| I am flat amazed at the mass selection of shampoos | | | | Turns out the horse was having a reaction to the |
| and conditioners on the market for horses. There are | | | | conditioner he was putting on its tail, the same |
| shelves and shelves of them at every tack shop and | | | | conditioner that started the problem and compounded |
| feed store. Horses have oil on their skin for a reason. | | | | when he kept using more and more of it to try and |
| A mild shampoo once every couple of weeks | | | | remedy the condition. When he rinsed it all off and left |
| throughout the summer and a mild conditioner for their | | | | it off, the tail rubbing ceased. |
| manes and tails will suffice. If you wash all their oils | | | | Diligent grooming is by far the best way to keep your |
| away, bathing them day in and day out until they are | | | | horse clean. Horses love being groomed and it's good |
| squeaky clean, you are paving the way for skin issues; | | | | for them. It's good for us. It's best to have a separate |
| dry skin, flaky skin, and sunburn. No problem, one might | | | | set of grooming supplies for each horse, but if that's |
| say, there are products on the market for every one | | | | not possible, wash your brushes routinely with a mild |
| of those conditions, shelf after shelf and rows and | | | | shampoo. Enough said. If there is a contagious skin |
| rows of them. Hose your horse off between | | | | condition rampant in your barn, follow your |
| shampoos. Use plain water. It works, and chlorinated | | | | veterinarian's recommendations on how to eradicate it. |
| aside - depending on where you live, it's natural. | | | | I know of a very admirable horsewoman that puts all |
| I know of a horse person whose horse started rubbing | | | | her brushes in a bucket once a week and soaks them |
| its tail morning, noon, and night. A pretty tail that would | | | | in a little vinegar and hot water. On any given day you |
| soon look straggly if this continued. Following the old | | | | can pull up to her barn and see the brushes and |
| adage that if a horse is rubbing its tail it needed | | | | combs drying on the fence posts in the sun. |
| wormed, he wormed it and the tail rubbing continued. | | | | |