Hair growth problems on an older horse? please help!!?

Last summer i noticed that my 20 year old morgan's[ hes not full blood im not sure what else he has in him] coat was not shedding properly. He would stop losing his winter coat and be uncomfortable and itchy all summer. I use a special brush that helps get the shedded hair out, but there is none! And his coat seems to be growing abnormally. here are pictures of how it is





http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk67/kyleexoxo43/0608081414-1.jpg





http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk67/kyleexoxo43/0608081414a.jpg





he does not get the nice sleek shiny coat anymore..is there a shampoo i can maybe use o stop this ? or what can i do? please help!





it looks like hes sweating but trust me hes notHair growth problems on an older horse? please help!!?
Yup, looks like cushings to me! I've known a couple of old timers that have gotten it in this past decade.





Makes me wonder just what is going on with the older horses? I've NEVER seen as many horses or heard of them coming down with it until THIS decade! Is it something in the premixed feed that the older horses can't process? Something that they are spraying on the hay???





Besides being so prone to founder, they also seem to have more of a problem with colic, too.Hair growth problems on an older horse? please help!!?
Hello. It sounds and looks to me like your horse may have Cushings Disease. Your vet can pull blood to tell you for sure and discuss treatment options. Unfortunately, it is a lifelong condition. Here is a link to some information and also other symptoms: http://petcaretips.net/cushings_disease_horses.html


It actually isn't the best website I've seen, but the symptoms are accurate. Your horse doesn't need to demonstrate all symptoms to have Cushings. It is a common disease for horses to develop as they get older. It is something that you will want diagnosed though as cushings horses are really prone to foundering. Hope this helps!
This is actually not too unusual of a problem with older horses. They often do not fully shed out their coats. I had this problem this year with my 24 year old arab gelding. I gave him a body clip.





I would suggest that you body clip him if he seems too hot, other than that maybe a food supplement to help with the coat?





Sorry I don't have any better suggestions for you.
its pretty common for older horses......





try putting him on some kind of coat supplement for a while and see if that helps him loose his coat.





brush him EVERY chance you get..... before you feed him..... before you turn him out.... when you bring him back in....before you ride....and after you ride....





give him baths about every week and a half....





and just keep brushing and brushing and brushing














or you could just give him a body clip but that takes hours.
It could be cushings diese (sp) but I think it is just because she is old. If you add some more protein to her diet then it should help her grow her summer coat. Yes old horses are prone to slow growing hoofs and coats. Buy a protein supplement. Look up protein supplements online, I have not tried any sadly so I can t recommend one. I hope that I could help!
I'd call a vet and have your horse tested for Cushings disease. I'm sure he can be treated for it, but it's a common problem with older horses and left untreated, can lead to other complications.

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