Mare question- sorry quite gross really!

[Harlequin32]

Our little mare is a real minger!
she has black nasty stuff which gets all down her back legs and in her tail etc and it stinks.
I know what it is (much worse in summer when she's in season) but why does she get like it? No other mares at the yard EVER have it even when they are in season.
At its worst its taken the hair off under her tail. Is it ok to be washing the area constantly I worry this will make her sore but at the same time its impossible to brush off completely and I cant leave it there.
Is this normal and is she ok?- had geldings 18yrs but this is the first mare-hence my ignorance

Sorry i did post this on another site but no reply, apologies to anyone who already read it before!

 

[stressy]

I would just leave it to be honest rather than washing it all the time. perhaps try a hormone supplement to calm her down a bit, but its nature im afraid lol.

 

[Sasca]

Hazel gets this! totally disgusting mare but no harm done. I gave up washing it and just brush what you can off. its normal and nothing to worry about i dont think. If you think its really excess i think there are some herbal supplements to help calm hormones but im no expert.

 

[No_Angel]

Both my tb girls get this, it's just a mare thing really, comes off when they change coats

 

[S_F_S]

Totally normal, sounds like she's just a bit of a tart! (Meant in the nicest way possible!)

I'd wash it off personally, not leave to go all crusty and prevent air getting to the skin - as you have spotted it can strip hair off if left.

 

[Soot]

I find some show sheen all over the back legs, etc, is a great way of keeping the area easy to clean!

 

[sarchie]

Totally normal, sounds like she's just a bit of a tart! (Meant in the nicest way possible!)

I'd wash it off personally, not leave to go all crusty and prevent air getting to the skin - as you have spotted it can strip hair off if left.

Yes ditto this. There may be some type of cream that you could apply afterwards under her tail to stop her getting sore - maybe someone will give you an idea what you could use?? Show sheen on the legs sounds like a good idea!

 

[alwaysfallingof]

Yeah, we had a couple of mares like this at work. We cleaned them whenever they got mucky and put sudocream round the edges of her 'bits' and on any places where she'd lost the hair to stop it burning so much.

 

[amandal]

I wash or baby wipe both my girls to keep them clean. If it goes bitty - i.e. dries and goes sticky Ziz lets me pick it off gently.

 

[L34NN3]

Unfortunatley that's mares for you! Think of it like your own bits. I clean my mares every day - I think leaving longer is icky...

On the bright side at least you no longer have to sheath clean. I had a very stubborn gelding who used to refuse to drop it out for cleaning - I could get my hand up way past the top of the marigolds

 

[Kimmy C]

Della gets this and she has also lost her hair. I just use baby wipes and vasaline.

 

[Joyscarer]

I thank god Joy isn't like this. I've never needed to do her lady bits.

Her field mate last summer was another matter entirely. I've never seen such crusty udders either

If I did come across this I'd be wiping down daily and applying some sort of barrier cream so it couldn't get to the skin or stick to the hair.

 

[L34NN3]

Her field mate last summer was another matter entirely. I've never seen such crusty udders either

Mine love having their udders cleaned - they do the screwy up nose thing! Dirty beggars!

 

[nicolawx]

Mine love having their udders cleaned - they do the screwy up nose thing! Dirty beggars!

My mare loves it as well, her udders seem to be her itchy spot, odd mare
I've never come across what the OP has, my mare is very much a tart, plain and simple when in season, but i've never come across that.
Personally i'd be inclined to clean it off, with a sponge instead of leaving it to go crusty.

 

[dragzb]

Used to have this problem with my mare, she was a complete tart and would squirt at anything, geldings, farmers, tractors, cars... the list goes on. I used to hose her off and use sudocreme on the sore bits. Unfortunately that's nature. Luckily I don't have this problem now, although my way of stopping the issue has been a bit extreme, we moved to our own place and as there are no geldings or stallions around she doesn't come into season anymore. Phew!

 

[L34NN3]

Used to have this problem with my mare, she was a complete tart and would squirt at anything, geldings, farmers, tractors, cars... the list goes on.

My non-horsey other half was scratching mines bum yesterday and she squirted him - he was a bit grossed out...

 

[Xandoz]

My mare doesn't even have regular heat cycles any moer. She just gets a bit grumpier on the odd day and then I know she's on heat. But she's old, so her hormones are giving up the ghost I guess.