Help horse rubbing tail!!

Rosie1994

Rosie1994

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Jun 16, 2007
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More than 2 years ago my mare had allergy tests after having some itching problems. Her main allergies were midges and mosquitoes. At the time she wasnt responding to anti histamine treatments the vet prescribed. I moved to my present yard 2 years ago and she has been brilliant. Had the odd rub in her stable but that was all.
Last week she had rubbed her tail but I didnt see any damage and just brushed it back down. On Friday I noticed the side of her tail, at the top was a bit bald and the skin a bit red. I washed it all in Malaseb and have been using Gold Label skin wonder gel twice daily (aloe vera/tea tree etc). This seemed to do good as the skin was its normal colour and she hadnt rubbed anymore.
Tonight after I'd ridden I put her in and when I looked she was rubbing her tail on brickwork at back of stable. I brushed it and applied her the gel. Left her for 2 mins, came back and she was rubbing again, almost to the point of damaging the delicate skin at top of tail, where tail meets body. I borrowed some D itch cream and I've had to turn her back out, because I didnt dare leave her in.
Sweet itch is such an awful thing, it must be awful to be so itchy and they just dont understand that they make things worse.
I thought she was foing so well at this farm, I dont know if its the weather thats set her off, or a certain type of fly ?? There were millions of flies when I rode tonight, not midges they are more like bluebottles, but some looked brown in colour.
ANyone any suggestions about best thing to put on tail or even on wall to keep her away from it??
 
Have you tried good old fashioned Benzol Benzyate? (think that's how you spell it!) My old horse used to rub his tail and this stuff worked wonders - as well as killing the biting buggers it soothes the itching as it has a cooling effect. You can get it from any chemist and they can order you an extra large bottle as it usually comes in quite small bottles. It's pretty cheap although the downside is it's actually used for pubic lice:D so you might want to explain that you're buying it for your horse not for yourself!:D:D I used it for years and it always worked better than the other fancy products on the market. Might be worth a try x
 
My advice as a swee titch pony owner is to buy a flyrug,, you can buy special sweet itch flyrugs now too. Mine works wonders because the more the pony is bitten by midges the more they itch in the itchy places too. Lots of itch spray or creams applied before turn out and putting the rug on i think you will see a big change. Also the rug will stop the damage with the continuous rubbing.

My pony without his fly rug comes in with bumps all over his bum from bites which sets off his other itchy bits!

Dermoline sweetitch lotion is pretty good stuff too.
 
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Thanks. Yes I have always used benzyl benzoate. I dilute it 50/50 with water and use it in a spray bottle, to get it right into the mane & tail. I am a bit worried because the skin is sore now anyway, that benz benz could irritate it. I am going to ring my vet in the morning, to see if maybe some bute could take the inflammation out. There doesnt seem to be any infection yet,but I know that will happen if she keeps on rubbing.
She does have a fly rug. I msut admit I havent used it all the time as she hasnt seemed to need it. Where we are is very open, on a bit of a hill and is usually alwaays breezy if not more windy than anywhere else. But she has got it on now!!
 
Do the piggy thing...

My mare started rubbing her tail really badly - luckily she's very hairy so she wasn't doing much damage to the skin, but she was constantly rubbing her bum on things and managed to take out a gate post!

I tried frontline and louse powder without much luck, then last time I did her feathers with pig oil & sulphur I slapped it on her dock as well. Magic! She's still rubbing, but no way near as much as before, her skin's healthy, and the added bonus is her tail's a lot less tangly too!
 
I'm afraid a sweetitch rug is the only answer. I tried all the lotions and potions going and nothing worked. Don't be mistaken in thinking that just because there is a good breeze that the midges won't attack. I made the mistake of wipping my horse's rug off one windy evening to wash it and when I got to the yard the next morning his tail and half his mane had disappeared. I've got a spare rug now!
 
The flies have been simply fiendish these past few days, especially now it's both humid AND warm.

B's been a bit itchy, have kept it under control by bathing weekly (very very weak dilution of soap), soaking her in fly spray (my own concoction of DEET, avon, baby oil, neem and citronella oil), benz benzoate to itchy areas am and aloe vera gel pm to soothe things down. Have to admit it's an uphill battle though :(
 
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