Unexplained tail loss - ideas

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Twiglet

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My gelding has lost probably nearly half his tail over the last 6 weeks or so, and I have no idea why. First assumption was sweetitch but it doesn't present like that (no rubbing, not itching at all, not a lot of flies around), next we assumed a new rug, but now using only rugs with no tail flaps and hair loss continues. It is falling out at the root, so not being chewed by other horses. His mane is absolutely fine and his coat and condition generally are excellent - it's just his tail with the issue. He's regularly wormed (and again if it was a worm issue I would expect itching, but there is none), is out every day and has never been seen to rub the tail. Currently washing it in Maloseb anti-bacterial shampoo and covering with aloe Vera. He's fed hay, chaff and fibre cubes.
Any ideas at all? Next step is vet to do skin scrapings.
 
No, he's on no supplements at all. The soil could potentially have too much selenium but none of the other horses on the fields have the issue.

Lippx, I don't tend to brush the tail very frequently at all, when I do it's with a dandy or body brush. I can see how excess brushing could be responsible for hair breakage, but this is coming from the root of the tail, and the hair literally falls out.
 
Could anything be causing him to have a loading of static electricity? I knew a horse once who lost most of his tail due to a fleece under rug causing static build up and every time the horse's tail brushed against the sides of his stable, it was earthed. This was the equivalent of hair removal by electrolysis. Unfortunately, it was permanent.
 
amymay said:
Any youngstock or calves in the field?
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No, he's out with one other horse, and they are quite quiet together. Haven't seen any excessive mutual grooming or the like.

There's no sign of any damage to the tail or quarters at all, he has never been seen to rub on anything, there's no hair anywhere in his stable or fencing.

He doesn't wear anything fleece at all, he goes out most days naked, unless it's raining when he wears a rain sheet with no tail flap. If it's chilly at night he wears a cotton sheet or a lightweight stable, with no tail flap.

Think it's going to have to be a vet/skin scrape job :( It's so upsetting, he had the most glorious tail I've ever seen on a horse - thick thick flaxen and chestnut.
 
Twiglet said:
No, he's on no supplements at all. The soil could potentially have too much selenium but none of the other horses on the fields have the issue.
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Why do you think there could be selenium in the soil, has it been industrial/mining site.
If you think there is a problem, make sure you don't also feed hay made from the same area.
You could email Equimins for advice, [Matt] as this is one for the nutritionist, are the hooves normal?
 
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Miss L Toe said:
Why do you think there could be selenium in the soil, has it been industrial/mining site.
If you think there is a problem, make sure you don't also feed hay made from the same area.
You could email Equimins for advice, [Matt] as this is one for the nutritionist, are the hooves normal?
Click to expand...

No not at all, I've got no reason to think it....it's just if the taill loss was due to Selenium, it wouldn't be anything to do with supplements. The grazing I imagine is pretty old turf - the yard was a racing yard for years before it was a livery yard, and it's right by the Epsom Downs, so can't see that anything industrial was there in the past.
 
Where abouts is he loosing it from? Mine for some reason is loosing hair from right in the middle of his tail at the top as if rubbing but there are no signs what so ever that he has rubbed. The sides are fine and the rest of his tail is ok it is just got very thin in the middle, its like a V at the top.
I dont know why its happened, i thought like you it was the rug but it seem to have stopped for the moment although on the odd occasion i do run a brush though get lots in the brush from the top. I have put some aloe vera gel on it which has helped but it very odd as he isnt itching his tail at all and the other horse def isnt pulling it out.
When i first got him he had hardly any tail at the top but the rest was lovely and thick, it took 2 years to grow back properly so im trying to not let it get like that again.
 
vam said:
Where abouts is he loosing it from? Mine for some reason is loosing hair from right in the middle of his tail at the top as if rubbing but there are no signs what so ever that he has rubbed. The sides are fine and the rest of his tail is ok it is just got very thin in the middle, its like a V at the top.
I dont know why its happened, i thought like you it was the rug but it seem to have stopped for the moment although on the odd occasion i do run a brush though get lots in the brush from the top. I have put some aloe vera gel on it which has helped but it very odd as he isnt itching his tail at all and the other horse def isnt pulling it out.
When i first got him he had hardly any tail at the top but the rest was lovely and thick, it took 2 years to grow back properly so im trying to not let it get like that again.
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Yes, sounds the same. It appears to be ok at the sides, but not at the top and running down.

No, definitely not other horses....in the time it's been happening, he's been out with three different horses, none of them have been seen to do anything like this, and it would be very bizarre if they all separately decided to start stripping his tail out at the root (there is no damage to the length or hair itself, it just falls out at the root).
 
very odd as mine sounds the same, i wonder if its the weather? I was on the same yard last summer and didnt have this problem, Im not far from you (Chipstead) but will be on different soil i should imagine that wouldnt be it. i have no idea im afraid.
 
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