Query for horse owners

[Spreckly]

I have been trying to get hold of kaolin (or china clay) ointment. My sheltie needs her ears "tipping" every few weeks to prevent them flying up. In the past I have been given a small quantity of kaolin, but this supply is now running out, and despite contacting sheltie folk, I have not been able to discover where they obtain it from.

I've trawled ebay and Amazon, equine supplies, asked the chemist and our vet, without success. My stepdaughter uses a different product for her horses, so I am really stuck.

I can use blue tak or chewing gum, but I really don't want to.

Please have any of you any idea where I can get kaolin the consistency of Sudocrem? I can get kaolin powder, but don't think it will work when mixed with water. I only need a small quantity, not a huge tub.

[nicklincs]

Why do the ears need to be prevented from flying up ?

[Spreckly]

Because the breed standard decrees that a sheltie's ears must be tipped over Nick!

[nicklincs]

So just a cosmetic thing again then. Cant say i agree with putting chewing gum or blu tack on them.

[HedgeHugger]

My mum would sometimes have to use a dab of kaolin to weight the dogs ears (rough collies), eventually they would stay down by themselves. Seem to remember a sticking plaster and some pellets (airgun/lead shot?). You still show then? My mum stopped in the eighties but judged occasionally after.

[Spreckly]

No Hedgehugger, I do not show this dog. I started with my previous sheltie. The advice for tipping the ear was given years and years ago when I first started with the breed.

We had a Rough Collie about twenty years ago. His ears were perfect.

[HedgeHugger]

Most of ours had 'proper' ears too, but the occasional one needed a hand.
They do look prettier with folded ears rather than straight up and pricked (in my view anyway).