Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Karla,

 

One year, my gelding Star, who doesn't have a luxurious tail anyway, had a very short tail, way above his hocks and sparse. I couldnt' figure it out. He seemed Ok in every other way, but I kept getting a lot of questions from people at rides, "what happened to his tail."

 

He wasn't being kept with other horses that chewed tails. He wasn't rubbing it off on a fencepost or tree.

 

then I stumbled upon a little bit of horse nutrition literature and found out that too much selenium can show up as sparse manes and tails.

 

I stopped feeding him a vitamin supplement that had high amounts of selenium in it and put him on good old Clovite. Within a few months, his tail was longer and his coat just looked better all over.

 

To this day, I really don't know if it was the change in supplements that made the difference. There could probably have been a dozen different things that caused the problem. but I'm not going back to that particular supplement anymore just in case!

 

chris

Karla Watson <karlawatson@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I asked Susan G. this question privately and she had some good advice but am not convinced its a fly/itching problem. I have 2 of my herd of 3, both bays who have had thinning tails the last 6 months. They are not rubbing or chewing. They have lost about 40% of their tail mass and they have gotten a little shorter. They are out on pasture 24/7 (pasture pretty eaten down), free choice Eastern Orchard grass hay, beet pulp, hand ful of oats and selenium supplement. No changes in the last 6 months to the food program or work program. Both endurance horses. Tops of tails are lush and not chewed or rubbed. Manes & forelocks are still very lush. I see no rubbing or chewing and I can see them all day out my window. No parasite or crud in the the tails. 3rd horse has always had a thin tail but has not had any change in thickness and he is a white horse. I don't want to know how to treat it and make them fuller, I want a clue as to WHY. Has this happened to you?? Thanks!

 

Karla Watson/Portland, Oregon

I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship. Louisa May Alcott

 

Chris Paus

BayRab Acres http://pages.prodigy.net/paus

Lake Region SWA  http://lakeregionswa.fws1.com