Tips for keeping a long haired horse!!

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dellaelyse

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So my horse has long AND curly hair (he doesn't have cushings - he has just always had it!) Although my problem isn't related to grooming.

Basically, he is an Arab X and therefore is hot blooded. He hence sweats quite a lot with certain rugs in certain areas, and after a ride. Obviously I do not want him catching a chill this winter - but it will be hard to ride and then get rid of the sweat.

He has always been clipped out before which works (which also contributes to the curl I think!), but he is afraid of the clippers to an extent he needs to be sedated to have it done.

My problem is, is that now he is 22 (healthy for his age but still an old boy), I do not really want to have to sedate him as I realise it will just be harder for his body - and therefore I can't have him clipped!

So - what do I do? I don't think he will ever be used to clippers so he doesn't have to be sedated - he's even a bit wary of sprays so I'm not sure that de-sensitising him will be a way around it. Even using lighter rugs can be a problem as I think he can get cold around the neck (might be completely wrong though). I have only bought him this year after loaning him as a child, and the yard owner is saying I must have him clipped whereas I would rather not if I could help it - and I just need some advice as to whether with careful rug management I could get away with not clipping.

Any ideas would be very appreciated. Thank you!
 
how sure are you he doesnt have cushings? arabs dont usually have a lot of coat so what is he crossed with? personally i would clip him and rug. sedating for the short time he is being clipped would be worth it for his comfort,IMO...do you have any pics so we could see what the coat is like?
 
I am 99% sure he's not got Cushings - I got him vetted by the head vet of a practice and he said he was at no more risk of cushings than any other horse his age. Do you not think sedating is a bit risky at his age? Or not? I will try and post a pic x
 
sorry cant see the photo, it may be because i am not on facebook ...i think you can change settings to allow anyone to look....
if he hasnt been blood tested the vet wont be able to say if he has cushings or not....thats an odd thing for him to say as cushings can be diagnosed on horses that are younger as well so its not just an age thing......

if he was mine i would first test for cushings and then, after discussing with the vet, decide if sedation is ok for clipping ...hope this helps, my horse has cushings and has improved a lot after being on the medication so i think its worthtesting..
 
I remember Prof Knottenbelt once saying that the long curly coat is abdolutely diagnostic for Cushing's. It isn't caused by anything else.

I know there is a breed of horses called curly horses, but their coat is very different from a Cushing's coat, so no confusion there.

I'd rather sedate and clip than have a horse who had such a thick coat he was unable to regulate his body temperature, and whose coat was so thick that once wet it took ages to dry.

I've had a couple of ponies who really didn't like clippers, bigstyle. With the worst one, it only took 3 or 4 two or three hour sessions with building her confidence with clippers, and once she accepted them she was fine from then on.

So I'd opt for whichever approach suits you best.

Not impressed by your vet saying it wasn't Cushing's! Honestly, some vets.....

Sarah
 
Hmm I will get him tested. I'm half and half with whether he is or not - he has always had curly hair I believe but then again that would explain his sweating somewhat. Is cushings expensive to treat out of interest? I don't know much about it you see. Thank you :)
 
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I am sure my old girl had Cushings from maybe the age of 10 but as she was my childhood pony she wasn't diagnosed until about 20! They do sweat a lot more too. I would definitely get the blood test done, it's not that expensive.

Last time I bought any, Pergolide (Prascend) was about £1 a tablet. Mine being small only got 1/2 a day. But it did wonders for her energy level and quality of life.
 
Thank you Nudibranch :) I will definitely be getting him tested ASAP! I'm just really annoyed at the moment that no one at the yard, either of the two vets he has or his previous owner has mentioned anything... It's so blatantly obvious he's got some symptoms now I've read up on it more... Poor effors from everyone involved barring my new farrier! I feel some angry phone calls coming on tomorrow morning. Even though I've been around horses my whole life pretty much, I'm a first time owner and it's so sad that if he does have Cushings, how dishonest people can be!! :( on the clipping front thank you flintfootfilly - I might have to gradually try and get him used to them as he obviously won't be able to be sedated into his old age! X
 
It does sound a bit like cushings. I've just had the free blood test done on all four of mine and, of the two with high results, one has absolutely no symptoms at all. I only had her checked because the vet persuaded me too because she is 20 and he said I might as well. The other pony with high results is a rescue and aged 26+. She is difficult to handle because of her past and I normally take advantage of the vet sedating her to do her teeth and vaccinations and clip her then. There is no way on earth she could be clipped otherwise. She is fine with the sedation even at her age.
 
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