Itchy pony

[frostyfingers]

I have a woolly part Welsh Sec B pony, who is around 14. He's a fine figure of a chap, with a coat more suited to living in the alps than here - he is incredibly woolly, even in summer.

When we have a hot summer I clip him out, but haven't for the last two, however this spring he is really, really itchy - scratching on whatever he can. He's had one fence in the field down, and has now started on the one in the yard - he's in during the day to stop him eating too much. I've been grooming him every day, huge piles of hair still coming out, and today I washed him as he seemed so frantic. It's not his mane and tail, and I can find no evidence of mites, or sweetitch so was wondering if anyone else had a similar problem. Currently he looks like a motheaten carpet, and seems really uncomfortable.

We've had him for 5 years, and he's never done this before. His coat is no thicker, nor has it changed in type, so I don't think it's Cushings, however am at a loss as to what to do. We had him tested when we bought him, just in case. So, any ideas as to what, if anything I can do would be much appreciated.....

Give him a bath
Works for my hairball. I wet him one part at a time, add loads of cheap baby shampoo so it really lathers up, then use plastic curry comb and really scrub. And I mean scrub. You will get handsfuls of hair off, and its wet so added bonus it clumps rather than covering everything for miles. Good rinse, and then when hes dry his coat is noticably thinner and he is much less itchy. I have resorted to this yesterday after hours of futile brushing over the last few weeks.
My pony is itchy just because of the shedding hair, no underlying cushings/sweetitch etc.
Worth a try.

Oh, just read you washed him already
DId you really really scrub?

What lubbly says, really work at it, in fact do you have one of those round rubber brushes? They are great for working hair out of a thick, wet coat? (I hope you know the ones I mean as I can't rememeber their name to google them!)

Kind of like one of these!

Nope, this is the one I really meant!

Ooh, my Dartmoor has had a similar thing happen this last year. She is 8 and has always had a nice thick coat, and now looks part way bald. It started off last autumn when she was on loan and when she came back to be in November she looked awful. I was not sure about sweetitch, and it cleared up. But since about march it started again (so making me think sweetitch), she has just gone on loan again(with view to buy)looking pretty awful. A vet is coming out to see her at the yard where she is now, I would like a test done, because although most people are saying it is sweetitch, I have never heard of it coming on so suddenly, I am thinking she must have become sensitised to something, midges thus causing sweetitch, or perhaps something else (plants?). The nightmare with her is that she wont keep a rug on. Could you try a boett or simiar on your pony and see if it helps, which it will do if it is an allergy from anything coming into contact with him. Good luck!

My cob keeps on stamping his feet as though his legs are irritating him. As he has full feathers we suspected mites but the vet has checked and can't find anything. He told us that a lot of people have had success with Frontline for unexplained itching so we are going to try that.

Yes same here. We have one very itchy Cob that the vet can't find an answer to. Put some Frontline on his legs as well but so far no change. We've started feeding a supplement called Equidermis Plus. Although been two weeks so far and no real improvement. Maybe slightly less scurfy. Not sure. Will keep you posted.

Need an answer soon though as the post and rail fencing won't take much more scratching!

Thanks for those ideas, when it's warmed up again I'll give him another wash. I did scrub quite hard, but it's worth another try. I'm going to get him clipped fairly soon, usualy I wait until June, but think we'll go earlier this time and rug him up if necessary. It's only his coat that's bothering him, not his mane and tail so I'm hopeful it's not sweet itch......

After 3 years of inactivity I've just found a little girl to ride him, so want him to look at his best and marginally less tatty, although luckily she doesn't seem to mind. She had her first ride on Saturday and declared it had been the best day of her life - sweet!

can we see a pic of this itchy woolly beast?

We've been grooming our Sec As with a Furminator and rubber brush (with long points like the picture above) since Feb and amazing amounts come out. We also bathe them once a week or 2 days before a show.

We clip my cob out and keep him rugged - he is now in a canvas style New Zealand rather than his heavy Horseware one as has been living out for the last month.

What part is he itching when he rubs?

Well, we've had a bit of progress, I think it must just be the coat shedding that's making him itchy, as he's much better. Still scratching a few places, but nowhere near as frantically as before.

Butkin, it's whereever he can scratch really, down his side, top of rump, above hocks, side of neck. He's had a huge amount of grooming, and I'm still waiting to wash him again, just feel it's a bit chilly at the moment.

I'm definitely going to clip him this summer, probably towards the end of this month, and that should fix him until spring, hopefully!

Mitchy - as he's not so hairy now there's no point doing a picture, come the winter when it's all back on, I'll try and remember!

I wouldn't put off clipping as his new summer coat could get messed up. We don't clip after February and start again in September.

Glad to hear that he is getting better - defintely sounds as if it is just his coat-loss which is annoying him as he itches everywhere.

One of our Sec As has been itching his mane area causing some loss of hair. He now has to wear a bright pink hood whenevery he is stabled.

Snuggy Hoods are selling some sweet itch hoods off cheapily on Ebay (some are not quite the size they are supposed to be) and we've bought a bargain off them.