Video: what is my pony doing?

[Field04]

Just gone out to the field to check on my mare and she is doing this... Have never seen her do this before and she has been doing it for about 10 minutes while I was with her. Sorry new to mares, as mainly had geldings!! Is this a mare thing?

http://s895.photobucket.com/albums/ac160/quartz85/Mare/

 

[Irishcobs]

She's belly scratching! Probably flies are biting her belly/teats.

 

[Field04]

Nothing to worry about then!

 

[midi]

well id try to prevent her discomfort??

 

[Irishcobs]

Maybe have a look at her teats/belly and make sure there is nothing there that is causing her problems.

 

[TicTac]

I agree, she looks like she's trying to itch some part of her body!

 

[Field04]

I have checked for any sores of cuts on her belly and surrounding area, also no visible fly bites. She does usually like a good bum scratch, but not seen this belly action before.

 

[Brightbay]

Not unique to mares - I've seen a gelding do it too. He did have sweet itch though, and would rub until his belly was lacerated

 

[JenHunt]

Run does this when the midges butte his belly. They bite the seam that runs down the middle of his tummy. He doesn't come up in bites tho. I just put itch stop on his tummy.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Probably midges - gelding on my yard did exactly the same thing in his stable every night and rolled a lot too getting himself cast. Application of Deosect recommended by the vet is the only thing that has stopped it

 

[Crugeran Celt]

There used to be a little sect A pony in the field with mine that would do that and I always assumed she was scratching her belly but she would just sit on her bum and rub that as well! She only did it when there were flies in abundance.

 

[Field04]

Right off to apply a cooling lotion.

 

[fuzzle]

I rescued a pony earlier this year did exactly the same thing!!!!!!! after examination i found she had lice which was making her itch her belly etc not saying yours has got lice but maybe worth a good look to see why she is itching she will be doing it for a reason!!! good luck hun X

 

[flirtygerty]

We've had two mares and never saw this behaviour, would agree she's scratching, I would check her tummy and spray with fly repellant, both our mare and gelding get their undercarriages sprayed with Avon SSS

 

[Field04]

Calming lotion is on, now to stop them in the first place. Have tried so many different fly repellants but nothing works. Would like to get a fly rug, but am just worried she will be too hot with it and is gets into the high 30's here.

 

[Field04]

Just looked up Avon SSS, is it the Avon SSS bug guard that is best?

 

[indie999]

I think itching but I would check for lice too. Due to wet weather etc flies are a right pain at the moment. And I would make sure she stood up too if she was mine ie colic etc but it does look like an itch.

There is a fly repellent that farmers use called Flypor it does burn and should be used carefully most farmers put it on the back (we had a pony started losing its hair from bites little cirlces we thought she had ringworm etc on her face, but it was not ringworm...never had problem before.. so the vet let us have some of this and told us it was the only thing that works...) But be careful we just dabbed it on with cottom wool all over except sensitive areas..very sparingly)

Blooming flies!