# Very itchy & dry flaky skin



## Welshie Squisher (13 December 2011)

I have a filly who has always been an itchy girl and has what appears to be dry flakey skin. 
It's most obvious in spring when losing her winter coat, at this time she appears to have horrendous dandruff.
She is fine during summer and has a lovely glossy coat and then the flakieness returns and worsens during winter.

I have no ideawhy this is, its not a major problem, she has a good scratch when she comes in and takes her rug off but if I can do something that prevents her being so itchy in the first place, then that can only be a good thing.

I've looked again and again for beasties, am sure she doesn't have any unwanted inhabitants, althhough would I see them? Are they visible to the human eye like human lice?

Ideas folks? Could it be a dietry deficiency?


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## Amymay (13 December 2011)

What do you feed her and is she clipped?


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## Shazzababs (13 December 2011)

We had an elderly pony who was like this. 

In the end I just gave her a full clip and then put a nice thick rug on her.  Made it much easier to keep her clean.


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## LiveryList (13 December 2011)

My young mare had this at the start of the year and i got the vet to take a look when they did her jabs. Ellie had been so itchy for a good few months (this was at the start of the spring so no rug or flies bothering her or causing it, no bugs ro beaties!) that i would get her in at night and she would just stand in her stable biting herself so she was just covered in dry slobbery marks where she'd tried to itch herself all of the time- it was mainly down her sides and on her flanks. She also had very dry skin, noticeably flaking off like dandruff! My vet said that she had seen it alot recently and in her opinion it was being caused by the weird fluctations in weather drying out the horses skin which seemed more than reasonable. She suggested i bathed her in a moisturising shampoo and just do this everytime she gets bad. She also said in theory it would be more prominent in younger horses (my mare was 2) as there skin was more sensitive. I bathed Ellie in a tea Tree oil shampoo and touch wood it has not come back since even now she is rugged up


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## Welshie Squisher (13 December 2011)

She gets nothing but grass and haylage amymay, if grass is low then she's get speedibeet and hi-fi lite, has also has a snack ball with bog standard pony nuts.

She's not clipped nor ever has been due to age (rising 3).

Clipping is an option as I'm about to buy some for my daughters pony, who interestingly doesn't itch since being fully clipped. But he never has flakey skin.


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## Welshie Squisher (13 December 2011)

Oh liverylist, that is exactly how my girl is, always chomping on herself. She's never rubbed herself raw, nor drew blood, nor rubbed her mane or tail off, she's just always nibbling and rubbing her backside and sides on the stables walls.

Bathing at this time of year in icy water probably wouldn't go down well, hosing her legs can be tricky


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## Ladylina83 (13 December 2011)

oooh poor thing could you try giving some oil in feed ?? I also hear that seaweed helps ..... but I may have made that up


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## Welshie Squisher (13 December 2011)

I heard seaweed is a good general all round thing to add to food so I tried it, both ponies kicked their food buckets away in disgust!

At the moment they aren't been fed as I've just moved yards and there is plenty of grass so I stopped the feeds.

Any supplement or oil is possible as I could give in a little chaff, providing she will eat it of course.


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## Ladylina83 (13 December 2011)

Welshie Squisher said:



			I heard seaweed is a good general all round thing to add to food so I tried it, both ponies kicked their food buckets away in disgust!

At the moment they aren't been fed as I've just moved yards and there is plenty of grass so I stopped the feeds.

Any supplement or oil is possible as I could give in a little chaff, providing she will eat it of course.
		
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Yeah I just gave the stuff I bought away as mine wouldn't touch it - my friend is trying it for itchy *****land


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## olop (13 December 2011)

I didnt have much luck with seaworld for my itchy man.  He has dry, itchy skin all year round.  Vet has suggested I cut hard feed out for a month & see what happens so am currently trialing this, he thinks it could be sugar content related as when I first got him he showed no signs of itchiness & was never fed any kind of hard feed.
I understand your not feeding yours anything which puts you ina different situation but thought I would share my experience.  I also find clipping him makes him worse so tend to do only 1 clip a year if i can help it.
Good luck.


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## Amymay (14 December 2011)

Welshie Squisher said:



			She gets nothing but grass and haylage amymay, if grass is low then she's get speedibeet and hi-fi lite, has also has a snack ball with bog standard pony nuts.
		
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Start feeding some oil within a feed twice daily - should make a difference quite quickly.

Soya or Corn oil is best, and you'll need to introduce it slowly up to a good old glug twice a day.  Swap the Hifi lite for regular hifi or alpha.


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