Please help, at wits end. Companion horse coming and my old horse's itching taken off again

[Loughlin]

Hi Guys, I've posted on this before, but tonight I found my horse had pushed through a piece of fencing, got to a tree and destroyed half his mane. Wither bare, two areas gone and he's rocking now when I rub his wither. He's 24, never had SI, and was clipped out, had a skin/hair pull test, and two invermectin shots even though we had zero results for anything. No lice, no mites, no nothing, clipped bare and coat now in.

I begged a loan of a TB from a neighbour, and he is due any day. I'm very worried that my horse will pursue this reasonably valuable horse around the field like he did his last field mate. I've spent three months working on him, and with the vet, and thought we were getting somewhere. One thing I will say is despite negative results, the vet and I suspect he is in the dawn of Cushings.

Should I let this horse come, or start thinking about having him live alone? He's been fine, and I work from home so we are together a lot - it's been a very managable time for me. I have of course worried about his mental health, as I have never kept a horse alone and don't generally believe in it.

So frustrated and upset, and feel like a total idiot about the loan. Any suggestions, don't be afraid to criticise, I'll take any help. . You can see my old posts.

 

[TheMule]

Have you had normal bloods run? Liver issues can make them insanely itchy

 

[Loughlin]

Thank you, Will take that to vet. Grateful.

 

[TheMule]

Thank you, Will take that to vet. Grateful.

Good luck, I hope you get to the bottom of things asap

 

[Pearlsasinger]

If both you and the vet suspect Cushjngs you could request a Prascend trial?
I think the potential issue with the loan is separate from the itching though. Has he had other companions that he has tolerated prior to the last one?

 

[Loughlin]

If both you and the vet suspect Cushjngs you could request a Prascend trial?
I think the potential issue with the loan is separate from the itching though. Has he had other companions that he has tolerated prior to the last one?

Yes and no. He lost his wifey a year ago and I took a foster pony in from a charity. Come summer he was chasing him around for rubs reltentlessly Now, the pony was ready to move on, but I was relieved when I did let lhim go. This is all very recent really. I put it down to grief and emotional upset. He didn't lose his coat in summer at all. Vet coming tomorrow to do full bloods. Thanks for the input, really helpful. I actually have quite a bit of prascend here from the pony who died last year (cancer), so ripe for a test. Will ask. We were going to test again in October.

 

[Loughlin]

Good luck, I hope you get to the bottom of things asap

Thanks Mule.

 

[Exasperated]

If both you and the vet suspect Cushjngs you could request a Prascend trial?
I think the potential issue with the loan is separate from the itching though. Has he had other companions that he has tolerated prior to the last one?

Yes, because the drug trial could eliminate itching altogether, but a Boett blanket should help if he really has developed sweet itch at this stage.
About a companion, unless the itching is driving him to distraction and potential violence, I agree that’s a different issue. A companion is not essential to all horses’ wellbeing, altho generally recognised that horses are social and mostly companionable. If OP’s has form being aggressive with field mates, hopefully she’ll introduce them slowly and tactfully. If he’s genuinely been fine on his own, and determined to start fighting a newcomer, OP would be better to just keep him on his own, and enjoy spending her free time with him. Plenty of horses, particularly stallions, live solo, and while not ideal, preferable to both getting badly injured.

 

[Exasperated]

Yes and no. He lost his wifey a year ago and I took a foster pony in from a charity. Come summer he was chasing him around for rubs reltentlessly Now, the pony was ready to move on, but I was relieved when I did let lhim go. This is all very recent really. I put it down to grief and emotional upset. He didn't lose his coat in summer at all. Vet coming tomorrow to do full bloods. Thanks for the input, really helpful. I actually have quite a bit of prascend here from the pony who died last year (cancer), so ripe for a test. Will ask. We were going to test again in October.

Sorry, what’s your horse been chasing the pony for? Aggressively? or seeking contact? Or something to mutually bite itchy skin? That rather alters things, and maybe a mare would be more acceptable to him if that’s what he lost? Hope you get some clarity and something suitably sorted out for him.