I need some new ideas to combat my horse rubbing the top of his tail. I’ve used baby oil + listerine spray (this had always worked on other horses for me), leave-in conditioners, etc. He has been dewormed regularly, has low fecal counts, I try to keep his tail clean, but the top of the tail still looks like a bath loofah and the hair is brittle. He eats ration balancer, flaxseed, plenty of good hay & pasture. He doesn’t rub anywhere else or do it in the winter & I don’t know if that is because blankets cover it or another reason. Anyone have any other ideas? He’s driving me crazy! Thank you!
Given your post, try Head & Shoulders 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioner. IME, it helps with itchy skin and tail heads. I also regularly rinse and sometimes wash the anus if needed. I also examine the whole tail and buttocks for ticks or other nuisance issues. My horse has mild fly allergies and his rubbing is generally seasonal.
I’ve had good luck with the tail tamer belly balm rubbed into the base of the tail hair and applied generously between the cheeks (so to speak) and I also wash twice weekly with a sulfur based bar soap that someone once told me about when fighting the infamous Wellington Crud. I have a gelding who gets itchy if he even looks at a fly.
https://www.statelinetack.com/item/protected-equine-soa-itch-be-gone/E001498/
Make sure that his sheath is clean also.
1 Like
Sigh…I meant to mention that I have been using Head & Shoulders and do his sheath pretty regularly but I guess I can always do it more.
With my itchy mare, I’ve used coconut oil on her vulva/anus area which seems to help. She used to be crusty and gross but it helped with that.
Poultry dust rubbed into the base of the tail has worked wonders for our mares. We had a major problem with broken fence boards due to vigorous tail rubbing. We put it on every few weeks. I tried everything you mentioned. Inexpensive at Tractor Supply.
In addition to Listerine, Mom used ST 37 for tail rubbing. If your drug store doesn’t carry it - they should be able to order it for you. It’s a mild astringent. One of those old-fashioned remedies. You can use it yourself - for something other than rubbing your tail.
2 Likes
My favorite comment! :lol:
Listerine and Baby Oil is usually my best friend. So helpful reading what others use!
1 Like
And now for something completely different… a friend’s gelding itches his tail sometimes and she’s found that it normally means he needs a visit from the osteo. He gets blocked and the rubbing helps it but the osteopath fixes the problem so he stops for a good while.
Coal tar based shampoo. Start with 3x a week. Leave in 10 minutes, rinse well.
I just figured out that my gelding was rubbing his tail due to sweat buildup between his hind legs. I always hose him off including tail and belly but was not really getting between his upper thighs. I am keeping that area really clean now and applying equiderma and it has made a world of difference.
