At 15:59:53 on 23.03.11, Angelalain wrote:
My little mare is 20 and has been on pergolide for her Cushings disease for 18months. She is so much better than she was before she started on the pergolide (she was really lethargic), but she now has other problems, and I don't know if they are related to either the Cushings or the pergolide medication. The vet says it should have no side effects, but she was a little mare who never showed in season even when she was, never showed of or squealed to the boys and was very independant. She has now become squealy, clingy and exactly what everyone describes as 'mareish'. This also makes her much harder to ride as she is constantly on her toes and ready to argue. She has also, over this winter started to rub her coat, she's now got rough bald patches all up her neck, lost half her mane, nasty wrinkly skin on the crest etc, looks just like sweet itch. She's been treated for lice, shampooed, frontlined (farriers suggestion) and unrugged in case she's too hot. Still no real improvement. Any ideas anyone?

At 20:54:20 on 27.03.11, JessAndGrenville123 wrote:
Maybe it is an age thing i know two mares who were completely NOT mare like and as soon as they hit their twenties they squeal, scowl, kick and flirt with the geldings madly and then when the boys get too close kick haha, maybe you should try something like oestress? I know alot of the mares at my yard are on it and it seems to work

At 08:06:34 on 28.03.11, Angelalain wrote:
Thats interesting. I don't really want to give her any more additives, she's on so much medication for her cushings, as well as a supplement to help that too. I suppose I'll just have tolive with it and hang tight when I ride. The itching is the worse problem.

At 08:24:21 on 28.03.11, kibby wrote:
could it be itch? do you have many little midgies yet? (those anyone small bitey insects)

At 12:11:44 on 28.03.11, Angelalain wrote:
She started when it was still cold and frosty, about 2-3 months now. I just hope it won't get worse as she gets hotter! I was going to try some sweet-itch type lotion if anyone knows one that works?

At 01:50:57 on 29.03.11, JessAndGrenville123 wrote:
The itch is interesting, did you clip or leave the hair to grow to full coat in winter? If you let the coat grow and sweat got dried beneath the fur it will become very itchy, and can be a pain to get rid of, the pony i am breaking in had a rug on for months without getting it changed before i started with him and he was unbelieveably itchy, his tail was in bits and he was constantly bugging you for a scratch and i used to scratch him for ages and i got rid of his by firstly scrubbing as much as i could out with regular shampoo then put a soothing tea tree conditioner on over the top and left for a few minutes before rinsing but because i couldn't really scrub his tail i washed it and then put some cream on called aromaitch which is meant for fly bites but it sooths itchy skin, if not ill think up some more ideas :)

At 08:24:46 on 29.03.11, Angelalain wrote:
She did wear a light rug and she wasn't clipped (She didn't get ridden through the ice and snow and I never got on her again until the start of this month, none of ours got clipped this year cos the day we were going to do it was snowing and well below freezing, and that was how it stayed!)I have now got her rugs off. we thought it might be the chickens (mites!) but she and they (and the stable) have been treated with no difference. I will give her another bath when it warms up again, she's already had a partial shampoo.

At 08:24:50 on 29.03.11, Angelalain wrote:
She did wear a light rug and she wasn't clipped (She didn't get ridden through the ice and snow and I never got on her again until the start of this month, none of ours got clipped this year cos the day we were going to do it was snowing and well below freezing, and that was how it stayed!)I have now got her rugs off. we thought it might be the chickens (mites!) but she and they (and the stable) have been treated with no difference. I will give her another bath when it warms up again, she's already had a partial shampoo.

At 08:25:39 on 29.03.11, Angelalain wrote:
OOOps. took so long to post I pressed the button again!!

At 20:02:17 on 29.03.11, JessAndGrenville123 wrote:
Haha i always post things twice accidently :P and yeah its hard to bath this time of year but that is always the first reason of itching i think of in cooler months before the flies come out in force then i think sweet itch etc good luck getting to the bottom of it :)