Vanishing feathers - whats causing it? *pics*

[Chex]

Just a wee question about feathers...

I usually keep his feathers clipped, but this year decided to leave his back legs to grow. They've been growing for about 9 months, and they grew a bit (much less than I expected for a cobby type), but now they seem to be receeding

, especially around the front. It looks like some one has been at them with the scissors (they've not!). Could it be bog burn? I'm not entirely sure what that is, but something to do with wet conditions burning the hair off?

Or his age? He's 26 now (eeek!!).

From today (his feet look weird in the photos, they look fine in the flesh!):

Here's a pic so you can see his build, as I've said I would have expected a fair amount of feathering? Maybe not lol. His front legs are clipped btw, incase it confuses anyone!

Maybe this is completely normal, just haven't noticed it in any other horses (not this bad anyway).

Any advice?

Thanks muchly

 

[Sugarplum Furry]

Can I just ask, is the hair coming out in tufts if you pull at it, with a sort of whitish stuff on the end?

 

[lizzieuk1]

any scabby bits, and is he itchy?

 

[Chex]

Ooops, forgot to say in my post...

There's no scabs and no itching (that I've seen). He's had mites and mudfever in the past so that was my first thought, but they seem to be clean. The hair doesn't come out if you pull it, just seems very broken.

 

[katie_southwest]

Only time my mares feather vanished at the front was as she was developing mud fever, they went all spiky and short! but if hes had it before and hasnt now then no idea sorry!

 

[lizzieuk1]

think i would frontline them anyway just in case, otherwise i've drawn a blank, sorry!

 

[Mollymillymoo]

well he looks to be a similar build to Coco and Coco has much more feather than that, I guess they are all different, perhaps your horse has less hardy feather that breaks easily and cannot cope with all the cold/wet muddiness of winter? I'm probably talking nonsense but as there are no scabs/clumps then who knows?

 

[sherbet]

You may think I am mad but!!

My cob lost some feathers last year for no reason. A friend of a friend said to put talc as in babys powder on his feathers and rub it in. I dont know how or why but it worked!!! Feathers grew back.

Talc cost very little so nothing much to lose!

 

[Chex]

I think I will, I still have stuff left over from last time (providing its still in-date that is!)

 

[Chex]

Thats along the lines I was thinking, that his hair is too fine or something. Annoyingly his front feathers are much thicker and grow really fast but have to be kept short or he's gets bad mud fever!

 

[Chex]

Hmmm, thats an intersting solution! Wonder if its keep them drier so less weak. Does it not clump horribly when their legs get wet though?

 

[Native Speaker]

hmm..... just a thought, but maybe its something to do with the fact that you've been clipping his feather. i read somewhere ages ago that a mane that has been hogged will never grow back properly. perhaps the same is true for hairy legs....i had my boy's feather taken off 2 years ago because he developed eczema. my vet took skinscrapes and developed his own schutzmittel (sorry my english is failing me!), which is administered twice a year (injection). my boy now eczema-free, and his feather grew back thicker than ever. as i said, just a thought.....

 

[Guinness]

I would say its the wet conditions, same happens to my horse in winter. I have been putting pig oil on this winter to protect them and has helped a bit, still not perfect though!

 

[quirky]

Sorry, I have no comment on the feathers but would just like to say he looks fantastic for 26 years old!!
It may be the angle of the photo but he doesn't even look particularly dip backed.
Well done for keeping him looking so well ... I hope that doesn't sound patronising, it's certainly not meant to.

 

[Chex]

[ QUOTE ]
hmm..... just a thought, but maybe its something to do with the fact that you've been clipping his feather. i read somewhere ages ago that a mane that has been hogged will never grow back properly. perhaps the same is true for hairy legs....i had my boy's feather taken off 2 years ago because he developed eczema. my vet took skinscrapes and developed his own schutzmittel (sorry my english is failing me!), which is administered twice a year (injection). my boy now eczema-free, and his feather grew back thicker than ever. as i said, just a thought.....

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh yes, I'm experiencing the problems of regrowing hogged manes just now too! I guess maybe because they've been short for so long now that they just can't grow long

. I had visions of him with these adorable fluffy feathers, but its just not meant to be

 

[Chex]

Pig oil, something else to put on my list of things to try! Is it actually oil from pigs?

that sounds quite gross lol

 

[Chex]

[ QUOTE ]
Sorry, I have no comment on the feathers but would just like to say he looks fantastic for 26 years old!!
It may be the angle of the photo but he doesn't even look particularly dip backed.
Well done for keeping him looking so well ... I hope that doesn't sound patronising, it's certainly not meant to.

[/ QUOTE ]

Aw thanks

. He's not that dipped back, looking more so just now because he's dropped a lot of weight and muscle

December:

February:

 

[Keltic]

I think kooking at them its probably the mud burning them off, put some protection on the like mud guard spray or pig oil mixed with a bit of sulphur...good luck

 

[itsme123]

Don't put talc on if he's turned out and prone to mud fever. Talc will remove all grease from his coat, therefore leaving his legs with no protection from the wet and cold. You could end up making him very sore!!

 

[Chex]

Ah ok, its never just simple is it! I'll have a look at work tomorrow and see if there's anything. I don't like always having cream/powder etc on his legs though. I don't know if this will be making his legs sore or not

 

[Donkeymad]

We have a shire X and his feathers always decrease in length during the winter.

 

[becksten]

oooooo my welsh d's feather do that! and ive never known what caused it! I always use to think someone had got the scissors round them!!!

 

[Chex]

Lol, well at least I know I'm not the only one this happens too!

Thanks for all your inputs folks

 

[jen1]

Not sure if this is of much help but my cob doesn't grow feathers at the front! He just gets thick legs at the back, he is hogged and trimmed up fairly regularly but if I let the legs go a bit longer I never really have to bother with the front except for a bit of trimming at the top of his hoof. Are you expecting long feathers all round? Maybe he is the sort like mine that just doesn't grow them at the front?

Also he does look FANTASTIC for his age! I always wanted a coloured horse!!!!!

 

[LCobby]

PIg Oil is made for pigs, not of ex-pigs
Rub it in well to condition the coat and skin
You can add a handful of flowers of sulphur-
its a good water-proofer and prevents mud fever.
very economical too
Some saddlers stock it, or agricultural merchants.

Used by a lot of Shire and Clydesdale owners.
The mud may have dried on his legs and cause the hair to break.

 

[JessPickle]

I have the same thing! when I got pickle he had always had his feathers clipped off. I have had him over 2 years and he still has feathers like yours!

 

[LCobby]

Pig oil is made for pigs, not out of ex-pigs

Mix in a handful of flowrs of sulphur, used by lots of Shire and Cldyesdale owners.
Good for skin and hiar, prevents mud fever .

 

[jelibean]

Just a thought but my dales feathers look like they've had the scissors on them on the insides because she brushes, not obviously or bad but enough to leave a sharp looking line acround the coronet band on the insides. She also likes to get her heals around the gate bars and have a good old scratch like most othe hairy neddys do this time of year, usually leaving feathers looking like dehydrated bog brushes, no scabs or skin issues just an itchy scratchy neddy.

 

[Chex]

[ QUOTE ]
Pig oil is made for pigs, not out of ex-pigs

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh good

. Will try and find some of that, heard people saying how good it is before.