Advice for a worrying new owner!!

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Magnus Moo

New Member
Nov 6, 2017
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Hi,
So i have a new pony. I think he has feather mites and I’m desperately trying to sort him out but he won’t let me near his back feet! He is always stamping and yesterday I tried to mount him and he like cried a bit and shuffled his back feet like a warning signal to not ride him! I have no idea if this is the mites affecting him badly or something more sinister?
Does anyone have any idea or advice please!
Thanks, a worried, frantic owner! (3 weeks he’s been here for)
 
Horses don't really cry (as in make a noise when they are hurt), so not entirely sure what you mean there. How is he with you picking out his back feet? is it the back ones he stamps a lot? if you are really concerned there is something wrong then your first port of call needs to be your vet, if it is mites he should be able to give an injection to start killing them off (you need a course of 2 normally to totally get them) and maybe some shampoo too.
 
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Magnus Moo said:
Hi,
So i have a new pony. I think he has feather mites and I’m desperately trying to sort him out but he won’t let me near his back feet! He is always stamping and yesterday I tried to mount him and he like cried a bit and shuffled his back feet like a warning signal to not ride him! I have no idea if this is the mites affecting him badly or something more sinister?
Does anyone have any idea or advice please!
Thanks, a worried, frantic owner! (3 weeks he’s been here for)
Click to expand...
Magnus Moo said:
Hi,
So i have a new pony. I think he has feather mites and I’m desperately trying to sort him out but he won’t let me near his back feet! He is always stamping and yesterday I tried to mount him and he like cried a bit and shuffled his back feet like a warning signal to not ride him! I have no idea if this is the mites affecting him badly or something more sinister?
Does anyone have any idea or advice please!
Thanks, a worried, frantic owner! (3 weeks he’s been here for)
Click to expand...
thavk
 
Thanks, he made a quiet little yelp, I know they don’t cry! Couldn’t think of a way to describe it, but I have the vet coming
 
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Midges can annoy mine and I wash her with that shampoo stuff that's blue and smells of bubble gum.
Mine squeals if in season wouldn't be that sound. She also used to do a strange grunt if you startled her, that's less so now she has grown up.
 
Magnus Moo said:
Hi,
So i have a new pony. I think he has feather mites and I’m desperately trying to sort him out but he won’t let me near his back feet! He is always stamping and yesterday I tried to mount him and he like cried a bit and shuffled his back feet like a warning signal to not ride him! I have no idea if this is the mites affecting him badly or something more sinister?
Does anyone have any idea or advice please!
Thanks, a worried, frantic owner! (3 weeks he’s been here for)
Click to expand...

I feel your pain, I am a newish owner too & it really is stressful when you don't understand a behaviour or problem.....my girl has feathers & she has mite vaccinations which prevents any problems, you only need two vaccinations & it's sorted :)
It may also be behaviour, I don't know how old your pony is, but ours is only 5 years old & she has recently been trying to get above us in the field pecking order, which included refusing to let us pick her feet, especially the back ones & not letting our poor farrier put 3 out of 4 of her shoes on. We had to introduce discipline, fast, to nip it in the bud which has started to work.....hope this helps :)
 
I suspect you're reading something into the noise that wasn't meant, providing you didn't come crashing down into the saddle & he grunted as a response!

I'd give the vet a call about the mites & see what they recommend. Since you seem concerned about handling his legs while he's acting like this it might be best to get a Dectomax injection & also ask the vet to sedate him so the feathers can be clipped off safely & a topical treatment such as pig oil & sulphur applied too.
 
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