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What are your favorite tail rubbing remedies?

I've dewormed twice since getting him in May, cleaned sheath (pulled out two LARGE beans), tried leave-in conditioner, Listerine, and regular washing (not all at the same time). He's now hairless at the top of his tail I'm not a fan of MTG since I'm usually there in the morning and I don't want him out in the sun with it on, especially with a black tail and skin. I fear that he had those beans so long that the rubbing has become a habit and now I'm just dealing with that.

So, any other ideas to try? I'm desperate. His THICK, long, wavy black tail is looking thin

He might have sweet itch

I basically did what you did and my old guy still rubs too.

I just cleaned it yesterday and I used a medicated - anti-fungal, rain rot, etc. shampoo....I'll keep you posted to let you know if it helped.

I do notice that his tail bone is scaly and flakey....I think I should have used something like a scrub that we use on your bodies to get the flakes and crud off first - then used the medicated shampoo..then maybe an oil type conditioner or something with Aloe in it. I think the skin/bone needs conditioning...not just the hair.

It could just be a dryness issue too - many people recommend Healthy Hair conditioner, I haven't tried it yet, but it's next on my list.

Since my guy has Cushings and won't eat flax - I'm looking for something to add a safe oil to his feed. A lot of these issues can probably be controlled from the inside out...

Maybe you could put a tail wrap on your guys to protect it from rubbing..

.Do you clean the entire tail and under it? If that is dirty, it could be that his butt is itchy too.

I forgot to add above that I use Healthy Hair Care daily to brush his tail. I switched to the leave in thinking he might be dry, but I've never seen any flakiness. He's also on 3 cups of flax per day (1600 lb horse).

Sweer Itch didn't cross my mind since I see no signs of it elsewhere, but it might be worth a shot treating for it!

One of our ponies has sweet itch (see the Sweet Itch Thread)…I do shampoo him once a week with HIgh Horse Medicated Shampoo….anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.


http://www.hiltonherbsusa.com/products/ ... ampoo/1669

One of my geldings has been rubbing the top of his tail. I have been using T-Zon, massaging about a nickel-sized dollop into his dock. It seems to be helping. It contains "Australian tea tree oil, 1% hydrocortisine, benzathonium chloride, aloe vera, myrrh, comfrey, goldenseal and conditioning emollients in a soothing, vanishing cream base."

Kill Itch. Amazing stuff that works wonders on my horse with Sweet Itch.

Don't forget the belly. My horse has a slight case of sweet itch and will continue to rub his tail, if I do not treat his belly/sheath area too.

I've checked his midline and mane...also all over when grooming. Would sweet itch pop up as tail itching only? There is litetally nothing anywhere else.

myleetlepony wrote:I've checked his midline and mane...also all over when grooming. Would sweet itch pop up as tail itching only? There is litetally nothing anywhere else.

Since it's basically an allergic response to midges, midline and mane are usually just as bad as the tail. Mine reacts worst around his ventral midline, which I treat daily, while I only need to treat his tail once or twice a week and his mane once or twice a month.

The last two summers my horse was rubbing the top of his tail off. I did all the things you did and they would help initially, but within a week he would be back to rubbing. This spring I changed his feed to SafeChoice Senior. (For a different reason). I've just realized he is not itching this year. Maybe the feed change, maybe something else??

I hope I haven't jinxed him!

Reporting back - I really cleaned my guys tail and rinsed it very well. I put some of the Healthy Hair conditioner on it. I've now been putting it on everyday for the last 4 days and he have not itched/rubbed it at all! A friend said she has to use it everyday or her guy starts rubbing again. When I checked it today, he has no scaly stuff on it.

So far, this product is a winner!

Try flax oil in his feed, great auto immune boost

Doesn't sound like my experience with sweet itch. The shire at my barn completely rubbed off her mane, half her tail, and her whole body was covered in scaly scabs. I guess her sweet itch was extreme, but what a horrible disease/reaction. Nothing the vet did helped, so they bought her a Boette blanket which covered her up from head to tail. She still rubbed off her mane, but her body wasn't as scabby. Poor thing was tortured in the summer.