Posted 2007-03-23 10:42 PM (#57647) Subject: HELP! My horse is going BALD!
Member
Posts: 46 Location: Corvallis, OR
Hey all...
I've got a 22 year old QH mare. In perfect health, other than she is loosing her hair. Loosing it ALL over her body, not just one area... Back, neck, face, belly, leg's... at first I thought she was just shedding out, but she hasn't stopped loosing it! now her hair is so thin that I can see through to her skin. She is current on all vaccinations, wormer etc etc. She is on green pasture grass, as well as ultra high quality eastern cut grass and alfalfa, vitamins, salt lick, etc. Doesn't seem to bother her at all. I've been blanketing her on cold nights... I just cant figure out what is going on. I've heard people say older horses sometimes get thin hair, but this is rediculous.
Posted 2007-03-23 11:17 PM (#57652 - in reply to #57647) Subject: RE: HELP! My horse is going BALD!
Expert
Posts: 1871 Location: NY
I had a horse that did the same thing on her face the vet said to wash her with medated soap dog and cat stuff will work. It is like a fungs that eats at the hair and the winter it live under the blakets. I do not know why the mare had it on her face first but in a few weeks the trouble when away hope this helps
Posted 2007-03-23 11:23 PM (#57654 - in reply to #57647) Subject: RE: HELP! My horse is going BALD!
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 378 Location: Nebraska
If the skin looks normal just hairless, this happens sometimes in the spring when shedding give it a month it should grow back in. but if there is crusting or inflammation you should call in a vet.
Posted 2007-03-23 11:36 PM (#57655 - in reply to #57647) Subject: RE: HELP! My horse is going BALD!
Member
Posts: 46 Location: Corvallis, OR
no crusting or inflamation. Just alittle flakey in some places, and her face feels kind of oily. The first sign of it was on her face, then her chest, then down her back, and all over the freaking place now (this has all happend in a matter of 3 or 4 weeks).
I'll try some medicated shampoo this weekend (which kind?), but I'm hesitant to use medicated stuff on her face. Her pasture mates don't show any sort of problems at all... and they rub and play all over each other all day.
Posted 2007-03-24 6:13 AM (#57661 - in reply to #57647) Subject: RE: HELP! My horse is going BALD!
Veteran
Posts: 294 Location: Fort Worth, Tx
I would try some medicated shampoo...the best I have found is made by Eqyss and is called Micro Tek medicated shampoo. It is excellent stuff, but don't mix it with anything with iodine in it, it will react. Also you may want to consider a flax seed supplement, I have my horse on one called omega horseshine (www.omegashine.com I believe), and my horse's coat and hooves are in great shape because of it. If it doesn't resolve within a few weeks though I would have the vet run tests-could be a thyroid problem or something more serious.
Posted 2007-03-24 8:35 AM (#57668 - in reply to #57647) Subject: RE: HELP! My horse is going BALD!
Regular
Posts: 93 Location: Cherokee, Ia
My 20 yr old standardbred has done the same thing for the past 5 years. What are you feeding her for grain? Should be on a senior feed, maybe add a little oil( I like Healthy Coat, but any veg oil should help) Yeah it does look terrible, but my mare looks great after about 3 weeks. Try the medicated shampoo like others said, in case it is a fungus or other skin problem, have the vet check. I just keep using a soft brush on ours for grooming, new hair fills in within a few days. Also, MTG works great for mane and tail hair loss. I even put a little on a brush and lightly brush this mares coat with it. Conditions her coat, and hair does fill in faster( yes, hard to believe a product works exactly as is says, but this stuff is great!!!) Makes her a little oily, but better that, than dry and flaky!! Good luck!
Posted 2007-03-24 6:44 PM (#57696 - in reply to #57647) Subject: RE: HELP! My horse is going BALD!
Expert
Posts: 1989 Location: South Central OK
Any iodine shampoo will work fine, it's fairly cheap in the gallon jug. (Medicated shampoo is usually more costly but iodine is safe for all skin types in any situation and what I've used to cure this before.)
MTG is a grooming product, google it. (I personally don't like it.)
Posted 2007-03-24 9:46 PM (#57720 - in reply to #57647) Subject: RE: HELP! My horse is going BALD!
Regular
Posts: 93 Location: Cherokee, Ia
MTG is "Mane Tail Groomer" Made by Shapley. Look in Valley Vet supply, or even Country Supply may have it. It's very oily, have to shake it up, but the stuff does work great. Leaves your horse a little greasy, but it does wash out well. I had an older gelding who would rub his tail bone down to the hide, tried this stuff, stopped the itch and skin irritation, and his hairl grew back within a couple months. A cowboy friend of mine uses it on his roping horses, has a couple who rub their manes. He swears by it too. It's not too expensive, maybe 12-15 bucks/qt. Try it if you like, to me it is worth the oily mess! Works great on heel scratches too!
Posted 2007-03-24 11:12 PM (#57723 - in reply to #57647) Subject: RE: HELP! My horse is going BALD!
Member
Posts: 44 Location: Montana
Washing her with a medicated soap is also the first thing I would do. To use it one her face dilute it alot and wip it on with a sponge is a small area and then remove. Don't forget to wash the blanket. If it is a fungus it can be on the blanket and you will continue battaling it. I give all my horse a good bath in the spring when we remove blankets. Good luck
Posted 2007-03-24 11:37 PM (#57726 - in reply to #57647) Subject: RE: HELP! My horse is going BALD!
Member
Posts: 46 Location: Corvallis, OR
I got that micro tek stuff today. Smelled really good! but was REALLY expensive!!
anywho... bathed her head to toe. Used a wash rag for her face, and a really gentle rubber scrubby brush. I've bathed her the past two weekends trying to get rid of (what I now believe to be) the fungi. hopefully I havent stripped ALL her good skin oils.
after she dried looked SO MUCH better. Call me paranoid but I almost wanna burn that blanket! She's got a fresh clean one on now and I hope her hair starts to grow back... but really I'd be thrilled if it just stopped falling out.
So heres to hoping she isn't still "down with the sickness (or fungi)"... Thank you all sooooo much for the advise. My only question is, that in 12 years of horses I've never had this problem before. How do horses get it? and what keeps one horse FROM getting it, while another does get it?
I've got 2 horses, they eat the same stuff, play in the same pasture, roll in the same spots... Just sorta baffles me.
Posted 2007-03-25 8:09 AM (#57735 - in reply to #57726) Subject: RE: HELP! My horse is going BALD!
Veteran
Posts: 294 Location: Fort Worth, Tx
If it is a fungus, your mare may have gotten it because she is older and her immune system isn't quite what it used to be, so she wasn't able to fight it off. Glad the shampoo helped, I LOVE the microtek stuff, expensive yes but worth it.
Posted 2007-03-25 11:54 AM (#57746 - in reply to #57647) Subject: RE: HELP! My horse is going BALD!
Expert
Posts: 1989 Location: South Central OK
OK, now you need to disinfect all your barn equipment. All brushes and stall forks, buckets, everything that has touched this horse or the stall.
I dilute either bleach, antifungal solution or iodine soap and soak my brushes on a regular basis to limit cross contamination, more in the winter months. Really cleaning stalls by spraying the walls and mats is also a good practice.
Clean the blanket and use disinfectant in the wash water. Dry on a fence inside out in the sun. Sun exposure can help to eliminate residual infectious agents. In the winter when day temps allow I place my blankets outside in the sun for airing out.
Taking a few steps now can keep this under wraps and possibly end your frustration.
I always have horse show horses coming and going so my cleaning routine may sound extreme, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Posted 2007-03-25 5:02 PM (#57758 - in reply to #57647) Subject: RE: HELP! My horse is going BALD!
Regular
Posts: 93 Location: Cherokee, Ia
I don't know how warm your weather is out there yet, but take off the blanket and let the sunshine hit her hide. My vet said that was the best thing to do for skin problems, vitamin D from the sun may help with hair growth. We do not blanket our horses, even in below zero weather. They seem to survive Iowa winters well with a nice thick winter coat. My oldest is 26 yr old, and did great this winter, even with 20 below windchills. Most of mine do not like a blanket anytime(yeah, hard to keep them clean for a show after bathing) Good luck with yours! Sounds like you bought the right shampoo! Just keep brushing her every day with a soft brush to get the dander off and encourage her skin to produce it's natural oils. Also, good advice on disenfecting all your grooming supplies and blankets. Guess everybody should do it more often!Keep riding...........................
Posted 2007-03-26 1:02 AM (#57775 - in reply to #57647) Subject: RE: HELP! My horse is going BALD!
Member
Posts: 46 Location: Corvallis, OR
this fungi thing is crazy... My older mare (the 22 year old that was 'down with the sickness') is doing better. I'll prob bathe her again next weekend w/ the same stuff. there was never any crusting or inflamation... just hair loss and flakey skin (is that crusting?). As for the weather here... mild... 40's at night, 60's during the day... When I was in Montana, I didn't blanket unless it was below 10 degrees F... Here in the valley, 50 degrees is when we blanket (I know.. sounds rediculous... come here and try to debate that tho).
She is turned out during the day, sunshine and green grass prob 5 days out of 7
HELP! My horse is going BALD!
Makes her a little oily, but better that, than dry and flaky!! Good luck!
