good vit and min supplement in her feed. Out at night in a L/W, in and naked during the day.
Any advice or experiences would be very welcome...
Thankies x

 

[shellonabeach]

My gelding is 20 next month - mainly Welsh with a bit of TB. I have found for the last 3 years he has grown his summer coat early - Sept time and I have always clipped him from Sept to April time when it gets warm as he is still in full work and gets too hot otherwise.

This year I clipped him right out end of Jan with a friends clippers and his coat grew exactly as you describe your girls - very short and clipped in places and really long cat hairs in others - my non-horsey OH said he looked like a teenage boy growing his first moustoche(sp?). He had hairs on the top of his back, bum, legs and his head was like a yak even tho I had taken it off in Jan. He is black and when clipped goes silver so he looked dreadful as the cat hairs were black. His skin was also very dry and scurfy which I never never had before - oil in feed and grooming did nothing to help.

I clipped him right out again last weekend with my own clippers and gave him a nice bath with medicated shampoo for his skin. When I clipped only the long cat hairs came off. He looks so much better as his coat is now even and I noticed that his summer coat (black) is now showing. Mine is in a 200g at night and naked in the day.

I also worried about cushings and when he had his jabs done in Feb had the vet look at him, the vet said he had no clinical signs but I had him blood tested for my own peice of mind which came back negative.

My boy has never had a patchy coat like this before so am not sure whether to blame friends clippers, the very cold weather we had after I clipped him or just old age. When it was cold he was rugged well and always felt toasty under his rugs.

 

[bouncebackability]

Thanks for your reply shellonabeach. Our neds seem like a pair! Shes also welsh x tb, although bright bay but their 'symptoms' seem very similar.
Ditto the coat has never come through this patchy before, I also considered that the cold weather may be the cause. Very pleased the cushings test was negative, its always good to have peace of mind!
Hmm, now to clip or not to clip.....
Thanks again x

 

[Irishlife]

My mare around this sort of age began to have problems with her coat, late in shedding almost she was behind the seasons. We used supplements and judicious grooming and clipping.

It did turn out she had developed Cushings disease as she began to waste and suffer immune problems but she died peacefully when she was 25 years old so really her time was up even though I miss her every day.

I do not want to alarm you but it is best to be vigilent with geriatric horses, perhaps as previous poster said, a blood test for peace of mind.

 

[Lolo]

My 26yo takes a while to let go of his coat, but it does come through quickly once we've got through the winter coat! It tends to come through in patches- his neck and bum first, then round his withers, then the rest. He's out competing over 2'3-2'6 still, is fit, healthy, and is moving really well. I think its part and parcel of owning a geriatric (he's full TB as well...).