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Hello! Hoping that the board can help this girl out. Every year, Yonka and Lucas, rub the tops of their tails off. It is so sad. I have these 2 Canadians, which are supposed to be known for their long flowing thick tails, and they have ratty broom tails. I do not believe it is Sweet Itch, and I know that it isn't worms.... dry skin? What type of moisturizers can I put on their tails?

Thanks!

My mare has different skin and itchy problems than your two and her's isn't caused by dry skin, but dry skin makes it much worse, so i keep her greased up all summer.

Things I do:

I spray her down daily with a 50-50 combo of listerine (the original yellow/brown kind) and avon-skin-so-soft (you could also use baby oil). I spray this in the base of her tail and mane as well.

Anywhere I see actual dry of flakey skin, I rub with coconut oil. My horse is a bay so her skin is all dark, but if you have any pink skinned critters, the oil can make sun burn easier...

Finally, any place that has been rubbed raw I first spray down with vetricyn and then put vaseline.


I know this sounds like a ridiculous routine, but without these lotions and potions my horse would probably be completely bald in the summer!

I deal with a tail scrubbing Lusitano (also known and has long flowing locks!) just the top of her tail thank goodness but still, grr.

I wash her tail, vulva, anus and teats weekly per my vet's instruction. Often will wash her tail twice a week if needed. Use baby wipes to really get around the anus per my vet (itchy honey), she has deep grooves around her vulva because she has a big a$$ LOL! so get in there too. In between I use MTG or microtek.

Khall. How do you wash the vulva? I do clean my mares teats which are rather large possibly from her one foal and they get super cruddy. I usually clean them or should I say between them every 2nd or 3rd day with baby wipes. In the winter due to her blankets tail flap her butt does get some debris so I clean it off with baby wipes too. I don't clean her butt in the summer months.

Luckily, she doesn't rub her tail (knock on wood) but I do think she will rub her butt on her feed bucket.

I think adding a bit of quality oil or omegas to their feed would help with the itches. My dad takes fish ol for his excema.

Oh Khall, I read somewhere that mares can get beans like geldings in their vulva and it's quite uncomfortable. I'm not sure how clean it unless I just do a quick wipe when I'm cleaning her teats

Hayburner I just get in there when washing the tail. I was a vet tech at a breeding farm so have been on the tail end of many a mare:) You can use wipes or wash clothes etc. Yes Joplin gets beans around her vulva and I have to clean them out regularly. This time of year the gunk builds quickly in our humid heat.

Annabelle gets itchy this time of year and feeding spirulina seems to help. I also shampoo with Microtek, rinse with ACV, the use a tea tree / jojoba concoction I made up based on ingredients in dog anti itch products. She is harder on her mane than her tail, but this seems to help.

Khall. My vet is coming to the barn this month, maybe I better ask her to show me how to clean the vulva. I would have no idea how far I should go in and wipe, ugh.
Nor do I know where the beans would be if she would have any.

Geldings are so much easier!