Horse with dry skin

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Kidostud
Kidostud Posts: 307 Member
What would you give to a horse with quite a dry skin? My boy has quite flaky skin on top of his neck, at the base of the mane as well as the top of his tail. Currently I put baby oil on to keep the skin soft and moist, but I really think that I need to cure it from within.

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  • TriPony
    TriPony Posts: 11
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    We had a pony boarding with us that has HORRIBLE dry skin - poor guy was so itchy he'd rub himself raw sometimes. After a skin scraping to eliminate the possibility of skin issues or mites (he was fine) our vet recommended bathing him with a 50-50 mix of Head & Shoulders shampoo and betadine surgical scrub a few times a week for a month. Now he just gets a bath once a month or as needed and it's done WONDERS for his skin. This mix is also super awesome to tackle mud scratches and fungus issues.
  • TriPony
    TriPony Posts: 11
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    Whoops, just realized you wanted info on stuff to treat from INSIDE lol. Omega-6s and Omega-3s are great for healthy skin/coat. Try adding some ground flax or a fish oil supplement to his diet.
  • Kidostud
    Kidostud Posts: 307 Member
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    Thanks for the info. Actually I should try the head and shoulders recipe as well!! It's worth a try!
  • goodtf
    goodtf Posts: 23 Member
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    Apple Cider Vinegar also helps to restore PH and help w/ itching
  • TXBelle1174
    TXBelle1174 Posts: 615 Member
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    You can top dress his food with oil (corn, flax, etc.) or they make a lot of supplements for skin and coat that work pretty well. I saw someone recommend fish oil but I am not sure your average horse would find that very palatable. Also there is this stuff from Shapley's called Original MTG. It STINKS, it's oily, and it's nasty but it will solve just about any type of skin issue your horse has and it is not very expensive at all. That stuff is like Miracle Grow for manes, tails, skin issues, etc. My horse (Lonesome) came to me with fungus all over his neck and withers (he was neglected, poor guy) and this stuff got rid of it with two applications. I rubbed it all over him once a week and at the start of week three, it was gone. I washed him really well with an anti-fungal shampoo that has tea-tree oil in it and haven't seen a trace since. Another thing that is AWESOME is Amplify by Purina. It's a feed supplement and it's really made for weight gain but it does wonders for manes and tails, coats, etc. I sound like a salesman! LOL! Anyway, good luck with your itchy horse.
  • TriPony
    TriPony Posts: 11
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    The fish oil isn't as palatable but it's much healthier for them. Old habits die hard, LOTS of people use corn or vegetable oil as a supplement for nice coats or to put weight on horses. They're cheap, easy to get, and easy to feed. I used to too but after more research realized they're not as safe to feed. You want a balance of 1(omega 6)/4(omega 3) - vegetable and corn oils are about 50/1 so too high in Omega-6s and can cause an inflammatory response in some horses. Plus I find corn oil can make some horses pretty "hot". The ground flax and fish oil is a better ratio of 3s to 6s and the fish oil is great for their heart too.

    I second the Amplify by Purina, pricey (in my area) but totally worth it for a hard keeper or itchy horse. Just watch their weight since it's easy to overfeed.
  • Kidostud
    Kidostud Posts: 307 Member
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    Yes, my horse won't eat anything that smells "fishy"!! I'm wondering how horses in the wild get enough Omega 3 as they are not consuming fatty or fishy stuff.
  • TriPony
    TriPony Posts: 11
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    I believe fresh grass is high in omega 3. I think I read somewhere that wild horses spend like 14hrs a day grazing. Domestic horses, even when turned out on grassy fields, are usually not out grazing THAT long lol.
  • TXBelle1174
    TXBelle1174 Posts: 615 Member
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    You can top dress corn/flax oil in small amounts - 1/4 to 1/2 cup per feeding. You don't need a lot. It will usually take about 30 days to notice a difference. Any form of calories will give your horse more energy but in small quantities, shouldn't effect him too much. A half flake of alfalfa will put way more steam in his engine than 1/2 cup flax or corn oil! If you are worried about O3/O6 ratios, you can always use canola or soybean oil. Their 3/6 ratios are better than the corn oil.
    I am not sure what you are feeding him but you can also look for a comparable feed with a higher fat content. Say you are feeding a 12% protein, 4% fat, you can always switch him to a 12/8. That goes for pellets as well as sweet feed. That way you don't have to worry about measuring out the added fat with oils and such. I have found that regardless of age or breed, the lower protein (not less than 12), higher fat feeds make my horses look better overall and they don't get as hot as when they are on higher protein feeds. Those are my horses though and what is good for them may not be good for others.
  • aznrd
    aznrd Posts: 10 Member
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    I don't know if its available where you are, but I love Platinum Healthy Weight. It a great Omega Fatty Acid supplement. It is pretty calorie dense, but you don't need much per day. Its made a huge difference with a malnourished Percheron mare I just got. Within a few weeks, her dry brittle coat as gotten much more supple and shiny :-)