any help would be appreciated! This horse has been itching since Dec/Jan when it was cold and no bugs. I’ve tried everything from 2 different steroid shots to old timers remedies, Kinetic vet ibh spray worked great but I forgot it has chlorhex in it and he’s allergic to it and it blistered him :/ that has been 8 wks ago or so and that’s healed but he’s still itching. Been checked for pin worms, I’ve looked for ticks, sprayeed him with bug spray....

Vet thinks behavioral at this point.....so I ordered what she wanted me to try for that but it hasn’t come in yet.

but...this horse will be standing there fine and then just start swishing his tail like something is eating him up, then scratch and then stop, but he won’t even eat his feed without stopping to scratch! I can’t keep him up in stall for him scratching and he has to come in during the summer so I’ve got to get it figured out!! 

Any suggestions?

tia!

What's he being fed? Might be an allergy to something in the feed?? 

nothing in diet has changed since last summer...but he’s on soaked coastal hay and alfalfa cubes, and FRM grain.

Have you had his sheath cleaned.  My older gelding would stomp his back feet, rub on trees and swish his tail when he needed cleaning.  Problem would then be solved.  Usually involved a large bean.

This ^^^^^

Interesting.....haven’t done that recently but it can be done 

Can't imagine why a vet would call it a behavioral problem when clearly it has to do with discomfort.  Those "beans" can be huge and cause a critter a lot of misery.

no idea, I’ve had horses all my life and never heard of this causing them to itch but I will gladly see if it resolves it! I have a couple others itching but it’s occasional, not like this guy.

Yes, clean his sheath and clean between his back legs; plan to clean him on a regular schedule. 

My mare will butt rub when she needs her teats cleaned.  It's amazing how much dirt collects 'down there' between the teats.  She will actually hike up one leg while I'm cleaning her so I know it must feel so much better to get herself clean.  

And discuss your deworming schedule with you vet.  You might want to do a fecal to assure he is not wormy. 

I don't think it's itching as much as an irritation they have no way to control so they try whatever they can to make it go away.

What about pin worms?  Stongid takes care of those.

Euchee...he’s been checked for pin worms.

cleaned him last night, will see what happens, he still wanted to rub this morning, but maybe he doesn’t realize yet? Idk 

Did you have a vet do it.  It's a process that requires the horse being tranquilized in order to remove the beans.  I don't want to get too graphic but they have to drop in order to do it correctly,  Definitely a job for a vet.

Yes it was done correctly.

Hope that solves the problem.  Never know with horses.

My geldings aren't shy, they let me do it without anything.  If I walk by when they are tied up and they are out I just do the job. LOL  I guess they like to show off. LOL

Was there any beans found? 

found a couple small softer beans but nothing like I’ve seen on others in the past