losing her mane.Ideas?

[boglin]

My 2yr old arab filly is losing handfulls of mane. It's on the underside about 1/3 way up and is growing by the day so now the thinning spans about 1/3 length of her mane, and now has bald bits too. If i run my fingers through her hair i get handfulls of hair out. Normally i brush it with a plastic curry comb once a week to get the really matted bits out, then just run my fingers through it or use a body brush.
Originally i put it down to her "combo" rug rubbing, so i swapped it for a standard one, but it's kept falling out. She is also losing her coat, so i thought it may be a general moult (even though i've never seen a pony lose it's mane hair during a moult), but now there are bald bits i'm not so sure.
She is not itchy, it isn't red or inflammed, just a bit flaky. I did stick som e Benzobenzoate on it, but i haven't seen any mites.
I know it's a bit sad, but i love her mane, it's (was) so think and long, i have visions of it all falling out!
Any ideas what it could be. I'll talk to the vet on monday.
Ros

[Hollie&Puzzle]

Sweat itch maybe? Also plastic curry combs arn't the best to brush with, they can pull out hair and make it look like it has split hairs, try gettin her some sweat itch cream and only use a body brush and mane comb :)

[coss]

i wouldn't brush it at all for a while and i definately wouldn't use a plastic curry comb as that breaks the hairs. everytime you brush it i would use some form of main and tail conditioner and then just use a body brush. thats all i use on my arabs. i would have though benzobenzoate would have treated for sweetitch if it was that :confused:

[pineapple]

i always use horse conditioner when i brush my horses main and tail.

although i knew a horse and still do, who lost all his hair including mane and tail. and when it grew back he had a few appaloosa spots!!

[boglin]

Thanks for the replies. I have resorted to just using my fingers, but i didn't want to use any other product on it, just in case it wassome kind of allergic reaction and was sensitive.
It's definately not sweet itch. She's not itchy and there is no sign that she has been itching, and the mane is being lost from the inside. Yes the BB would have had some effect but it hasn't :confused:
The only thing i can think of, is that it was her combo rug rubbing and making her too hot (she's blowing her coat too, though no bald bits, just like a normal moult)? I have heard of others losing manes due to combos. The only thing is that now she's been in her standard rug for a week, and she's still losing hairs!
Ros

[Portia]

Bit early for moulting - daylight hours aren't long enough yet, although the weather is bizarrely warm in the southeast atm (14c today??! that's just wrong) and many are sweating up with their winter woolies.

She may have some sort of localized skin infection, I'd do the same as you and have the vet take a look and skin scrapings.

[welshrbest]

it could be lice, it is the time of year they usually rear there ugly heads. de-louse her see if it makes a difference

[HorseWhisp3r3r]

She's not putting her head through the fence whilst grazing is she ?

[Siogfinsceal]

seaweed and garlic supplement should do wonders as it will help hair growth. if the rugs up her neck it can make the mane dry and brittle (my mare at the moment!) as it gets v hot and dry under the neck cover

[chev]

I'd be checking for lice first too.

[phyzelda]

Funny that, my two boys have exactly the same thing. Its 2/3rd down from their ears, its not sore, just flakey and hands of mane falling out, I'm lucky enough that Sweeney's mane is thick enough and he has only lost one half of the width of his neck, but Sam with his gorgeous Welsh section D flowing mane as a chunk completely missing. we've mostitured and deloused but nonething there.

Just can't wait for the warmer weather as their manes just look like they need a decent wash. Thats how flakey the area is

[Shannon_Clover]

The same thing is happening to my horses! Argh!
But I cant see any lice, just bald patches on the top area of the area and dark yellowish drandruff.
( What if not lice what caused it)
Could they have got it from the cattle?

A bald patch in the middle of his mane and faky like dandruff.
Same as his mom.
Heartbreaking, especially with the 20 moths old he was growing a lovely long mane almost down to the end of his neck. :(

How can I prevent it from happening again.

What products do I need to speed up hair regrowth.

[Shannon_Clover]

Cut and paste article about Lice on horses.

A lousy time of year
By E.O'Flynn MRCVS

It is that time of year again when many horses become infested with lice. Infestations usually occur in the Winter months when the coat is long.

What types of lice affect horses?

There are 2 types of lice that affect horses.

(a) Damolinia Equi is a biting louse that feeds on scarf and other debris in the skin surface.

(b Haematopinus Asini is a sucking louse that feeds on the blood and tissue fluids of the horse.

Do horse lice live on humans?

Fortunately, horse lice are host specific and do not live on humans.

What is the method of spread?

Lice are spread from one animal to another by direct contact. They could also be spread by shared rags and brushes. In this case the louse eggs may be transferred from one animal to the next. Lice themselves would not be transferred unless the brushes or rags were used immediately by the other horses. The reason for this is that the lice only survive off the horse for approximately 20 minutes. Lice do not live or survive in a stable or on tack.

Can lice be seen on the horse's skin?

Yes. Close examination by a veterinary surgeon or a reasonably knowledgeable horseman will detect the presence of the lice. By turning the hair sideways they may be seen moving on the skin.

The are 1mm to 3mm long and grey in colour. Use of a magnifying glass may help to identify the lice. The eggs also known as "nits" may be seen close to the roots of the mane and forelock.

What are the signs of louse infestation.

Lice cause the horse to become very itchy. Horses tend to bite themselves and rub off any objects which are available to them. Bald sore patches may result on the horse's skin when the rubbing and biting are done excessively. The coat may become dull and scurfy. Loss of condition in severe cases. Some horses may become restless and roll regularly to relieve the itch. In chronic cases the skin eventually becomes thickened.

What is the treatment?

(1) Louse powder.

(2) Antiparasite washes.

These should be well distributed and evenly spread over the body. It is important to give a second dressing about 10 - 14 days later to kill the new young lice that have hatched from the eggs since the first treatment. These dressings do not kill the eggs.

Do any of the worm doses kill lice?

No. Many horseowners are under the false illusion that these pastes especially the ivermectin ones also kill lice. This is not the case.

Do cattle ivermectin injections work in horses?

They can be used, but it is inadvisable. They are not licensed for horses and therefore carry certain risks, i.e. they may kill the lice but could also kill the horse, not a great outcome. Cattle pour-ons and sheep dips also carry risks when used in horses.

Control

When treating horses for lice it is important that all horses in the paddock are treated. If even one is left untreated, it may act as a resevoir for the lice and re-infest the others at a later stage. Be careful when using shared rugs, tack and brushes as this could transfer the lice from one stabled horse to the next. .