Righty O, I have a few suggestions that hopefully can help you.First of all I suppose I should introduce myself...My names Karyn and I'm a founding member of the Gypsy Horse Association Australia. (Yes we have all those hairy Gypsy Cob/Vanner/Tinkers whatever you wish to call them) So you can imagine we deal with mites and lice ALL the time. Its a big problem for us importing horses from the UK, getting them through q-teen can sometimes be a bit of trouble if they have a really bad infestation to clear up first. So...You CAN give them An injection of dectomax 1 mill for 50kg of lovely horsefleshThey should only need one dose to clear it up.BUT they don't sell it for horses in Aust. We get it from the UK (where our horses are imported from)You should be able to get it from cattle related stores in AU but depending on how bad it is (horses with bad feather lice can actually develope lymphatic infections so I suggest you clear it up asap!), you may like to try the other methods first that are a little easier to find... You can also give them.2 doses, 10 days apart of Equestgel (horse wormer) we've had good results with it killing them off With the above two methods, you will have to do their manes and tails as well..and any horse on the property (weather feathered or not!) will have to be treated to completely remove the parasites. You can also go to your local pet shop and get some good quality dog flea wash and wash out the feather REALLY well, right down to the skin with that. Makes the poor little fella's allot more comfortable and helps kill off the lice too. We also use white oil through the year on our horses to keep the mites and lice off them as a preventative method. You can usually buy it at any garden shop or nursery, they usually sell it as an aphid spray, you have to wash the feather right down to the skin then just rub the oil through the feather. Hope that's a help! By the way, wanted to say how impressed with the site I am! I stumbled over it only yesterday while searching for a Clydesdale filly to buy. It's a great idea!! Will be a frequent visitor! Keep up the great work!

Hi,
I have had a similar problem, I ended up using Tigivon Cow lice pore on, I was actually told to use this by a vet it was many years ago & I still use it 9 years later, at the worst you can burn a horse with sensitive skin BUT I have never had a problem with it burning my stock, & at the time I was treating 23 animals, when & if you first use it, pore to onto the neck under the main or another part of the body that won't be seem or is white, just in case it does burn them, that way you won't be able to see the burn mark, I have even used it on my in foal brood mares, it has never hurt any of them or the foals they were carrying. The vets will tell you not to use it but I have never had a problem with it. If that doesn't work all I can suggest is coat the area with petroleum jelly as it will eventually suffocate them, but don't do it for more that 9 days at a time as you can damage the feathers, & be sure to wash it of the feather very well ! & after treating them with the jelly, apply oil with sulpher powder mixed in ( one good handful to 4ltr of oil ) mixed in with it to help bring back the feathers, as well as clean them up & get all of the loose skin & scruff out of the feathers.
Hope it helps !

My farrier had the same problem with one of his clydies. Put bleach on the feathers, leave for a few moments and shampoo out.

Anne McCartney

I think I can help you. I also rescued my Clydesdale from the meat man. Charlie was bought by my riding school boss to bring on and use in the school. Although my boy was older, he ended up run down and broken. He had to have his eye removed due to cancer and he looked like a toast rack as he couldn't eat properly due to a massive abcess in his mouth. None of the staff concerned themselves with him other than myself. Even now a year on I don't know how they got away with it. I had notified the vet but nothing was done about his eye till it was too late. He was completely neglected. Eventually he did recieve vet treatment but soon afterwards my bosses decided they didn't want the hassle of him anymore... probably due to the massive vet bills. I knew where they were planning to send him so i took him on loan with a view to buy. Just before I started my payments i unfortunately became redundant although they offered me Charlie for free as a compensation which i took them up on. This was probably the best thing that had ever happened to him or me as I am now in a far better equestrian job and Charlie is being cared for by my partner and fellow staff as if he were their own. I am now showing him in hand and have started to re-back him.

As per your problem there are a few options you could try. If you have other horses where yours is kept that are friendly and trustworthy, putting a companion in with him is a good place to start. If he can see his friend being happy and content with you he will start to associate you as a normal 'nice' visitor. Add in treats and he will soon be curious enough to come over and try for nibble. If you have electric fencing then you can start making the field smaller and smaller so he has to remain nearer to you. If you have a barn or stable facility, the best way to encourage trust in a very nervous and warey horse can sometimes be by silent conditioning. If you can build a channel to the barn or stable and herd him in. leave him until he is quiet and after a good hour or so (since he has quietened down) go to the door and place in a small amount of feed or pony nuts in a bucket. then go away and leave him to it. as long as there is enough hay and water in the stable to do, don't come back until the next feeding time. It won't take long for him to realise your appearence means he gets fed. once he has stopped running from the feed visits you should stick around more. Every time you see him you should be gradually conditionig him to your presence and voice, eventually he will come, although you shouldn't push the physical connection. you can rest your arm on the door or something of the sort... when he is ready for the touch he will come to you.

I hope this helps you. Feel free to mail me back for further info and advice if needed. I really understand how you must be feeling and would love to help if i can.

Best wishes

Karen x

I have been breaking in and educating troubled horses for 20 yrs, and have a few quick ways that may be of some help if you still need it number (Contact site manager for www.allthingsclydesdale com.au)

Scott James
Teamster
Carlton Draught Clydesdale Team
PROUDLY KEEPING THE TRADITION ALIVE

Hi there,
We also used to have quite a problem with this, but for the last 6 years we have been using Dectomax Injectable made by Pfizer. It is used for cattle/pigs to control parasites. I dont know how many horses you have but usually if one has it they've all got it, especially if they are running together. To buy a bottle (500ml) is about $400 +- depending on where you get it, for one horse it may be more economical to see if your vet has any for single dose. To treat each horse you use 30ml (15ml each side of neck or 10ml each side and 10ml in brisket). You will need to repeat this in 3weeks time as initial dose kills parasite and follow up kills any hatchings. This works for us and these doses are correct as our previous vet researched doses etc and we generally dont have any problems for at least 12months. (Just did all our horses again last thursday) To help with treatment i also soak legs in warm water to soften scabs and scrub them really well with shampoo.
I hope this helps you out.
Lynda,
Featherfoot Park Clydesdales

Often when they get lice and you can't get rid of them - the horse is lacking sulfur in the diet. Try that along with making a soap with listerine.

Sincerely
Linda S. Hansen, DC
Animal Sports Therapy, LLC
717-315-6317

www.Animalsportstherapy.com

Hi
Your horse with lice, you could try feeding him garlic granules in his feed , 1 heaped tablespoon daily. plus some blood cleansing herbs for his immune system.
Try
www.kugelmans.com for supplies and have a chat. Worth a go

Thanks chantell