*LONG* Confused about mites/lice - I'm a rubbish owner :o(

Roxy's Mum

Roxy's Mum

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Jul 21, 2009
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I'm so confuzzled :frown: (honestly, it's not hard) and annoyed with myself for being so rubbish.

Roxy is stamping again. She has lots of feather which I treated with frontline a couple of months back which seemed but help but now the stamping has returned.

I'm assuming she has mites, however I'm just not brave enough to get my head down around those big back feet and have a proper root around in the feather, as I'm terrified of those huge hooves. She has been known to kick out when she gets a bit grotty. I feel SO bad because of it; it makes me a terrible owner to be so afraid of my horse and incapable of lifting her back feet. I did some work with her last night using ropes so she gets used to it but she frequently was STAMP STAMP STAMP when I tried. I'm sure 80% of that is itchiness but I do think the remaining 20% is frusration and/or bad temperedness on her behalf. I don't think that's necessarily her fault as she's not used to having her backs picked up.

She's become a pain AGAIN with having her fronts picked up; she leans back to try and hop about (sometimes I can hang on, sometimes she ends up down on one knee) or she tries to snatch. She usually tries to grab her foot back as soon as I start using a pick and it makes me worry she's in discomfort or pain with something. Her hooves are lovely & healthy, at least they look it (farrier has confirmed so). She is better with the farrier although she does try it on a little with him sometimes.

I don't know if she has mites/lice or whatever as I can't see them (there are definitely none in her fronts). She has scurfy dry skin, which she has always had, and behind her knees is really scabby and flakey and it looks like finely chopped nuts caught in her feather - I can pull them out no problem in small tufts (nice!) Not at all sore & she's happy for me to touch.

There are a 1,000,001 things out there one can try/use/apply to treat the problem & everybody seems to have a different opinion on what the problem actually is and what I should do. Training with the front feet I can handle, small steps etc, as we've been there many times before I just have not been consistent. What do I do about mites/lice/itchy/dry/scurfy/flaky ness? Are any of them a symptom of the other? :unsure: I don't catch her itching herself, other than the usual rolling & enjoying scratches with her mama :happy:

I feel so stuck between a rock & a hard place. I feel awful on Roxy's behalf for being so utterly useless with my horse; I can't pick up her feet, I can't mount from the block and (when I do rarely get on) I'm a terrible rider :cry:

:help:

(Hot chocolate with whipped cream, marshmallows, flake, sprinkes and great big piece of cake of your choice offered with any help!)

(sod that bloody ticker down there!)
 
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I have similar with moet, however great our relationship has become I still do not trust her if I need to do anything to her back legs.

For example I have only just managed to comb her back legs (tentatively aswell) - that has taken 4years!

I am lucky in that moet doesn't seem bothered by mites so I don't NEED to treat her legs. But I tend to have her injected with Dectomax at the same time as rosie just in case, I find this easier and safer than putting on topical treatments.

Perhaps do that and then when cleared then keep on top of it more?
 
I would have a word with your vet and have the Dectomax injection to sort the problem out now. It does sound like mites.

Izzy had mites once when I first got him and I used the frontline stuff and it cleared it up straight away. Then I did Pig Oil and Sulphur and haven't had a problem since.

He hates having the PO & S on but I don't have the problem of him being funny with his feet. I usually cross tie him and give him a bucket of readygrass and he is fine then.

Think if you get the injection and she isn't itchy you could then continue with the desensitising of her back legs.

Izzy also has the scurvy stuff on the back of his front legs. I get it with the PO & S and then keep on it with Baby oil every few days and it seems to keep it a bay. He isn't bothered by it at all though. Can't remember what it is called but don't think it is related to the mites or the stamping.
 
Oh it's horrid when you're nervous of their back legs, isn't it? I agree about the Dectomax injection... it'll treat from the inside out. If you could possibly brave the pig oil and sulphur route it will hopefully prevent the critters returning..... You can put the PO&S in a squirty bottle and squirt from a distance and a brush on a stick will help to get it all in where it needs to be without having to get too close. And lots of praise and treats when she doesn't kick out... and ignore her when she does.
 
Intesive work is the best way I've found - now that madam is in a routine because of the boots (feet picked out and disinfectanted every morning), she is on average putting up less of a fuss. Having a routine and "iknowing what is expected" is important. Clicker training could be really useful, or as I have done which is simply to treat in a bucket straight away - start with touching different parts down legs, then picking it up and then holding it up - small steps and treat along the way - dont treat if she snatches or leans though :)

Good luck - there is no arguing about madams niftyness of her back legs - without fail she will kick out at least once everytime I go to do backs, but Ive got used to the warnings and how to catch it mid kick :giggle:
 
Thanks you guys, I can't tell you how much better just 3 posts has made me feel :happy:

I probably should have mentioned we used pig oil & sulphur last year to GREAT effect, it was the first time so I was dubious but it helped keep her feather clean & clear. I used to get OH to help me and armed with a broom and an old washing up squirty bottled we did quite well at applying ample! Roxy is probably a lot better than I'm giving her credit for, however she *has* had a couple of eposides when I thought that f*** I didn't go in to pick them up. It's terribly nerve wracking.

If I get a vet out to administer an injection and then use PO&S regularly hopefully that will keep things at bay - either that or baby oil, as somebody suggested?
 
I think the PO & Sulphur is better and cheaper than baby oil. Think the sulphur in it helps a lot. And I don't think it will make any difference to how you put it on. Would stick to PO&S for the feather.

I just use the baby oil to put on his scurvy bits behind his knees as it isn't as smelly for me! I also do it when I put the oil on his mane to keep his skin nice and moisturised. God, my horse is so mollycoddled!:bounce:
 
Could I suggest either sulphur powder or coopers fly repellent plus? The sulphur practically kills anything that sucks blood (worked on bailey when he had lice)..
Even the most stringent owner gets caught out, so try not to blame yourself.. suggestion, but it's a little harsh, clip her legs, I always trim my big lads feathers, as he gets itchy from the sheer thickness of his feathers, which makes him too warm, sweat, and hence gets itchy, the minute I remove them, he stops itching:wink:
A vet once told me, that just because a feathered horse is itchy, doesn't necessarily mean they have mites:wink:
 
I had exactly the same problem with prince two weeks after getting him stamping, sticking out, cow kicks and general uncooperativeness (is that a word?) :yellowcarded: i had the vet out and she gave the famous jab which has to be repeated after two weeks. :poop: so in between times I did not touch his feet at all just the legs. Then once i was sure the little critters were exterminated I knew he had no reason not to pick up his feet:redface: he tried to muck about but I didn't look him in the eye went straight in with shoulder into his armpit/hip no messing (farrier style) if he played up he got a firm 'no' and he was fine. :angel: his reward was a massive hug and head rub as if he had won badminton. :inlove:

And I now use po & s routinely each month and he is fine :smug: at the mo I use an old washing up liquid bottle to squirt right into the heals and up the feathers, massage it in with gloves. actually did it today and he drifted off to sleep.:sleep:
Remember it does irritate the skin so expect some reaction but if you are in close you can sense the kick coming and get out of the way!!
 
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It does sound like mites, as others have mentioned pig oil and sulphur is a great long term solution.

Don't feel bad about being nervous about her back feet, everyone is the same when they know there is a chance of the horse kicking out!
 
Heh RM how are things now? I saw this last week and meant to respond but silly phone wiped my reply. I just wondered (and hope you don't think I'm insulting your intelligence by asking) if when you used the frontline, did you repeat the dosage about ten days after to get the eggs that would have hatched by then? Just a thought to explain why it didn't work originally. Otherwise I don't think it's the best solution so you're probably aswell to get dectomax - I was peeved at the charge for two injections and two call outs though so swore blind I'd pig oil all the time but I was a bad mum and poor flip suffered the consequences so I trawled and used the frontline. I dont understand why something like mites couldnt be treated by us rather than having to get a vet out. don't think pig oil gets rid, it just acts as the barrier so the wee b@ggers can't hitch a ride from then on.
Could you get someone to lift her front leg while you massage into the backs? I know it's not going to stop her completely but may be less likely to try evil moves?
 
Oooh Flipo's Mum that's a genius idea to avoid getting kicked :bounce:

As for the mites and pig oil etc, this is another thing I haven't learned anything about and am now wondering if I should be applying this as prevention??????

Yesterday I snipped off Prince's feathers for summer so had my first good look at his legs (probably should have tried to look more closely before now :redface:) I didn't notice anything that worried me but I never knew stamping would be a sign of mites..

Oh dear I have sooooo much to learn!

Help me out people please.... should I have a prevention/protection routine going on? If so, what should I be doing?

Thanks!
 
They're usually found in horses with lots of feather. First indication I had was when my boy damaged his ergots scratching his back legs against each other. Lucky he's not shod! It's a risk more during the winter, if you're going to let feathers grow back I think we'd all recommend pig oil and sulphur - it's available on ebay @£20 for five litres or so. The pig oil acts as a barrier and also keeps feathers silky and clean - mud slips off the oil. The flower of sulphur is known for it's healing properties so good for mud fever stuff aswell. I usually pig oil after every trimmer visit, so every six weeks even during the summer.
Prevention is probably a good way to go if you think you might have a horse prone to mud fever or mites - maybe ask your vet what they think the likelihood is?
 
I've just got caught out with mites big time. She doesn't normally get them and I put the stamping and kicking down to her rug/midges irritating her. Then I found she'd actually chewed her heels trying to get rid of the manky mites there were loads of them! Fortunately I had Neem Oil for her sweetitch so I doused her heels and feathers in that (it's meant to work for mites as well). Feathers are going to come off I think. It'll make it easier to spot trouble.
 
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