Help! My horse needs to shed!!!!?

You need to have him retested for Cushing's. Many factors can alter the levels of cortisol and give you false readings. And he should not just be tested for cortisol, which is only one of several adrenal hormones. The pituitary growth that causes equine Cushing's affects all endocrine glands and all hormones secreted by each of them, since the pituitary secretes the hormones that control secretion by all of the other endocrine glands. This means that thyroid and parathyroid, or pancreatic and other adrenal hormones besides cortisol, and a multitude of other hormones from several other endocrine glands can be being hypersecreted.

Time of year, hours of daylight, and other factors can affect blood levels being tested for Cushing's, and I'm guessing you have a false negative.

What lights are you keeping on? bog standard lights wont work.

you need the lights they use for people suffering from SAD. The bulbs that replicate sun light.

You also need to rug him (right up his neck). It is the combination of heat and extra daylight that encourages the coat to come out.

I would also check what you are feeding the horse, add oil if nessecary as most coat problems are as a result of a deficiency in some mineral or vitamin.

Also you need to put a full neck rug on him the night before a show to lay the coat correctly.

Michaela i dont know where you are getting your info from but horses in the wild very rarely make it to 15 let alone 20. Most domesticated horses will easily make it to 15 years old and are often competing at the top at that age. 25 is not an unusual age for a horse to reach. Horses live longer in captivity FACT.

Also laying a coat and keeping a horse warm does not affect its immune system. If anything it would improve it just like going out in the sun improves human immune systems.

A horse in the wild would never have to cope with tarmac which wears down thier feet far faster then normal ground.

Wild horses also have a far wider range of food stuffs to get essential vitamins and minerals from, the range of grasses, herbs and plants available too them just is not possible to replicate in a domestic situation where the ground has been cultivated for richer more dense but less mineral rich grasses.

Have him tested for cushings disease. It causes horses to hold onto their winter coats in weird spots. I have a friend whose horse has it, so she just clips him at a certain time each year...all of him at the same time.

You could clip

There is also a certain tool you can use called a shedding blade (It's very dull, not like a knife or anything lol it just sounds kind of scary)

However, I would check with a vet or professional before using it on your horse because if your horse's hair is too soft or if his skin is sensitive it could hurt him but at my barn we use them on the quarter horses and they absolutely love it and it gets rids of the big lumps of hair much quicker than a curry comb!

Try and full blanket, that covers his neck.

I show WP too, and we blanket my horse below 70-sheet Below 60- Blanket and sheet.

We also use special lights, and leave them on tell 10pm. This tricks the eye into thinking its summer so they dont grow hai;)

Shed DIY Blueprints : http://shedplans.naturallygo.com/?xpa

Either have him clipped or just wait till spring when he'll shed naturally, if he has a very woolly coat it's likely he needs it.

Have you had him tested for Cushing's Syndrome? That's one of the tell tale signs.

http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/health/illne...

If it's Cushing's then there's nothing that will cause the hair to go away, because they don't regulate heat correctly.

just clip his neck to the same length as his coat

Why bother? Horses grow hair as a survival instinct. When you mess with their thermo-regulatory system like blanketing, using lights, or clipping, the horse has no control over it. It actually weakens your horses immune system and shortens their life-span. Would you rather your horse look nice for shows or live longer? Horses in the wild can live up to twice as long as domesticated horses. There is no need for shoes, blankets, or stalls. Being cooped up stresses out a horse. Horses are grazers, they are designed to constantly be on the move. This keeps their hooves from becoming too long, and it is for safety so predators don't know where they are. They want to be outside. A simple lean-to or run-in-shed is all they want. A horse's hoof is designed to be barefoot. If they needed iron shoes, they would be born with them. I guarantee if you put your horse in a pasture with no shoes or blankets, he will live a longer, happier life.