[usandpets]

There are three main reason a horse would rub their tail/butt. Have you had his feces checked for worms? When was the last time his sheath was cleaned? Have you put conditioner on his tail?
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[mls]

Another vote for checking his sheath. My old guy was rubbing his tail last night. Quick check told me what I am going to spend part of my evening doing tonight!

As far as making the hair grow - keep the base clean - don't put product on that will clog the pores. Time is your only real resource.

 

[Bluemoonlvr]

He might have sweet itch Sweet Itch I've heard that listerine helps that.. lol If you just pour some on the base of the tail, apparently that can stop the itching. The link I put up has some symptoms and preventatives that you can look at.

 

[xlionesss]

You can take a baby wipe or warm washcloth to get all of the dead skin under his tail. That can cause a lot of itching and them trying to rub.

 

[farmpony84]

I'm with everyone on the cleaning of the sheath and the de-worming. Then I'd put some MTG on the tail and let it grow back....

 

[PaintedShanty]

In addition to checking his sheath and cleaning his dock, worm him with a fairly high dose of Ivermectin - he might have pin worms, and those don't necessarily show up in a fecal count since they live burrowed into the horse's intestines. Also, check to see if his anus is dry and cracked - if it is, it'll itch like mad and he'll be rubbing to try and relieve that. But ask your vet what would be safe to use to moisturize that, since it's a fairly delicate area.

After you fix the cause of the itching, make sure to keep his dock clean and moisturized with something that won't leave behind a lot of residue - I've heard that coconut oil works really well and actually soaks in without leaving behind any gunk. Then you just need to keep his back end itch-free and give the hair time to grow out.

 

[ayla1016]

I know a mare who used to rub her tail all the time. Wormed regularly, clean butt, clean udder... all the normal things didn't work. Then we put some of Mane and Tail's Hoofmaker on her dock, and she stopped. It moisturized it, I guess. It's my go-to fix for horses who keep rubbing past worming/cleaning.

 

[Goobe]

thank you all very much! all very helpful, I wormed him a few days ago, and I will try cleaning his sheath tonight, hes never had it done before so I dont know how its going to go lol. trying to keep his tail clean as well, but in a dusty paddock its proving a little difficult.

 

[diesel63]

I feed garlic all year round!

 

[Missy May]

Well, heres a happy note....if it is pinworms, you'll need to wipe his bumby with cut neem oil or some sort of oil - often (daily). Its not as easy as worming them, b/c they only have 72 hrs of protection following a worming...and they can reinfect quickly.