Gelding has a megga smeggy sheath. Help!

[dooit]

I bought a lovely gelding 6 or so weeks ago. He was pretty neglected and had had a full MOT since we got him and is in excellent health now.

Yesterday I noticed what I assumed was mud on the inside of his hind legs but as I wasn't grooming him I didn't attempt to remove it. Today I took a brush to it and discovered it wasn't mud but greasy muck in matching spots on the inside of both hind legs and his sheath was also harbouring big greasy gobs of the stuff (nice!).

I did wash his very manky sheath a month or so ago and removed loads of filth from it (I used Mega Tek shampoo that's recommended for the job) but I wonder if I've upset his pH balance or something. There really are quite a lot of "greasy deposits" on him.

Suggestions please as to how best to clean him up without causing any more irritation thanks.

Also, would ant discharge cause tail rubbing? He has sweet itch which I think I've got under control but he's been rubbing his tail like crazy the last day or two.

I haven't tried killitch thingie but used De-itch which similarly has Benzyl-benzoate as it's active ingredient. I'm not sure if it had any effect or not though. He was plastered in so many potions and none seemed to do much of anything.

Since the weather had cooled and the midges are getting less he's much less itch though. I'm interested to hear any ones thoughts on the vaccine that's being trialled currently.

with you snorris, mares all the way

Go girl Pandora, wanna come round and do my boys for me?!
On the sweetitch front have you tried anything hemeopathic Dooit? It can really work, and not just allieviate but actually cure - you can get "over the counter" remedies in some tack shops/feed merchants, but the best thing to do if you can face the expense (less than all the lotions and potions in the long run) is to get a local practitioner out to see your boy - good luck with him and well done for giving him such a loving home after a bit of a dodgy start in life!
Ps - supper burned to a frazzle while I was reading Pandora´s instructions!

Hmm, never tried homeopathy on horses. I did try it on myself and DD years ago, DD for a pesistent cough that Gps couldn't solve and myself for restless legs dring pregnancy, they drove me insane!

How would I go about finding an equine practitioner? The lady I saw way back has long since moved on. Do human trained homeopaths treat animals too?

I don't think I breathed for the whole of this thread

I don't know whether to admire all you or be appalled

This thread is just the best there is

I keep meaning to print it to show DH but am worried about having such material lying around the house

Pandora that is the best post I have ever read. It was like Jackie Collins novel.

oh my

Dammit - I am going to print it!