Have you checked for ticks in the tailbone or surrounding area? The very few times my horse(s) would rub their tails was due to a hidden tick. Once removed the rubbing stopped.
If it’s a bug issue, I’ve been hearing good things about EcoVet fly spray. Google it and check it out. Sounds interesting.
I saw that one person recommended how to put on the fly spray — and that is very important.
Any time the horses itches like that, the problem is not on the tail; it is on the tail bone and the application must deal with it at the source. Part the tail hairs and apply spray/cream on the actual tail bone. Do this all the way down.
Same with the mane. Part the mane every several inches and apply the spray, etc, right into the crest of the mane.
[PS: I have created a fly spray which takes care of all itching and sweet itch. To be on the market next year. 
]
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My mare does this, only when temps are in the 80s and above.
After experimenting with fly spray, sheets, topicals, etc., I’m now thinking it’s her “swamp ass.” The tail rubbing seems to be worst when she gets sweaty around her udders, up under her stifles, and between her thighs. If I hose her or at least wipe down those areas daily, she rarely rubs. If I miss a day or it is particularly hot, she goes to town on her tail. shrugs
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I inspect the tail regularly…mostly looking for splinters but I would also find ticks. Ticks are not super common here but not unheard of. Haven’t found either (I have found splinters in the past from rubbing).
It seems to be under the tail and between the cheeks that’s itchy. I did some scratching, and this is where he wanted to be rubbed. He didn’t care about me messing with the tail itself. I think the tail is collateral damage and need to control the sweat and irritation underneath better? Maybe go back to daily washings and Equiderma or my DIY version on the skin there? I also have ammonium lactate cream that is for when I used to get some seborrheic dermatitis (used to be a problem when I lived in humid places) and it also works on razor burn. Wonder if that might help? It used to be Rx but there’s are some OTC ones now I think.
Now if only our wash stall spigot would get fixed…(had basically no water there since Sunday).
I’ve got your cure!
https://www.argentoeq.com/collections/grooming/products/leovet-no-rub
Stops rubbing instantly.
And if you want to grow the hair back check out this
https://www.argentoeq.com/collections/grooming/products/leovet-bio-skin-oil
My horse was getting worse and worse as well, while I was busy trying everything under the sun - turns out, my experimenting was drying his tail out, big time. Now I slather with a leave on ointment even just swat - keeps bugs off and doesnt’ dry him out. Worked like a charm
I was in your boat for the last few years. This spring, after trying EVERYTHING again, I found an old thread on COTH hidden in a Google search. They recommended benzyl benzoate - the one thing I hadn’t tried. I ordered it on Amazon, sprayed it on the tail, and the next day not a hair had been rubbed. OMG.
If it’s just in the spring or fall, it could also be seasonal allergies. One of my horses has this issue. A short course of Dex clears it up and the tail rubbing stops, too.
Yes, it’s just a seasonal thing. He’s had a lot of steroids recently for orthopedic issues, so I’m reluctant to give him Dex, but I will keep that in mind for next spring. This morning, he could not get enough of me currying the top of his backside along the sacrum, but I don’t know if that’s related or if it’s just due to the fact that he’s starting to use muscles in that area again. It didn’t look like he rubbed last night after I did a full bum wipe down, but the tail looks so bad that I’m not sure if I’d be able to notice from day to day at this point until some of the tiny scraggly bits start growing back out.
for my non-sweet itch horses that rub their tails, i’ve found that washing the tail including under and between the hind legs and near anus helps a lot. i just use a baby shampoo and a warm hose.
I’d suggest watching the horse to see what he is actually trying to do when he is rubbing his tail.
Sometimes it is the actual hairy part of the tail that itches. Sometimes there is a bug bite on the butt near the tail. Sometimes they are actually trying to scratch the anal area or the underside of the dock. And sometimes it might be between their legs or sheath (udder on mare). Figuring out what is actually bothering him is the first step.
With my mare, it helps to keep her washed under there, warm hose and if needed mild baby wash (like previous poster).
But I also think they can get in the habit of rubbing their butts, and it can be triggered by a real thing like a bout of diarrhea or a bug bite, but then they don’t quit.
My mare also just likes to lean against the wall of the stall and press her tail into her lady parts. It might be an in-heat thing.
Edited to add: ah, I see OP did determine it was the underneath and not the tail itself. Then yes washing daily or more often but not so as to.dry things out and make it worse. Some soothing cream might help or baby powder. Too much oily product would just add to the gunk.
Carson was rubbing his tail when I got him. Carson did seem like he was trying to rub his butt not his tail. He got PowerPacked and because I had 2 tubes of expired ivermectin I rubbed the ivemectin around his anus and in it partway. Since I had 2 tubes I did that a couple of week apart. No more tail rubbing. Generic ivermectin is so cheap it may be worth trying. You have certainly tried everything else. Heck ask around, likely somebody has a tube or two that is expired. Since I wasn’t giving it orally I didn’t worry about the expiration date too much. Mine was also kept in my house so a temp controlled area not the extreme heat/cold of the barn or horse trailer.
As a last ditch effort one year when my gelding had rubbed his tail head bald, I slathered it with Icthammol. It got all over everything, but darned if it didn’t work. shrug…
Uggghhh…he rubbed again last night. I picked 3 tiny splinters out of his left butt cheek this morning. I had cleaned him up twice yesterday. This morning, after working, I was giving him a Vetrolin rub down since everything must be done by bucket until the water pressure issue is resolved in our wash rack. He really spread his hind legs for me to wipe the sweat there! lol!
He got slight hives yesterday from the fly spray application between the front legs, so I’m worried about overdoing the fly spray.
I also have Action Wipes that are kind of like baby wipes but better for the skin and also more deodorizing. I use them to keep myself from being too funky after pre-work riding. They are designed for camping, etc. when you can’t shower. Maybe that would be gentle enough yet last a little longer than the mostly water wipe down? Ingredients: Water, Leuconostoc/Sorbus aucuparia Fruit Ferment Filtrate, Cocamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Capryl Glucoside, Frankincense Oil, Eucalyptus Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Ylang Ylang oil, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate
So I’m going to add to this and say that I feed 1/2 cup of Apple cider vinegar to my horses feed. It has really helped with the high butt itching. But I am also putting Swat on his belly and chest and I’ve had to MTG his tail which I also HATE but it seems to be working. He wasn’t itching the top of his tail but down at the bottom and pulling huge wads of hair out. He DID have a nice thick tail up to a month ago. Once I added the MTG to his tail bone he has stopped itching but I hate the smell and the greasiness. I think his tail bone was dry like others have posted. And yes I have wormed and his sheath is fine. I love the apple cider vinegar for gut issues as well. And when my barn help forgot to feed it (my son) when I was gone on a trip he went right back to high butt tail itching.
Bag balm & ER Equine Remedy
Part the tail hairs and goop it on. Those were my sweet itch prone horse’s favorite products for relief. ER Equine Remedy also makes a spray that makes it convenient for manes/tails and then use the goop on centerline of the belly and above the tail. Both are great for broken skin in other sensitive areas from rubbing, too.
Something that far along isn’t going to be fixed in one application. It needs daily maintenance to keep at bay and then it will eventually start to heal. OR if sweet itch has developed suddenly (and it can) you’ll have daily maintenance all summer into fall and just have to wait out the damn bugs. Story of my life.
I can add some apple cider vinegar to his evening feed. He has had no problems eating it in the past, but 1/2cup is a lot…I could probably get him to eat more like 1/4 cup. He doesn’t get a lot of concentrate. I haven’t noticed a correlation with butt rubbing, but I don’t think I’ve thought to look for one. Or maybe I didn’t feed enough! I have used it as a body rinse either with Vetrolin or just in water, which seemed to temporarily help with the bugs. I’m ok with putting MTG on the tail (even though it’s really gross), but I don’t know if it would be ok to put under the tail where he’s the most itchy? I think it might be too irritating there?
I realize this will be a daily or twice daily thing, and it’s going to take this horse FOREVER to grow the hair back out…I’m just stumped as to how to give him relief. I almost never actually catch him in the act of rubbing.
I must say I have never encountered a gelding who’s sheath became “funky” every week. In my experience this is not a common occurrence. Perhaps ask your vet if weekly sheath cleaning is really what you should be doing for your gelding’s “funk” problem.
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I dunno…there been other threads where people commented that they had geldings that tended to build up smegma more than others. I have had one gelding that was even worse than the current one. Seems to be worse during the sweatier months. I don’t use cleaners that can stimulate more smegma production. I just remove the big globs.
Classic signs of yeast overgrowth: excess smegma, unusually smelly smegma and itching the tail out. He’s got all three. He shouldn’t be growing big globs of gunk every week. You mentioned he seems to really enjoy the sheath cleaning and that his sheath is probably itchy. Certain types of yeast cause more itchiness than others.
Is there any hair left at the end of his tail, or is it gone? What does the skin look like? Any flakes, serum, or skin irritation? What color are the flakes?
