[Rebmik]

My shire looks great, shiny. However at the roots of his mane it is dry and flakey, as well as his tail. The tail is more big flakes. Tail is to the ground however and very thick.
NOT food related!
What can I rub in, spray in, etc to help until warm enough to shampoo. I use nutrogena t gel and head and shoulders and he's fine during the summer when I can bathe him.
Only seems like mane is itchy, I see cedar tree remnants from night time neck rubbing, he knows not to do that in front of me!
Any suggestions

[Lieslot]

OH I know so well what that looks like, my guy has this too, really badly at times.

Earlier in the week I tried to brush it out, but in vain. Then I figured with it being sooo cold this week, for sure the cold water probably felt rather warmish. So I just put him in the wash stall, hosed only his tail, baby shampoo, let sit for a while and rinsed it out and now he's fine again for a hopefully a month, perhaps less.

I have no clue why he has that. Great coat, good footgrowth, but dandrufty tail and mane too really, mostly in winter. I thought it was because of lack of air, tail flap & neckcover.

When my guys gets itchy I either spray on Itch-No-More or just rub in hydrocortisone cream, seems to help him a little.
Sorry other then that, no suggestions that don't involve use of water .

[sniplover]

We have a little mare with similar dermatitis; ahe's itchy-itchy-itchy!! Shapely's MTG works wonders for her (even though it kind of smells like bacon grease..) and relieves all of her symptoms.

[Rebmik]

yeah, I tried MTG and threw it out thinking it was bad, bought another one, then realized that's the way it smells. I can't hand it! Physically makes me sick!
So MTG is not an option, then what?
How about mineral oil rubbed in?
Or there is stuff sold in black hair section that has mineral oil and sulpher, which a lot of draft people put on the feathers to prevent and/or treat scratches.??? But the hair stuff is really thick.

[TinkerBells]

Try "washing" dock of tail and base of mane thoroughly with baby wipes, then use Cowboy Magic Detangler according to instructions. Repeat every couple of days and should help tremendously! Saves my horsey every winter.

[Rebmik]

that's the problem, I can't wash tail or mane right now...4 degrees and no hot h2o!!!!
I always thought the cowboy magic stuff actually dried them out???
so much conflicting info. and I guess what works for one, doesn't necessarily work for the other???...
i wonder if it's like people that have dandruff?

[BornToRide]

How can you be so sure it is NOT diet related? Excessive epidermal sloughing is not normal, even if it is only in some areas -those areas are simply more reactive perhaps. Maybe he's missing some trace minerals like copper.

[Dune]

How can you be so sure it is NOT diet related? Excessive epidermal sloughing is not normal, even if it is only in some areas -those areas are simply more reactive perhaps. Maybe he's missing some trace minerals like copper.

I just knew you wouldn't be able to help yourself!

[leakyb]

that's the problem, I can't wash tail or mane right now...4 degrees and no hot h2o!!!!
I always thought the cowboy magic stuff actually dried them out???
so much conflicting info. and I guess what works for one, doesn't necessarily work for the other???...
i wonder if it's like people that have dandruff?

I've noticed that some Chestnuts in particular seem to have a dandruff problem. Our mare gets a good scrub of her mane and tail bone with Lytar shampoo or some other type of tar and sulfur shampoo. (Buy it from small animal vet or vet supply place). You can put a little Listerine in and rub it around first to loosen up dandruff, then wash out with the shampoo and use a good cream rinse.

If it is really too cold, a little olive oil or tea tree oil product will keep them from itching too badly. Just massage a tiny bit in there where he seems to be scratching.

Our girl needs a monthly wash to keep everything from building up. Our other horse (dark bay) hardly ever gets dandruff, but this Chestnut girl does. A friend of our's Chestnut mare also gets horrible flaky dandruff.

[Carolinadreamin']

After trying many different remedies for an itchy tail to no avail, we're getting ready to try equiderma after seeing it mentioned in similiar threads here. http://www.equiderma.com

[ImJumpin]

Listerine (the original brownish stuff-- and use the name brand) and baby oil. Mix the two together in a spray bottle in about a 2:1 ratio with a little bit of water, spray down to the base and rub it in. Repeat a couple times a week and you should start to see results in a month or so. My horse had the tail flakes and the hair at the top of his tail would just break right off. It took me four years to figure out how to fix it! I tried everything. MTG was the closest thing to working, but once I would stop using that the flakes would just come right back. Plus, as noted it smells bad.

The listerine/oil combo does not smell rancid and isn't as messy as the MTG. It does not require rinsing like many other options. We've been flake free for three months now and the hair is finally growing without so much breakage.

[goeslikestink]

sounds like sweet itch so look here www.sweet-itch.co.uk and here www.camrosa.co.uk

[TinkerBells]

that's the problem, I can't wash tail or mane right now...4 degrees and no hot h2o!!!!
I always thought the cowboy magic stuff actually dried them out???
so much conflicting info. and I guess what works for one, doesn't necessarily work for the other???...
i wonder if it's like people that have dandruff?

That's why you use baby wipes ... no water needed
Cowboy Magic Detangler actually helps to keep hair and roots moisturized.

[Lieslot]

Copper does nothing for my horse's flakey tail. Nor does flax sadly.
I've been adding it for yonks. He's also got the full range of ABC free choice minerals (his favorites, rush creek & bvc). Vits are covered too.
Nevertheless I do agree that the problem may partially be coming from the inside, but 'what' is a mystery.

My boy was like that when I bought him 5 years ago and it has never changed. Upon ppe I questioned that and was told it did not present as sweet itch.
In my guy's case I do notice it gets worse when he's blanketed with a tailflap, less oxygen getting to it. And gets better when tail is bare again in spring.

MTG not a good idea, it actually almost burnt/blistered his skin. The Listerine upset him as it appeared to sting his sensitive exposed tailskin.

When I can't use water I just brush out as much as I can very gently with a fine lice comb and then rub hydrocortisone in, which at least stops the itch.

[MunchkinsMom]

After trying many different remedies for an itchy tail to no avail, we're getting ready to try equiderma after seeing it mentioned in similiar threads here. http://www.equiderma.com

I've used Equiderma to clear up mane and tail "scurf/dandruff", it might be actually caused by a fungus, and the Equiderma clears it up quickly.

[CapitolDesign]

MTG all the way. Wish I had before and after, since my horse looked like an appy and now has a full dressage tail.

Stinks really bad, like bacon, but it works!

For more sensitive tails, my vet recommended baby oil. It worked on those sesitive chesnuts very well! Rub into dock of tail.

yeah, I tried MTG and threw it out thinking it was bad, bought another one, then realized that's the way it smells. I can't hand it! Physically makes me sick!
So MTG is not an option, then what?
How about mineral oil rubbed in?
Or there is stuff sold in black hair section that has mineral oil and sulpher, which a lot of draft people put on the feathers to prevent and/or treat scratches.??? But the hair stuff is really thick.

[ponygirl]

I know you said it's not diet related but my mare had the same thing. Coat looked great, but dandruff in her mane and tail all the time. Didn't matter what I did to get rid of it- dandruff shampoo, MTG, listerine/baby oil, etc, etc. Then I read somewhere, not sure where, about adding oil to her diet. So, I added oil and it went away. I have no idea if it was a coincidence or not but it disappeared.

[Luckydonkey]

MY guy gets it every winter too- I think it just has to do with fewer baths, I got him some olive oil hair treatment yesteray from the hair salon- and did a hot oil treatment on him- I then braided both his mane and his tail- and am going to MTG him toay-I know you can't use the MTG- but there are alot of hair products for people that will work similarly...

[deltawave]

Seems to happen to mine every winter, especially noticeable where the blankets are rubbing. Since they're fed the same all year 'round, I have a hard time believing it's their diet, too.

For me just currying the heck out of the area very regularly seems to help the most, and brush-brush-brush-brush to get rid of the flakes. Adding various goops seems counterproductive to me, although the first bath of the year is with T-Gel just to de-flake them a little.

[Rebmik]

I know you said it's not diet related but my mare had the same thing. Coat looked great, but dandruff in her mane and tail all the time. Didn't matter what I did to get rid of it- dandruff shampoo, MTG, listerine/baby oil, etc, etc. Then I read somewhere, not sure where, about adding oil to her diet. So, I added oil and it went away. I have no idea if it was a coincidence or not but it disappeared.

He gets 4 cups of Veg.oil/day. I think that is why is coat looks soooo good.
I think I will try the listerine/baby oil for now and order the Equiderma. Have never heard of that... thought I had everything, or tried everything, so that's new to me.
He does have breakage on the top of is tail, but his tail is still super thick and long, as is his mane.
I know it's not food, because of his EPSM diet he gets just about everything the "experts" recommend and EVERYTHING else with this guy is great.
Thanks