tail rubbing

Question
3 horses, 1 morgan, 2 arabians, all have developed tail rubbing excessively. 1 is mostly stall kept, but turned out daily, other two have in/out access to stall & pasture.vet cannot figure this out. all wormed, groomed, added flaxseed oil to feed, also picked out tails and used oil to eliminate dryness. behavioral? not all 3, no mites, ideas?

Answer
Hi Nancy!

Hmmmmm.  Since you have already gone the vet route, may I suggest a 2nd opinion from another vet?  I know owners rarely do this but I once had a QH gelding who would snake his head under his belly and chew his penis raw and bloody.  I know.  Weird, huh?  One vet could not even begin to solve it and the second one completely solved it in no time at all.  I guess as with any profession, some are just smarter than others.

Also, for a home remedy, try washing the afflicted areas with a very, very mild soap.  I always use Castile.  Rinse and dry it throughly.  The next day apply a small amount of Listerine mouthwash and rub it in.  Immediately follow with a samll amount of baby oil.  Repeat every few days and if you see improvement, leave it for nature to fix.

Sometimes, any rubbing or chewing starts out as nothing but, the area becomes itchier and more icky and a vicious cycle starts that the horse can't stop.

Good Luck and remember to always wear an ASTM/SEI approved helmet!

Solange