florayg

My horse has a severe itch all over her back and ribs. I read on the internet of other similar cases and no explanation ever seems to be forthcoming.

The itch comes and goes - she hasn't had it for months and then this week she has rubbed her back and sides raw. Sometimes she itches only for a few days and sometimes for a few weeks - that's a bad time for us as she gets secondary infections if I'm not careful. My vet keeps saying it's an allergy but it can't be because it's not seasonal and he even prescribed her steroids for it and they only worked for 6 weeks then overnight the effect of them disappeared and she was scratching again. She's had skin scrapes and blood tests, I know it isn't sweet itch because she HAS sweet itch, wears a proper rug for it, and so doesn't scratch her mane and tail. Rug on or rug off makes no difference to the body itch.

There are NO symptoms except itching. Her skin looks fine, her coat is shiny, there is no swelling or weeping or anything to see before she rubs it raw. She's not overweight and she is on a low-sugar diet. She was in regular work until she rubbed her back raw this week.

I'm not looking for treatment suggestions, thanks, I really, really would like to hear from anyone who might know what causes it. Could it be neurological and if so what could I do to prove?

In case you haven't heard there is currently an exceptional heatwave in England and Wales with temperatures up to 86 degrees. To put this in context, we generally consider anything over 70 degrees to be hot.

My horses have a nice cool stone barn to stand in during the day but I'm worried about their exercise tolerance as they are not acclimatised and I need to maintain their current level of fitness. At the weekend I got up really early to ride but I can't do that before work during the week, I don't have time. They are both fit and happily not overweight but both in their 20's and Welsh Cobs so not light build.

What can I do to ensure they don't get heat stressed during exercise? Or do I have to reduce work to just walking during the hot weather, which may last for weeks yet? Anybody who copes with this as 'normal' summer weather what do you do? Bear in mind I don't have the usual resource you have such as cooling fans etc - this weather hasn't been like this for 10 years or more!

can anyone recommend a good book about mules for a person experienced with horses thinking to buy a mule? I don''t know anyone who owns a mule so I don't really know what to do regarding conformation, previous training, breeding etc.

Thank you

I've had horses for many years and now I'm thinking of getting a mule. Are there any books available that are worth reading so that I can learn what to look for, conformation, training different to horse training, stuff like that? I want to get to know as much as I can before I go to view any mules for sale and I don't know any other people who own them. Thank you

My horse, just this week diagnosed with Cushings, has had for most of her life multiple allergies including sweet itch, hay dust, rape pollen and loads of other unknown triggers that made her scratch constantly. Now, this last summer all her allergies have been 90% better even to the extent that she didn't need a sweet itch rug for the first time in 15 years.

I understand that Cushings Disease suppresses the immune system. Allergies are caused by an over-active immune system that responds inappropriately. Could the subsiding of her allergies be connected to the development of Cushings? My vet says he has no idea but the theory seems sound to him. Does anyone have any knowledge of the immune system that might support or disprove my theory? Can anyone direct me to further researches? thank you

After a mystery fever, stiffness and now laminitis my vet did loads of blood tests and my 23 year old horse has now been diagnosed with Cushings disease. Years ago I remember horses with this disease became very poor, hobbling creatures and I don't want to put my horse through that but the vet says there is a fairly new drug available that controls all the symptoms. He seems to think that the only downside of the drug is the cost (which I'm not worried about if it works).

If you have a horse on this drug (sorry I can't remember the name but there is only one for Cushings) please let me know how your horse responds to it. Also are there any downsides such as side effects? Has the drug returned your horse to normal? Does it require larger and larger doses as the disease progresses or does it stop progression?

I've had technical info from the vet but I would like to hear from you if you have first hand experience of it. Thank you.

My vet is stumped - there are no other sick horses on his patch. On Thursday last she had a high fever,very wobbly walking and felt very ill. He gave her antibiotics and anti inflammatory and in 6 hours her temperature was down, she was feeling better and eating but still very stiff and wobbly. There has been no change since then despite 3 days medication, she seems to feel ok but is very unwilling to move, walks in stop motion and turns like she can't quite figure out what to do with each leg. Does anyone recognise the symptoms? She is 23 years old, lives out with other horses and is generally healthy apart from several allergies

HI I can't get a pair of taps in the UK for my western saddle but my local saddler will make me some if i can get a pattern. Does anyone know where in the internet i can find one? thanks

I've got 4 cats. One of them has taken to throwing up 3-4 times a week but I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE because it always happens when I'm not around. Sometimes I hear the "huey-huey" noise but by the time I get there, cat has gone and only mess remains. I can't treat or take to vet until I know who it is. Any ideas? I can't keep them all separate and anyway it happens some days and not others. Sometimes it's straight after food and sometimes in the middle of the night.

Both my horses are getting fat and need to be dieted. They are kept in during the day because the horse flies are horrible, and in a 4 acre field at night which has very short grass. I have two options and I can't decide which is the best - I can fence off 1/2 an acre and put them in there the bad thing about this is they will soon eat all the grass and be left with weeds only, also they will be unable to run about and keep themselves fit. Or I can fit grazing muzzles and leave them in the big field, but then they will be unable to mutual groom ( they are in separate stables during the day) and it will be really hard for them to get at the short grass.

Which is the least mean to them and the best for their health? They have both worn muzzles before and are OK with them.

My horse is on steroid tablets for a skin condition. I am concerned about her arthritis ( she is 22) as the steroid masks any symptoms but doesn't prevent further damage, but I can't find any information about what supplements will still work while she is on the steroid. My vet has no idea and just says she won't suffer with it now.

Please don't post suggestions about the skin condition - I've tried everything else and it was steroids or a bullet. But as she is 'well' now, I want to continue to treat her arthritis

Thank you...Gallop are you there?...

Does anyone have any experience of using Gabopentin for undiagnosed pain in a horse? My horse has a severe skin condition with no external symptoms except that she mutilates herself scratching with her teeth (or on anything handy), Steroids have had zero effect so it appears that the problem is not actually in her skin. I suspect the problem is neuropathic as it is limited to specific parts of her back. Has anyone any experience of using Gabopentinn or can suggest any other possible remedy? This has been proven to NOT be an allergy but the vet has no idea what it is.

I need a dessert for a dinner party that I'm doing to show some friends that low-carb isn't all bacon and eggs. I will not use artificial sweeteners and sadly I am allergic to bananas and so I can't find any ideas for a low carb dessert except just berries and cream. Can anyone help?

I'm English and going on holiday to Orlando soon. Does anyone know a store there where I can buy a pair of good cowboy boots for women - not fancy fashion ones but real ones I can ride my horse in and wear every day? They are almost impossible to get in England

Thanks

I can find the glyceimic index of seeds but does it change when they are sprouted? I sprout almonds, sunflower and buckwheat before I eat them and I would like to know

Not alfalfa, I want hay or oat straw chaff. I can't get Simple Systems here nobody stocks it. Does anyone know of any other brand? I'm in Somerset

Since my father died 6 months ago my mother wakes up every morning at 04:30 and this really annoys her as there is nothing she can do about it, She has experimented with different times going to bed and 9pm or midnight makes no difference to the time she wakes, so it's obviously a habit not dependent on how much sleep she has had. Does anyone know any tips for breaking the habit? She's tried just laying in bed but that doesn't break it

I have been researching the use of flax for horses. I have found out loads of info and want to try it but I am interested in anyone's experience of using it. I have done my research so please don't bother to reply if you only want to tell me the dangers etc. I would like to hear from you if YOU HAVE TRIED IT.

Please tell me

1) What your horse's problem was

2) What form of flax you used (oil, meal, whole, raw, cooked etc).

3) did it work or not?

4) how long did you try it for and, if it worked, how long before you saw result?

Thank you

As in 'the surface was cracking and sloughing off'

Ive seen it written down loads but never heard it said. Is it pronounced as 'ploughing' or as 'coughing' or a different way again? thank you