Is Your Itchy Horse Rubbing Himself Raw?

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In this episode of Holistic Horseworks Talks, I talk about itchy horses

It’s summertime and many horse owners are noticing their horses rubbing their tails or their faces, even to the point of rubbing themselves raw. They're very sensitive to flies and other things in their environment. The issue may be an autoimmune disorder or allergies. It can be environmental but it may also be a cranial sacral problem.
Click here to see my page about autoimmune issues in horses caused by a past pull back when tied trauma - causing future health issues.
You can start by trying to control the fly population using Diatomaceous Earth in the pasture on the fresh poop piles, and within 21 days, you'll have fewer flies.
You may notice that some horses have a lot more flies than others. This horse has a lower immune system and is probably mineral deficient. Low copper can lead to having a higher parasite load. I add the Dynamite liquid trace minerals to their feed 2 FULL dropper full for 10 days and this usually clears up and may help some horses that do a lot of head tossing when being ridden.
For itchy skin, rubbing out mane, threadworms in the neck area, I use DoTERRA essential oils such as tea tree oil or melaleuca, and lavender. Fill a 32-ounce spray bottle with water, and put about 15 or 20 drops of each oil. And you can spray it on the horse, rub it in and let it dry. It's very good for sunburn, or bugs, and for helping skin to heal.
If the area is RAW then mosquitos and other bugs may be drawn to bite as well as lay eggs in that area. I then also use Desitin (yes, the diaper rash ointment) that comes in a big tub, to treat the areas where their skin is irritated. This lays down zinc to prevent bugs from irritating it more. You do not want the creamy tube as it just runs off in the heat. This is also great for tummies and bug sores along the underbelly and on gelding sheath or mares teats to keep bugs off. Also excellent for horses that get scratches or mud fever in the pasterns. See my horse 102 book on Amazon Holistic Alternatives
If the allergies are so bad that your horse is on steroids, then you need to look on my cranial sacral page on my Holistic Horseworks website. Because allergies and autoimmune is all about the cranial issue. Go back to the source for long-term solutions.

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