Mohawk

New strategy. Poor Izzy. For the past three or four years, Izzy's summer itch has been such a struggle. I can't even list all of the products and strategies I have tried or used to alleviate his itching. This summer, I am trying something a bit more drastic; I roached his mane.

Pre-clippers.

Izzy had already rubbed out at least the bottom quarter of his mane, and he was working on getting the rest rubbed out as quickly as possible. The parts that weren't yet completely rubbed out were sticking up at odd angles, fuzzy and tangled from his incessant rubbing. I had hoped that by moving him into the stallion pen, which has no-climb wire on all four sides, he wouldn't have a way to rub his mane. Unfortunately, where there is a will, there is a way. Last week, I grabbed the clippers and gave him a buzz cut.

It actually doesn't look that bad as Izzy has a pretty neck. He's like a bald dude with a nice head. I am hoping that I'll be able to keep his mane cleaner and that he'll feel less itchy and sweaty without the hair tickling his neck. I left what mane he had at least an inch tall so that his skin would have some protection, and I buzzed his bridle path as short as always. So far, he has stopped rubbing his neck, but now he is once again rubbing his shoulders. I am also working on soothing that with Zephyr's Garden Skin Rescue which definitely helps.

​I hope a bad haircut relieves some of his itchiness. Poor guy.