Unusual hair shedding with black 'specks' on ends

[alekezam]

About a month ago I noticed two areas on my horses hind legs that were “shedding” out rapidly with dark specks at the ends of the hair (he’s grey so it’s easy to see the black ends). I thought it may be rain rot and treated as such, but it hasn’t overly improved. Treated with anti-fungal sprays as well as washing. I’ve also just noticed that this is on all 4 of his legs in varying spots. It’s not bumpy or rough, just the hair pulls out easily with the mentioned dark ends. Not all hair is coming out like this, but it is leaving his remainder hair very thin.

He also doesn’t seem bothered by it. Not sensitive or itchy or bothered by me brushing it out. He gets groomed daily but it wasn’t something easily noticeable. Have had him 7 years and he’s never had anything like this.

My vet is out Thursday for dentals and I’ll ask about it then, just wondering what people thought it may be?

[TheJenners]

Sounds like cannon keratosis, also called cannon crud. It’s basically like cradle cap. I found a scrub with MTG* worked great to get it off a grey mare I had, but I haven’t had a horse with it since moving up here whereas it common as heck when I lived in the south.

*the stuff smells horrible and I’ve heard some horses have a bad reaction to it, but I think that’s people who leave it on and then turn the horse out. I used it like a pre-soak to a bath and I dealt with this issue for 10+ years and MTG was the only thing that cleared it up.

[frugalannie]

The frugal approach (suggested by an equally frugal vet) was to shampoo, gently scrubbing, with Head and Shoulders. Seemed to work!

[alekezam]

It doesn’t quite seem like that. Hair comes out effortlessly, there is no grease or clumps or anything. Just hair with little black specks on the end!

[alekezam]

This is a picture of it, hard to capture ! On all of his legs in varying spots IMG_8331|375x500

[jvanrens]

Looks like bits of skin? He just might be shedding a bit of skin with his coat.

[barnesthenoble]

My grey gets this. Our best guess is some sort of scratches. A few treatments with Equiderma or E3 Medicated shampoo and grooming seems to resolve it.

[HiJumpGrrl]

My horse sheds her legs this way every year. I always think it’s just dirt and skin left over from no baths all winter!

[alekezam]

Thanks everyone, I’ve never seen him shed out this way before and he seems to be getting one thing after another lately- feels never ending! Hopefully it’s just some different shedding, but I’ll continue to keep it clean

[Kyrabee]

I agree. I had to clip a small place on my mare’s left hind leg. What came off looked just like your picture and it is dirt and scurf. Just gunk built up over the winter. I was able to wash that spot and all the little black stuff went away. I am still waiting for warmer weather to give my mare a good bath. Everything is gross .

[emeraldcity]

My tb gets yucky cannons periodically, I generally find a scrub with betadine or chlorhex in the spring when he’s shedding helps a lot.