# My Bay Mare Is Losing Fur In Patches...



## CountryGirl3294 (Jan 8, 2011)

I have a 12 year old QH mare that is a bay. She is losing her winter fur in most places but I noticed on her face, belly, chest, inner thighs, and some other places she has no fur only skin. When you pull the fur it comes out in clumps and there's dandruff and sometimes little black dots at the end of the fur. What could this be? How can it be fixed?


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Some horses do start shedding aggressively before their full summer coat has come up underneath and as a result, have little bald patches where the winter hair comes out but the summer hair hasn't come in yet.

At least, that was my first gut reaction, it could entirely be caused by something else like a fungal or bacterial infection.

Can you get some good pictures of the area you are talking about?


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

smrobs said:


> Some horses do start shedding aggressively before their full summer coat has come up underneath and as a result, have little bald patches where the winter hair comes out but the summer hair hasn't come in yet.
> 
> At least, that was my first gut reaction, it could entirely be caused by something else like a fungal or bacterial infection.
> 
> Can you get some good pictures of the area you are talking about?


Yes. As long as the skin looks healthy it's nothing to worry about. This year both our sorrel mares are shedding in patches probably because of the very warm March.


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## CountryGirl3294 (Jan 8, 2011)

smrobs said:


> Some horses do start shedding aggressively before their full summer coat has come up underneath and as a result, have little bald patches where the winter hair comes out but the summer hair hasn't come in yet.
> 
> At least, that was my first gut reaction, it could entirely be caused by something else like a fungal or bacterial infection.
> 
> Can you get some good pictures of the area you are talking about?


Here are some pictures.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

It really looks to me like she's just losing her winter coat faster than her summer coat is coming in. If she were mine, I would just keep an eye on those patches for a couple of weeks just to make sure that it doesn't start showing signs of irritation.


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## CountryGirl3294 (Jan 8, 2011)

Heres another.


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## CountryGirl3294 (Jan 8, 2011)

Thanks, I will keep an eye out for that. I never had her through a shedding season before, I got her last May when she already had her summer coat. My other horses aren't loosing their fur like she is. I have an Appaloosa and Mule and they are loosing their fur normally.


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## AndreaSctlnd (Jan 17, 2012)

CountryGirl3294 said:


> I have a 12 year old QH mare that is a bay. She is losing her winter fur in most places but I noticed on her face, belly, chest, inner thighs, and some other places she has no fur only skin. When you pull the fur it comes out in clumps and there's dandruff and sometimes little black dots at the end of the fur. What could this be? How can it be fixed?


 OMG! My horse is doing the EXACT same THING!!! Scared the beejesus out of me. I put some vetracyaline (?) on her! I am so worried!!!!


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## chandra1313 (Jul 12, 2011)

My gelding is doing the same thing, at first I thought could this be rain rot. The skin is nice and smooth where the hair came out. I went ahead and gave him a iodine bath just to be on the safe side and after he dried I covered him in MTG lol of course he immediately went and rolled in the first dirt patch he could find. It's a relief to see others have the same issues.


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## LetAGrlShowU (Mar 25, 2009)

My horse had this big patch last week, i thought he had gotten injured. Its already grown in by today! nothing to worry about


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

My older gelding is doing the same. I was worried about him, but just got him in December and I'm not sure how he normally goes.
It's warm here so I gave him a bath and really scrubbed him down, hair's still hanging on for dear life. Check her flanks, is it doing the same thing there?
Cowboy has clumps falling out showing his black skin with tiny white hairs growing out. It really looks bad around his flanks. Looks like he has scabies! No rain rot, don't think yours has it either. Normally rain rot is on their backs, flanks, rear, soft tissue scabs that leave a mark and shouldn't be pulled off. Cowboy is fat and happy/healthy. I'd make sure your mare gets some added vit's since you haven't had her for very long and get her caught up, same as I'm having to do with mine. 
My QH mare who hardly puts on a coat has a naked rear!! All her hair fell off back there and is just barelyyyyyy coming back in!

EDIT: Oh! Rick had a bald forehead under his forelock! I went mad checking for lice or any reason for that matter, two days later he was back to normal!


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I don't know, I think it might have something to do with the combination of a relatively short winter and then the sudden onset of unseasonably hot weather (we've already been in the 90's here). None of mine are doing it this year, but they have done it in the past a few times.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

On our 2 mares that shed in patches when it's hot early it always seems like it is on areas that have longer hair over dark skin that gets sweaty. I've never seen patchy shedding on their white/pink skin areas for some reason.


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## SkyeDawn (Mar 31, 2011)

My gelding is doing this as well. So are a lot of other horses in our area. My trainer was speaking with a vet and I guess the vet said this is the worst he's seen it. They're just shedding much more quickly than their bodies can keep up.

Keep an eye on it though. Horses here are pretty much going bald because it's so dang hot during the day, but it's still really cold at night. Make sure you don't have to blanket.


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## corgi (Nov 3, 2009)

Yep...happening where we board too! My hubby's leased horse and about 5 others have bald patches all over. My horse doesn't. The barn is taking precautions just in case it is fungal.(making sure grooming tools are sterilized, etc) After reading this, I thnk it just may be due to mild winter and early Spring. I sure hope so!


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## kayleeloveslaneandlana (Apr 10, 2011)

The mare I ride is doing the same thing! Really grosses me out..


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## AndreaSctlnd (Jan 17, 2012)

Update on my girl...she is growing hair in and starting to look more normal. She is still shedding to beat the band but at least the bald patches are growing in.


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

Several of mine are shedding out that way too, I hate it, looks gross. My exception is my grey who always is the first to shed and she's slick and pretty. The rest of the gang looks like molting birds, eww. 

I know it's normal and not fungal but they all got betadine baths yesterday anyway lol.


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## Remy410 (Nov 7, 2011)

My mare is doing this, too. Mostly on her chest, she pretty much does it every year. It doesn't help that she's itchy from shedding right now, too and rubbing on everything.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

My old gelding is shedding the same way. He looks like he's molting! 

The two younger horses are shedding too, but not in such a dramatic fashion.


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## ResearchEquine (Apr 16, 2012)

Hi, I've posted about this on another thread. Check out 'Seasonal Alopecia'. Bad Hair Days: Seasonal Alopecia in Horses | Equinews

My horse has recently suffered same thing as we've had a unseasonally warm spell at the end of our winter in the UK. As other users have posted this is where the winter fur sheds before the summer coat has started growing. 

After around a month the hair started to grow back & has continued to do so. Looked awful at the time & still a bit odd with patches of summer coat with long furry winter coat but nothing serious I don't think.
Read more: http://www.horseforum.com/horse-health/my-horse-going-bald-parasite-rare-119951/page3/#ixzz1sIHGpmKS
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