Wellness Wednesday - My Biostar Story: Tyberius, The Skin Allergy Horse

Tyberius an 11-year-old, FEI Oldenburg gelding by Jeannie Macdonald’s stallion, Tantris, has battled summer skin allergies for most of his life. Owned and trained by Toi Trent of Aiken, South Carolina, Tyberius came into Toi’s life when he was a six-year-old. He had been purchased from Jeannie by Janice Mumford, who then put him in training with Jim Koford. It was at Jim’s that Toi met and fell in love with Tyberius. Every summer he would develop scabs on his midline, top of his tail and his mane. He was very itchy and uncomfortable.

Toi tried everything: fly sheet, neck sheet, tea tree oil, Ichthamol, Swat, Vasoline with Calm Coat, Camphonique, and fungal shampoos and antiseptics. Her vet recommended a course of Quest and even Collodial Silver, but still nothing worked. “He would rub his tail no matter what I put on it. I got to the point where I thought putting anything topical was just making him itch more.”

Toi and Tyberius headed to Florida the end of January to work with Jim Koford and JJ Tate. Within two weeks of being in Florida Toi said his coat looked terrible despite that she had brought all her own feed and hay for her six week stay. “He looked like he had spent a month in the sun, he looked so bleached–out”, she said.

Toi contacted Biostar and decided to try the Colostrum-38 and on recommendation of Biostar Formulator, Tigger Montague, add coconut oil to his diet, as well as giving him coconut oil baths. She started the colostrum and coconut oil in March after she got home from Florida. In two weeks his coat came back. “This summer his skin has been the best it’s ever been,” Toi reported, “he got one little spot on his tail and I just upped the colostrum for a week, and put the coconut oil on his tail and it cleared right up.”

Toi points out that this is the first summer since she’s owned Tyberius that she hasn’t had to battle his skin allergies. She says happily, “I am so excited about this program because it works, and I don’t like to give a lot of supplements. I think the colostrum is amazing. Now I don’t have to worry because I know he’s comfortable and happy. And he looks so good. When I ask so much of him under saddle I want to make sure he feels comfortable. I know the colostrum is also helping him inside, in ways I cannot see.”

Toi Trent and Tyberius have qualified every year for the regional championships. They recently qualified for the Intermediare-I championships and will compete at the Region One Championships in October. In 2010, they were the South Caroline Dressage and Combined Training Association Champions at Prix St Georges. Toi is president of the SCDCTA. She trains and teaches out of her farm Quintynne Hill Farm in Aiken. She was a long time student of Charles de Kunffy, and regularly clinics with JJ Tate and Jim Koford.