Mythbuster Monday: Irritated Udders Can Cause Mares to Rub Their Tails
On Mythbuster Monday, we tackle a variety of equestrian myths to either bust or confirm. Today’s discussion: Do irritated udders cause mares to itch their tails?
It’s Mythbuster Monday, where Horse Nation dives into different equestrian myths and provides research-based evidence to either bust or confirm those myths. Today’s topic: Do irritated udders cause mares to scratch their tails? Why does the tail get itchy? What should you do if you suspect your horse is itching her tail due to irritated udders? Read further to find out!
Myth: Irritated udders cause mares to rub their tails
Myth or Fact: Fact
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There are a variety of reasons mares may experience itchy udders. Some of the reasons include exposure to irritating plants, bedding types, topical applications too close to the udders, switching feed, side effects of different medications, dirty udders, or flat out dry skin.
But, will these reasons cause a mare to scratch her tail?
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According to an article by Equiderma, all horses produce smegma. Smegma is a thin, black substance made up of dead skin tissues and natural oils. However, when a mare produces too much, it irritates the udders. This ultimately causes the mare to begin scratching her tail, indicating that her udders need cleaned.
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Horse Health Products also discusses udder irritation accompanied by tail scratching. They provide the rationale that because horses cannot get to the spot to scratch their udders, they scratch the tail in attempt to get some relief. Another point made in this article is that many times, mares get udder irritation due to dry skin. When the mare begins to scratch her tail, the owner thinks to bathe the horse, actually making the dry skin and itching worse.
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PetMD weighs in on the topic of mares scratching their tails when their udders are itchy. They write that the most common reason is due to debris and secretions building up between the udders. While the previous article discussed not washing your horse if the udders were overly dry, it is clear that washing a mare’s udders if they are visibly dirty is a good choice. Mares are not good at cleaning and scratching this area, which is why scratching their tails is the go-to comfort measure.
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Equus Magazine discusses irritated udders due to bug bite sensitivity and environmental irritants. They provide the perspective of how difficult it is for a horse to get to the area of the udders. Mares can’t use their hooves to scratch the area and most aren’t flexible enough to reach around and bite the affected area. This leaves them with plan C, to attempt relief by scratching the tail.
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After diving into the research, it’s apparent that a mare with an itchy tail may be telling you her udders are irritated. There are different ways to handle the irritated udders depending on the source of the irritation. Getting to root cause will stop your mare from scratching and save her lovely tail!
Do you have an equine myth you’d like us to tackle? If so, send it our way! Email your suggestions to [email protected]. Put Mythbuster Monday in your subject line.
