See if y'all can help me with this

or if you've even heard of it. My sister's horse is over here, and he's half Trakhener (sp?) and Holsteiner (sp?), a dressage horse or okay, a wanna be dressage horse. Anyhoo, one morning he's fine, by that afternoon, he's got a huge spot oh, about two-four inches wide, starting on his neck on the off-mane side, going down, oh, about six to eight inches, that the hair was just literally falling out when you'd put your hand against it, I'm talking roots and all. Well, then he had a spot starting on the same side, by his flank. Now, it hasn't gotten any worse, and I've been putting stuff on it, but I don't know what the heck it is.

It's not rain rot, that's for sure. It's not raw or red. Doesn't seem to bother him if I touch it. I can't figure out because of all the rain we had, if he got against a tree and just rubbed the dickens out of himself or what. I've never seen anything like this.

Any ideas? And no, I haven't called the vet. Sis says only if it gets worse. This one truly has me stumped. And, oh, I haven't bathed him in iodine yet, should've done that the other day when we had 70 degree weather - just didn't think about it.

I had one that did that and I ended up at the vet. He said lots of
things can cause the hair to fall out. It sounds like maybe a vitamin
deficiency (which is what my mare had) or it could be as simple as
stress.

I guess I'll call my sister today and go ahead and get the vet out to pull blood and see what's up. If he's stressed, I don't know why the heck for. He's out in the pasture with my 3-year old gelding, and he sure reigns supreme as far as the roost there. And I feed those loose vitamins and minerals every morning to all the horses. Weirdest thing I've ever seen. But I'll let you know what's up once the vet comes out.

I don't know enough about those kinds of horses, wouldn't think they'd be any different, but who knows.

When we bought our Arab several years ago, she had a spot on her neck just as you described. The previous owners did'nt know anything about it. One vet we consulted said it looked like she might have had surgery and they inserted an IV and the site became infected, because that is the spot they insert an IV. Another vet said it could be cancer common in the gray horse, but it has never spread. The hair has never grown back and it's very noticeable because she is a black-skinned gray so there is a huge splotch on her! Try the iodine bath, that might help.

iodine bath, I agree. Could be a urine burn. A fungus can cause this as well, If it looks like dry flakey under the dead hair. The Iodine bath will take care of it with a rince of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. Any way I sould say, IT SHOULD/Maybe.

Okay, just as soon as it warms up, I'll get the iodine out and see if we can't paint this black horse a different color. I figure if Sis comes over here, she will throw one of little fits she does. I ask you, to keep a horse all these years, have it in training and ride it twice a year just boggles my mind. I think it's a get back at her hubby deal, though... HA!

Hey 7cedars

I have a girfriend who has just bought a 7 yr old W.P gelding

She got a GREAT deal coz of Alopecia(?SP)

This guy has a bunch of chilli sized bald places just on his left flank

just below...so its visible where the saddle blanket stops...He has apparently had it for 2yrs...a bunch of test have found NOTHING wrong in the bloodwork or ANYWHERE She had a deal as no others liked the look of the patches...she knows it is permanent
Hope this encourages you

I found this on the Equine Repro bulletin board.. Here is a coouple of post regarding this problem.. I am not much for calling the vet out unless its something out of my ability to solve.. I do not consider skin problems to be serious enough to have the vet out unless I cannot solve the problem on my own in a reasonable amount of time.. That is just me and how I do things.. Certainly not recommended for every one ....

Here are the post..


One of the horses I board has developed a skin irritation. It doesn't look like rain rot, but it could be a really severe case. I was wondering if anyone could tell me what it is and if it is contagious or not. She has large spots, mostly on her flanks, where the hair is falling out and the skin is really crusty. They don't hurt her when I wash them and put ointment on, but they don't seem to be going away either. They appeared really suddenly and have been getting worse everyday. She has been in a stall all winter due to her age, she's 35, and has been blanketed and groomed daily. When I take her blanket off she bites at them (they must itch) even after she has broken the skin and they are bleeding a lot. I don't know what to do with her, her owner won't have the vet out and I'm afraid it will spread to my horses. I have her isolated now, but any advice would be really helpful. Thanks.

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THERE WAS A POST HERE ABOUT WASHING AND BLEACHING BLANKETS, BURSHES ETC. AND NOT SHARING THIS STUFF ON OTHER HORSES
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Christina, I rescued my mare from a neglect situation and when I found her, she had scabs and no hair on the front part of her body. I changed her feed to bermuda hay ( she had been on strait alfalfa when she could get it) and supplemented it with "senior" feed and Select 2. My vet also recommeded flax seeds that had been soaked. I also washed her with a betadine soap and later switched to a soap called Natural Care Veterinarian's Best "Hot Spot Itch Relief Shampoo". and Hot spot Itch relief spray with Tea Tree oil. This product is for dogs, but I noticed immediate results with my mare, and she now has a hefty shiny coat and doesn't rub anymore. In fact, I do not have to spray her anymore now that her skin has cleared up, but I keep a good supply in my tack room in case of flair ups. My nieghbor's horse who had summer itch, used this and it really helped with the itching. I agree with Heather that you bleach the blankets and do not share grooming things, as well as a vet visit!
Good luck!



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Bluejay, thanks for the info. I'll sure try some of that. And I'm like you, I just hate to call the vet out to ask about something like that - he'll be rolling his eyes big time. I did notice today, though, that some of the hair is actually growing back. It's the funkiest thing I have seen... but I'll sure try and find that stuff and try it!

Thanks!

Really sounds like nothing. Just one of those things they do to DRIVE US CRAZY

Another thing I learned about is if it's a fungus you can use athlets food cream.. Really, that is a fungus and same treatment works on horses too.. That is real cheap.. Just off to the drug store and get anti fungul cream.. I was told to use that on ring worm....

Works to

Athletes foot stuff... cool. I can even get that cheap at the Dollar Store!

Thanks mucho. I figure when Sis ever comes over, which I don't see her coming any time soon, if he's bald, she's going to freak.

HA HA HA ,, maybe you can scare her over? Tell her there is something really wrong with her horse and she needs to come quick....

Ohhhh, no, I wouldn't want to do that. My sister is the type that is extremely smart, but common sense, sometimes, just goes out the window. She's a nurse practitioner, works with the heart teams, but sometimes her decisions... well, all of us are looking at her like whatttt?

They just moved and bought a new house in a subdivision, that cost danged near a half a mill... now, I ask you, if you had a horse, or your kids wanted horses, why in the heck would you spend that much on a house with no land???? My Dad says it right though... why does she need land when you have it.

Your dad is right...

Funkiest thing... he's growing his hair back like crazy, in fact, you can barely see it at this point... just the absolute weirdest thing I've ever seen.

for the last c 3 or 4 years what I am seeing a lot of is this fungus that starts in dime size perfect circle's and spreads and multiply to different parts of the body . The spots will vary in appearance from dry scales to a greasy spot about the size of a quarter and when peeled back you will take hair and all this fungus is very contagious I have treated it with every thing from fly spray to seven dust and iodine 1.5 % diluted with water at a 10 to one ratio works best
My personal opinion is it takes time for these to go away

I too have seen this when the shedding season really takes off. I agree most of it just takes time.