Please Help: my horse is losing his mane!

[ChestnutConvert]

I know after a winter of having rugs on, esp combo ones, that there can be a certain amount of rubbing but when i took his combo off over a week ago i noticed a rubbed bit on his mane.
As it's a bit warmer i've swapped his rug to one without a neck and thought nothing of it. 2 days ago i noticed that even more mane has come out, about5/6 inches long now. There is no sign of anything suspicious on his skin and no rugs to rub now.
If it was being chewed by his field mate surely i'd see some straggly chewed ends??

 

[Indigo Moose]

It's almost certainly from the neck cover. Even after it's been removed, if you don't wash the horse it will still be itchy, and continue to rub the mane out. Give him a wash with some antibacterial type shampoo (tea tree oil shampoo is good for this), making sure to rinse it really well, and hope that it grows back quickly!

To assist with regrowth, you can use MTG - http://www.shinyshowhorse.co.uk/info2.cfm?info_id=63143

It's an American product, this is the only place to get it in the UK. It's vile stuff, smells like old bacon grease, but it really does help the hair to grow back.

 

[ChestnutConvert]

Since it's supposed to be nice tomorrow i will give it a wash. He's just my happy hacker and personal schooler so i can live with a straggly mane until it grows back....does look a bit odd though!

 

[Indigo Moose]

Haha, that's fair. My hunter/hacker rubbed her mane almost entirely out a few years ago, so I hogged it to even it up. She looked terrible for nearly six months - her hair grows very slowly - but it did grow back vey evenly.

 

[ChestnutConvert]

hmm i guess a gangly legged WB wouldn't look too hot with a hogged mane, esp as he has a lovely thick tail and his fetlocks, whiskers etc grow too quick! If it takes too long i'll give that product a go though.