Sensitive/sore ears - bit long sorry.

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SouthWestWhippet

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Since I've owned him, my pony has always been very twitchy about letting me touch his ears, especially the right one. However, this has become progressively worse over the last couple of months to the point where it is difficult to bridle him - or even put a headcollar on.

I had a lesson with a very respected instructor (competes at international level) and she felt the ear thing was a more of a neurosis than a pain issue and said to just handle his ears lots, not make too much of a fuss about it and that he would get over it. I tried this but felt it wasn't working well so now I just handle his ears when I have too (to bridle him etc).

I'm inclined to think he may have been ear-twitched in the past as he is an imported Haffie, broken abroad and (unlike most haffies) is a very nervy sensitive sort who I can imagine was extremely difficult to back.

He is very prone to getting little flies in his ears which bite him and make him bleed. There are lots of these little buggers at the yard and some ponies seem to attract them. I thought this might be a contributory factor so he now wears an ear mask but no improvement - plus a stressy pony when it has to go on.

In his ears - particularly in the right one - have appeared little white patches. The vet has seen these on a routine visit and dismissed them as 'nothing'. He assured me it wouldn't be causing pony discomfort. However it is since the arrival of these white patches that his neurotic fear of having his ears touched has suddenly gone up a level. Another pony on the yard is similiarly nervous about his ears and has the same patches.

I wondered if the patches were caused by the flies but they don't seem to be going even though the flies have been kept out of his ears for a good month now and he also has 'kill itch' gently sponged in his ears once a week.

I'm also not convinced that these white patches ARENT causing him discomfort despite the words of the vet as their arrival co-incided with him going from "not liking" to "HATING" having his ears touched.

I currently use the approach and retreat method up his neck if I need to get to the ears or poll area. However even when he seems prepared to 'tollerate' me touching him, his head is raised, eyes go a bit white and his nostrils curl back the whole time. It is as if, although he accepts I'm not going to grab him and hurt him, just the sensation of being touched there is very unpleasant.

Does anyone have any ideas or thoughts as I would like to make it easier on both of us when I need to handle him. He is a very sensitive pony and I love him to bits and want to make sure he is happy.
thanks
 
Do you have lots of midges/flies.

we get the same problem in summer, all ours are buggers to get near their ears and it's because the flies are buzzing around them.

unfortunately we just undo the bridle and put it on in pieces only way with a 16.3hh, when she puts her head in the air i can't reach
 
The white patches are an alergic reaction to the flies. Can't think exactly what my vet called the,. But if you google them I'm sure you'd find them. My vet suggests getting a fistful of cream (ie sudocream type) and smearing it in the ponies ears. Repeating when it wears off. It's worked really wel up our yard. We've got several ponies who have this problem and when it gets to the stage of having white spots they get very ear phobic! The vet says that it's quite a crusty spot so as you move the ear it is uncomfortable.

Only problem is, when they are that sensitive, getting the cream into the ears can be difficult! We've found a fly mask alone is not enough.
 
The white patches are known as aural plaques caused by blackflies. They can be sore for some horses and I would say that is the case for your horse.

You can try treating them with camrosa ointment to help the hair grow back. Someone else suggested another cream in my post about bridling problems but I cant remember what it was called.
 
Thanks Galaxy - I just knew one of the lovely people on here would have experienced something similar.

Thanks Hels bells as well, great idea to take the bridle apart to put it on while I try to get the "soreness" sorted out.

Getting anything into his ears is very difficult ATM - it can take 10 or 15 mins to do the kill itch and he gets really upset, he tries his hardest to be a good boy but he just can't bear it.

However, if I knew something was likely to work, I would do everything it takes to get the stuff in. Do you think something like E45 or an allergy cream would be a good solution if it is a similiar allery related condition to what you describe? I like to get it sorted ASAP as it is obviously bothering him.
 
what is the sudocream for? to remove the white spots-or prevent them? have had my pony for two years and he has always had these white spots in his left ear winter and summer. they are raised and if you remove them they leave a discoloured area,does this sound like what you are thinking of? should i try the sudocream? claire
smile.gif
 

mine had a real ear problem when i got him last year - firstly we got the vet out and he had a lot of gunge on the inside of his ears I ear infection ) so we treated with antibiotics. I also trimmed his ears which took a hell of a lot of patience.

Then i have been handling his ears on a daily basis - wether it is to put on a fly mask or wipe on fly ointment. Its taken a year, but he is mostly normal now when it comes to ear touching.

I say mostly because he can still try it on, but after being told 'no' he will now lower his head and relax.


Of course it goes without saying that i dont ever stick anything in his ears, ever.
 
My otherwise perfect eventer had very sensitive ears - it was mighty awkward as putting on his bridle was tricky and as for plaiting, or clipping near his head ................

The vet said that his ears did hurt and gave me some cream to put on. He had little white patches in is ears. Even after the cream was used he still didn't like his ears touched .................. but it was the only problem he had.
 
The sudocream softens the scabs, and I've found in the more monor cases it heals them up. It is also much thicker than some creams and is good a preventing them coming back.

Sure other creams may work just as well.
 
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