Please help me save his tail!

Tr0uble

Tr0uble

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A little while ago I took Rhythm off his Alfalfa feed (which is the only chaff Snip CAN have) and swapped him to Readi Grass...brilliant move, he stopped being itchy within a couple of weeks, but the difference was noticeable in 48 hours.

However, we have breeze block stables and he seems to be addicted to 'sitting' against the wall and scratching his butt! I would have no problem with this other than the rough brick surface is ruining his beautiful tail!

I have started putting a tail bandage on him when I bring him in for short spells, or tying him up outside, but obviously neither of these are an ideal, or long term solution!

I've tried all sorts of lotions and potions, including Benzyl Benzoate, and nothing seems to stop him scratching...I think because he's not genuinely itchy, he's just liking the feeling against the breeze blocks! (never scratches on anything else)

I've priced up some perspex sheeting, and I can line his stable at butt height for £100, which is a perfectly ok cost for me....not trying to be cheap about it...want a good solution, not a cheap one!

Is there anything else I can try? He knows he shouldn't be doing it, he waits till your out of sight, and always stops when you yell at him/clap your hands at him etc....then he stands looking sheepish till you go out of sight and starts again!!!

I've trid the obvious things like worm counting, to make sure the worming paln is working, and he's never breaking the skin anywhere so I really don't think he is ACTUALLY itchy as such! He's certainly not agitated when he's stopped from scratching, or unable to scratch on the breeze blocks.

His tail os so lovely and thick, but he's started to break off the hairs at the top where he's rubbing and I want to stop it before it goes too far!!!

So....perspex the way to go? Or any better genius ideas??

Thanks!!
 
isnt perspex fairly brittle? if im thinking right - it could break and do more harm than good? how about getting some rubber matting and lining the "spot" with that? xx
 
Perspex is flexible, as long as you get the right stuff (ie like the mirrors - acrylic?) and it would be well secured, flush against the wall....and fitted by a proffessional tradesman, so think it should be ok.

I think he'd still get enough purchase on rubber matting to do the damage TBH.
 
perspex would work, although he might squeak when he rubs against it!!!:D

or you could be cunning and string up some live electric tape at bum height so he gets a shock if he tries to butt rub;)
 
LOL! That's just MEAN!!!! hehe

It had crossed my mind though....but unfortunately our stables aren't the biggest, and as he's over 17hh he needs all the room he can can in there!

I can live with squeaking....I just want to save his beautiful tail!!
 
Tr0uble said:
LOL! That's just MEAN!!!! hehe

It had crossed my mind though....but unfortunately our stables aren't the biggest, and as he's over 17hh he needs all the room he can can in there!

I can live with squeaking....I just want to save his beautiful tail!!
Click to expand...

spoilsport;):D perspex it will have to be then:)
 
I wouldn't use rubber matting, as I would have thought that will just pull the tail hair out.

What about putting some coir mats up (door mats)? If he is going to itch, then there is probably not a lot that you can do to stop him, but the coir mats might lessen the damage to the tail hair?

Just a thought...
 
What about those rubber scratch mats that you can put on the walls?

I would imagine the bits that stick out would sort of comb through the tail rather than rubbing it flat and matted!
 
Ooh, vetwrap that IS a good idea!

I might put up perspex most of the way round, then put some mats up to make him a specific scratching spot!
 
I would get a few tail bags and stitch them to the tail flap of his rugs. I dont think perspex would be a good idea in a stable. As temperature changes large sheets will expand and contract. It will become distorted and eventually crack. I`ve worked with it in the past, and you have to put lots of screws all over the surface to stop it warping against a flat surface like a wall.
 
Why not buy Fieldguard stable wall mats - they are light condensed foam - approx 3m x 1m and I paid £26 each. You could eaily screw these into breeze block.

Also mine have the Robinsons scratch pad/mats in their stables - spikey rubber mats £17 a pair - that encourages scratching on those and they are more forgiving than a brick wall! :)
 
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