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  Discussion on Still hanging on to a bit of winter coat
Author Message
New Member:
jillianm

Posted on Thursday, Jul 24, 2008 - 7:07 pm:

My 6 yr. old quarter horse gelding still has a bit of fuzz on his back and rump. He is getting fed a 12% protein 7% fat pellet and is in good weight. I just wormed him a couple weeks ago and before that he was wormed in May. I groom him a lot but can't seem to get that last bit off. Our temperature here in Houston has been pretty hot too (90+ for a few months). He's not in a sandy pasture but my trainer suggested giving him Sand Clear. Any thoughts?
Member:
mrose

Posted on Thursday, Jul 24, 2008 - 7:44 pm:

He has shed out everywhere but on his back? Did it take him longer to shed out than the other horses? Is his diet balanced well enough that he's getting proper vitamins and minerals? He's pretty young to have metabolic disorders, but it might be worth reading the articles on HA re: those just to be sure. I'm not sure what the Sand Clear would have to do with his coat condition. Did the trainer say why to give it to him?
New Member:
jillianm

Posted on Thursday, Jul 24, 2008 - 10:39 pm:

The trainer said to give the sand clear because some of the pastures he's been on have been dry lots and she thinks maybe he could have ingested some dirt. All the other horses are shed out and shiny. Not sure what brand feed (maybe Horseman's Edge?) but aside from the fuzzy patches he is shiny. He started shedding out with the other horses and then seemed to slow down.
Member:
mrose

Posted on Friday, Jul 25, 2008 - 12:01 am:

Sand Clear won't hurt him any, and it might help him if he has ingested dirt. However, most horses ingest some dirt when they are on pasture,for instance, and it doesn't affect their coat. IMO the coat is unrelated to possible sand ingestion. Can you post a picture so we can see how bad the non-shedding issue is? Have you had a chance to look up any of the threads or articles posted on HA regarding coat condition/not shedding, etc.? Maybe some info there would be of help.

I would think that the first step would be to check for any possible skin conditions under the non-shedding area. Then, I'd check the balance of what he is eating. I'd make sure there weren't any other symptoms like those of a metabolic disorder, esp. if he was slower to shed out than the other horses.(Stuff like water intake, fat along the topline, cresty neck, etc.) Do you know how to do a search on HA for these things? You can just type in a word in the search box, or go down the left side of the page and click on desease, then endocrin deseases or skin conditions, or whatever you're looking for. I'd start with all that, then if nothing seemed to "click" I'd probably call my vet if I was still concerned.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Jul 25, 2008 - 9:27 am:

Hello Jillian,
The fact that he is otherwise healthy and in good condition belies a nutrition or disease as a cause. But I should ask what products did you use to deworm, what is the quality of the forage available, and is there a trace mineral block available?

It should be noted that occasionally horses hold onto to winter hair for unexplained reasons.
DrO
New Member:
jillianm

Posted on Saturday, Jul 26, 2008 - 3:12 pm:

He is in good condition - could maybe gain 25 or so lbs but you can't see his ribs when he's standing but can feel them. There's no crestiness. He's a racing bred quarter horse so he's not chunky. He's getting fed a decent quality coastal hay along with the grain. I have been worming him with ivermectin and there aren't any mineral blocks in his pasture. Should I worm him with something else or put a mineral block out there? I will try and get ahold of a digital camera and post some pics. Thanks Sara and Dr. O
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Jul 27, 2008 - 8:56 am:

Run a fecal Jillian to see if this may be a problem and yes a trace mineral block is important. There is growing ivermectin resistance to roundworms and pinworms for more on deworming see the "Deworming Overview" article. Also review the "Nutritional Overview" for a complete evaluation of your horses diet. Though the others look well he may be a bit more sensitive to some borderline deficiency.
DrO
Member:
jillianm

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 29, 2008 - 3:42 pm:

Before I had a chance to buy or do anything Jones started shedding yesterday. It is almost all gone! I don't know if the heat finally got to him or maybe the fact that I wormed him a couple weeks ago but it was coming out just like it should have been months ago. I think I may lean towards the worming. I worm every two months with ivermectin but worming is left up to the owners here so who knows about the other horses although none appear wormy. I might see about getting him on Strongid C. I will definitely put a mineral block out there though. Thanks all of you for the advice. Jillian
Member:
babychop

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 29, 2008 - 6:05 pm:

If you're ever looking for a quick shedding tool you can pick up a grill pad for a couple bucks. They're little coarse rectangles that kind of look like lava rock used for, well, grill cleaning & they grab the hair like nobody's business. An old cowboy taught me that one... Cheap & effective. I'm pretty sure they have 'em at Smart&Final. But since he's finally shed I guess you can keep that info. tucked away until next time!
Member:
mrose

Posted on Tuesday, Jul 29, 2008 - 10:36 pm:

Those pads help remove bot eggs also.
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