# What to Do With a Scaly, Dry Tailbone?



## anrz (Dec 21, 2008)

Well l've been battling a dry, scaly tailbone with Thumper for over 2 years now (excluding the winters when he's fine), and l'm really not sure what to do right now. The skin is dry and flaky, and Thumper has rubbed nearly every hair off the middle of the top of his tail. l've tried cleaning it with shampoo and conditioner once a week (this helps for a day or two), MTG (no change), l've scrubbed out under his tailbone, in case that was what was bothering him (again, no change), l've used a variety of products, but to no avail . l'm hopeless when it comes to tail care . He has been rubbing his tail since before l began leasing him 2 years ago and he's always been nearly bald up on his tailbone because of it . lt only stops over the winter when he wears his blanket.
Any suggestions on what to do?


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

So, what changes in the winter?
Blanket = weather protection; friction protection
Weather = fewer bugs? more/less precipitation? less travelling? less washing?

Off hand, I'd say he's sensitive to something he brushes up against all the time and in the winter his tail is protected by the blanket so it doesn't aggravate him. Or he's picking up a fungus from something; same deal.

Did the vet ever see it and have an opinion?

I would try anti-fungal soap and anti-dandruff soap and be sure to rinse it very well. Maybe wrap the top of his tail during those times that he isn't wearing a blanket -- maybe he is rubbing it and that's the start of the problem, but in the winter with a blanket the rubbing doesn't actually cause as much wear, therefore keeping the skin even more protected and healthy?


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## SaddleUp158 (Dec 26, 2008)

My mare has dry skin as well, esp her tail bone. I was her tail every few weeks in Neutrogena T-Gel shampoo. This works really really well. Then I put MTG on it.


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## BrindalBelle (Nov 3, 2010)

My mare has the same problem. She kept rubbing her tail, and after being told she had worms and a whole host of fungal problems and treating for all of them despite this being the only symptom, it didn't go away. I finally read online that a scaly tailbone is basically the same as dry skin for people, or dandruff, and it's basically just too dry. I added some oil to her feed and after only a week or so, her tail bone looked significantly better! I can't give her oil every day because she's fed as part of a group and giving her an individual "supplement" is expensive at my barn, so I sometimes rub the oil into her tail bone. It makes the hair oily, but it keeps the scaliness away and I haven't seen any short hairs from rubbing for a few weeks now! fingers crossed it stays that way haha, hope this helps!


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## blueberryhill (Jan 19, 2010)

If the blanket in the winter helps would a fly sheet or just a waterproof sheet in the summer help? Just a thought.


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## O So (Aug 21, 2010)

BrindalBelle said:


> My mare has the same problem. She kept rubbing her tail, and after being told she had worms and a whole host of fungal problems and treating for all of them despite this being the only symptom, it didn't go away. I finally read online that a scaly tailbone is basically the same as dry skin for people, or dandruff, and it's basically just too dry. I added some oil to her feed and after only a week or so, her tail bone looked significantly better! I can't give her oil every day because she's fed as part of a group and giving her an individual "supplement" is expensive at my barn, so I sometimes rub the oil into her tail bone. It makes the hair oily, but it keeps the scaliness away and I haven't seen any short hairs from rubbing for a few weeks now! fingers crossed it stays that way haha, hope this helps!


What kind of oil do you rub on her, or feed her? 

O So is rubbing his tail out and his mane! I think it is do to the climate change he is going through. I will probably be able to tell more now that it is going into winter. 

I bought him from a place between Florence and Eugene Oregon, and moved him to my house in Sacramento CA. So obviously it was a drastic climate change. When I first got him and after he rubbed the middle of his mane completely down to the skin, I have been giving him his baths with baby shampoo and then after rinsing really well, I would put Keri Oil (mixed with water) on him! He is still rubbing. He has only had 3 baths since I have had him, about once a month. I have stopped giving baths since winter is here now!

It is really upsetting to me that he is rubbing so much. I love long mane and tails. Right now his tail is barely rubbing the ground, but the top part is getting more and more rubbed off! I surely don't want him to rub it down to nothing! 

Oh, and I worm him regularly so I don't think it is worms! 

Thanks!


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## BrindalBelle (Nov 3, 2010)

O So said:


> What kind of oil do you rub on her, or feed her?


I just used regular grocery store brand corn oil. There are a lot of forums online about what type of oil to use, most of them are to enhance the coat, but thats basically because it's adding moisture which would also help the tail bone. Maybe take a look at some of those. I don't have the funds to get any better quality oil. 

I also only rubbed the oil into her tail bone a few times really, but it started to get messy and made her hair oily. Instead I would wash it with moisturizing conditioner, also a grocery store buy (I got Suave, and it smells like the ocean =P), and then rubbed it into the tailbone as I worked it through the hair. Then after it dried, I used a fine toothed comb to get some the scaliness off the bone. Not sure if the combing helped, but I know the moisturizing did.

Assuming you don't have worms or a fungus, a dry tailbone is the same as dry skin on person. What do you do when you have dry skin? Do the same for your horse! haha hope that helps!


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## anrz (Dec 21, 2008)

Thanks for all the ideas! l'll try these ideas and see how it goes! Fingers crossed that this helps him .


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