what could this be

H

horseluver4eva

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 January 2012
Messages
593
Visit site
my horse has really itchy fetlocks and stamps her feet to stop the itch. i thought it was mites and so did many others so i cut off her feathers and used frontline spray, i also went to the beach numerous times for the sea water. this worked for a while however she has started itching and stamping again im wondering whether it is the flies and things in the field? any ideas please
 
2 of our mares did this and me and my mum decided it was a mare thing!!

It could be flies- the place where we store our hay is very warm and 'stuffy' (so there are lots of flies) and I came in the house today itching like mad and its turns out that the flies have nested in the hay and there are LOADS of tiny little flies that you can barely see. We were hoping that they wouldnt then go and irritate the horses but that might be a possible reason why she's stamping her feet?
 
It could still be mites, they can come back repeatedly so you can have them, get rid of them and then get them again.

My first horse used to suffer from mites, I used to get an injection from the vet (every 6 months I think) which used to stop it.

Sorry I can't remember the exact details, it was a while ago now haha!
 
My horse had them, for yerars and we couldn't figure out what it was. She had a course of three injections cost around £60 and she's been clear ever since!
 
Mites do return. Sometimes it is because the eggs which weren't killed by the treatment have hatched. I use Cooper's Fly Repellent Plus every 14 days or so to control them. I do think sometimes that the feather makes her legs sweaty in very hot weather, so she chews them then as well.
 
Get dectomax either from vet or a farm shop and inject yourself. All the hairies on my yard have it, injected or we get a drench, inc my boy. Works for easily 6 months
 
Agree about the mites.

If not the other two possibilities, from experience, are thrush and (Oh god I'm going senile cause I cant remember what its called) split skin in the groove between the fetlock and the heels. I think the treatment for mites can actually cause this by drying the skin out, sudocrem eases it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top