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Itchy/painfull skin on horses back.

R

ropesanddogs

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 12, 2005
Messages
123
Location
South Texas
I just bought a 9 year old gelding,and have been doctoring yearlins off him,and have caught 4 cows with him,but monday mornin when i hopped on him he went nuts pitching all over the place. I didnt come off but it wasnt the prettiest bronc ride you ever saw.I was very puzzled as to why after having him for three weeks,he all of the sudden wanted to pitch.He's very gentle and well manerd.So I figured yesterday because i had nothing better to do i was gonna spend some time with him.Well i went to brushing his back with a soft brush,and he turned his head to me and nibbled my arm,so i popped him in the nose.Well i finally figured out that his back was itching or hurting him to the point of insanity.So today im going to wash him with head and shoulders to try to get rid of all the dry skin.If theres anything else i should know,any help is appreciated.
 
Better check your saddle while you are at it. Did you notice any dry spots when you unsaddled him. Is your pad/blanket dirty?

This horse is really trying to tell you something. (He'd probably like to pop you in the nose.)

You might wash his back with apple cider vinegar to try and toughen up the skin. If he was out of shape and you roped yearlings and cows off him, he no doubt has muscle soreness too.

When you rope the cows, what do you do with them? Just hold them or try to pull them somewhere? Pretty hard on a horse to try pullig a mature cow around.

I very much doubt it is dry skin that is the problem. It goes much deeper than that. He's going to have to be layed off for awhile to heal up. Your vet probably has something to make him more comfortable as well. Bute takes out inflamation; Banamine makes them feel better. I imagine one or both would work in this situation.

Call a horse vet; and good luck!
 
With our heat down here and horses sweatin like they have a tendancy to do, they like to roll in dirt to relieve the itch....or whatever.... This can cause somethin similar to rain rot. If you'll give him/her a bath with whatever kinda shampoo is fine, then rinse him off with an iodine/water mixture 50/50 or even bleach and water 50/50 it helps. it is a fungus too that causes the skin to get irritated. Do this once or twice and that's all you'll probably need to do. Then keep him brushed good daily and it'll stay clear.
 
Ever hear the expression "Pasture Sound"?
If you bought him as a 9yo you dont really know how young he was started or how many miles is on him.
I would get him vet checked by a vet that actually knows something about horses. Not all vets know much about horses.
I doubt if its just ichy skin. Rest is probable the best thing for him.
 
I know i shoudve been more clear on him,but i was in a rush earlier.He is in fine shape,and the deal was just between to hands,the day i picked him up he was rode catching stray yearlings,and was being rotated between two other horses,he was broke as a three year old and the only thing he needed was a good worming and his teeth floated (both done).We had both a good "horse vet" and horshoer (a personal friend) say he was sound.Niether of these guys knew the kid we were buying off of.

The guy we got him from was doctoring yearlins off of him and had been since the horse was 5 when he recieved him.The guy was selling because he needed the money.I have rode along with this guy while he was on this horse on two occasions,and not so much of a snort came outve him.

When we rope cows we usually are catching them for someone else,and we pull a trailer up to em,and pull them on the trailer,he had the same thing done to him with his previous owner.Ive been roping yearlins off of him both by myself and with a partner,no serious strain eith way,he handles a rope like a dream.

The reason i thought it was itchy/irritated,was that the skin was flaky like dandruff,and when you rubbed it,his back would twitch like when they try to get a fly off,but it would twitch and twitch.

Today i washed him with some selson blue and rinsed for quite awhile.His coat looks ALOT better,and he dosent seem as botherd as he did yesterday.If he dosent show improvement im going to take him in.

something else that couldve caused it is that he had an old patch of missing hair on his whithers,and i put some "swat" on it to keep the flies off,and on the little label it says some horses may show sensitivity to it,and i was wondering if that couldve caused it,because he shown no signs of whatever his problem is until monday,exactly a day after i applied the ointment to it.

take care.

-Colt
 
Faster horses said:
Good advice. I call regular vets, "cow vets". It usually doesn't work too good to take a horse to a "cow vet." There is too big a chance of something important getting missed.
Click to expand...

LOL The worse Vets are the dog, cat and bungie bird types! But your right, just because they are good with cows does not mean they are good with horses.
We have one local vet that works with lots of horses all the time. I took a horse to her and she examed him and took x-rays and stuff. I didnt like what she had to say.
Now a friend of mine has a brother in law who happened to be up here. This guy use to teach at Washington State University. Now he has a private practice and they Fly him all over the world for consultations on horses/surgery/etc.
I got him to exam the horse and then I took him to the vet to look at the x-rays.
He laughed his ash off at the diagnoses that our local vet made.
 
ropesanddogs said:
I know i shoudve been more clear on him,but i was in a rush earlier.He is in fine shape,and the deal was just between to hands,the day i picked him up he was rode catching stray yearlings,and was being rotated between two other horses,he was broke as a three year old and the only thing he needed was a good worming and his teeth floated (both done).We had both a good "horse vet" and horshoer (a personal friend) say he was sound.Niether of these guys knew the kid we were buying off of.

The guy we got him from was doctoring yearlins off of him and had been since the horse was 5 when he recieved him.The guy was selling because he needed the money.I have rode along with this guy while he was on this horse on two occasions,and not so much of a snort came outve him.

When we rope cows we usually are catching them for someone else,and we pull a trailer up to em,and pull them on the trailer,he had the same thing done to him with his previous owner.Ive been roping yearlins off of him both by myself and with a partner,no serious strain eith way,he handles a rope like a dream.

The reason i thought it was itchy/irritated,was that the skin was flaky like dandruff,and when you rubbed it,his back would twitch like when they try to get a fly off,but it would twitch and twitch.

Today i washed him with some selson blue and rinsed for quite awhile.His coat looks ALOT better,and he dosent seem as botherd as he did yesterday.If he dosent show improvement im going to take him in.

something else that couldve caused it is that he had an old patch of missing hair on his whithers,and i put some "swat" on it to keep the flies off,and on the little label it says some horses may show sensitivity to it,and i was wondering if that couldve caused it,because he shown no signs of whatever his problem is until monday,exactly a day after i applied the ointment to it.

take care.

-Colt
Click to expand...
Well maybe thats all that was wrong. I hope so.
LOL When it comes to stuff like that I always think worse case!
 
Two of ours here at the house had what you described last week, a good bath, and brushing, then sprayed with the iodine/water solution done the trick. That's what our vet recommends. Even if it were rain rot, that's what he says do, only need to give them more than one bath. These last three or four days our horses have been ringin wet standin out in the pasture. So will hafta keep an eye on em for that.
 
Sounds like you nailed it with the skin deal.....

Here's one other thot if that doesn't clear up his attitude....Sounds like this horse has been through some hard jerks. How's he travel? When I am not travelin good and my back hurts, my chiropractor fixes me up....She is also a former PRCA National finals Barrel Racer, and works on horses as a Chiropractor.


Really doesn't sound like the case, and I haven't had a horse I thot would warrent this, but thotI might mention it,


PPRM
 
Roper : I also tend to think in worse case scenarios,esp. w/ horses! :shock:

Mrs.Lilly : I gave him an iodine/water bath today,and hes looking better,and we caught some rain las night! I didnt know what it was at first.

He's only had one jerk to speak of,but it didnt seem to bother him at all,tho i do stay tied off,i do more turning off than flat poppin one on their arse,unless theyve got me in a bad mood. :evil: H'es traveling great,and he didnt seem bothered till he started to lope then it was riggin squeakin,spurs jingling,and dust a flying.
 

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