----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2002 9:04 PM
Subject: [RC] bald horses or move? Long. . .
Well here goes . Maybe someone out there has had this experience. For 1 1/2 going on 2 yr.s now My horses have had periodic mane loss halfway down their manes. I have had the vets look at them, I have tried the following. Bathing in Betadine, dandruff shampoo, diluted bleach solution, captan, ringworm ointment. And lately a ph solution. Everything seems to help some, but then it reoccurs. The old mare with other an allergic cyst problem has only had it twice. My two arabs more , my mare about 4 times, my gelding twice that, with the most loss.The hair starts to grow back, but usually not as thick, sometimes it grows back fairly well, other times it just sits and does nothing. I have tried to figure out what could be the cause. Two other horses we had , had it once, but bathing seemed to clear it up and when they went to my daughters trainers barn , the problem never reoccurred. My first vet couldn't figure it out. His partner came out and I explained all the particulars. No one mane pulls, no unusual rubbing, It happens year round, but there seems to be a connection with rain or humidity/ bugs. He thought it could be an allergy reaction (with 4 horses?) We do have some springs and some mushy spots on our property. We have about 2 1/2 acres turnout and two small pastures for occasional grass.
He thinks it could be flies, (I do fly spray them, for the good it does, and a sprayer in the barn, which they have open access to. ) There is a creek 1/4 mile away, He said it could be mysquitos, gnats, or some plant they are eating. (not many plants in their turnout, though there are poplar, pine, dogwood, oak trees, 2/3 are fenced off from them) I do have their hay bales in a hayring which is rusty.. . They eat round bales of fescue/bermuda mix, get some pelleted feed, and Shoglo(vit. suppliment). The yearling doesn't have it. They have plain salt, and mineralized block available. They didn't have this problem the first two years. . .
He says it takes time for sensitivities to show up and manes and tails are sensitive. . . He suggested , better fly control, bird and bat houses. And maybe a screened ac stall(my arabs stalled all day, yeah, right...) Or MOVE (do I look independently
wealthy?)
I did prevail on him to take hair samples. . .Next course if the culture doesn't take, a biopsy is next.
Rascal could live with a roached mane, won't effect his looks, But Honey who has better breeding and could actually show someday looks silly with 4" of hair missing in the middle of her mane.
If Scout, the yearling wasn't with them I could try fly sheets, make mane hoods, etc., but he thinks his job in life is to remove all clothing and fashion accessories...
(Now I know why Charlie Brown said "UUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"(His horses were bald!)
Laurie(is there generic Rogaine?)
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