Hair loss in horses?!!!!!?

My horse is losing heaps of hair!!! Help, I don't know what it is but it's coming out in clumps!! I guess some would be shedding of her winter coat (coming spring in Australia), but some patches of her coat are bald!!!! I was talking to one of my friends who said that one of her horses lost hair from a feed called Weight Lifter (it's supposed to put weight on horses) which is what I'm feeding my horse. Does anyone else had this problem with this product? If not, what other things could cause it?!! She does have a mineral block, and dad's getting some 'equilibrium' for all her minerals and vitamins.

Hair loss in horses?!!!!!?

Ringworm (a fungus, not a worm) will cause hair to fall out in very uniform patches. Your vet can give you a safe antifungal solution, or ask them about using one of the over-the counter topical treatments for fungus...jock itch, athletes foot, etc.

Hair loss in horses?!!!!!?

sounds like she has rain rot poor some mouth wash on her soak her good the cheep stuff is OK

Hair loss in horses?!!!!!?

Some horses shed irregular patterns and don't do it evenly! On weanlings and yearlings it always seems to be the belly hair left last and looks like a upside down mohawk. Older horses love to shed like this alot what you described. Younger horses tend to shed evenly but not always. If you run your hands over his back and sides do you feel any bumps or scabs? If not, your horse is just shedding. If you do feel scabs then it is rainrot. Does your horse have a long coat? Sounds like shedding to me, no need to worry!

Hair loss in horses?!!!!!?

mabey ringworm or fleas...ask you vet for a test in her/his blood...

Hair loss in horses?!!!!!?

You know I believe there was a prior post about that exact thing sometime ago.

If you are thinking thats it, pull her off of it and give her a couple of weeks to get it out of her system and see if its a reaction to it. That way you would know with no guessing.

Hair loss in horses?!!!!!?

You can buy a liquid called M-T-G And put on the bald spots. You can buy this at most tack stores and it is a miracle worker!

Hair loss in horses?!!!!!?

if it presists, i would call a vet as soon as possible. It could be mange. I know of some horses here in the States that had mange and it looked horrible. It was kind of frightning to see.... espesially on your horse that you love! There are also parasites that could be effecting it. When was the last time she was dewormed? Is there anything in the pasture she could be rubbing on that would cause that? I would stop the feed that could be causing it. If you are trying to get her to keep weight on, try feeding rice bran, beet pulp or molasses. Also, you can try getting some corn oil and pouring some over her feed. I had to do that for my 1 year old arab/saddlebred who had a mangy loolking coat. The corn oil is and excellent source of vitamin E, and it really does wonders for the horses coat. It is used on horses that need a healthier coat. Also, i would try to feed her some ground up flax seed. That is also really great for the coat. It could be some sort of nutritional unbalance. Most vets are able to help horse owners construct a nutritionally well rounded diet for thier horses. If none of the above helps, call your vet. Also, if she is around other horses, i would suggest keeping an eye out for similar symptoms that are effecting the other horses, since it may be contagious. Or at least untill the cause of the hair loss is identified. Good luck and i hope i could be of some help!!! If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me!!!

Hair loss in horses?!!!!!?

If you have had a blanket on her all winter that could have damaged part of her hair causing it to fall out, rain rot is of ourse anyother good explanation. Instead of using this weight lifter stuff try using more alfalfa pellets in her daily ration. some other good feeds to increase calorie intake (but may also may have her have to much energy) is beat pulp and rice bran. Make sure she has had a annual worming schedule. many horses are sensitive to the type of blanket that they wear and or tack they have, maybe you should giv her a bath with medicated shampoo from Absorbine (i think) or you can use medicated spray on the bald areas to help it. She could also have a type of rash you could get from sharing brushes tack and blankets.

Hair loss in horses?!!!!!?

EQUINE HYPOTHYRIODISM DISEASE-----I"m telling you its worth getter your mare tested for. Call your vet and ask....my horse does the SAME thing when it sheds out and he doesn't keep weight on.