17 replies to this topic

[carolyn thompson]

I just noticed crusty, sensitive patches and scabs on my 21 year old mare's legs. I have successfully treated scratches in the past but this is all over her leg from the hock to her fetlock and not under her fetlock. The back is worse than the front but she has it on all four legs. I didn't notice it on Wednesday and my oblivious husband feeds in the evening on TTh nights when I teach. I can't let them out until 10:45 after class and obviously in the dark I can't observe anything except big problems.

I plan to bathe everyone tomorrow and I will try an antifungal shampoo on ther legs. I haven't had a weekly bathing schedule because I am building a split rail fence around my house. I guess my inattention to bathing in the hot months is going to get me. Any suggestions?

[Mama Mousekewitz]

From the location it sounds like a fungus, keep the area clean and dry, would probably shampoo with antifungal shampoo and gently scrub every other day until better.

I make sure to curry the fronts and backs of my horses legs on a regular basis to keep the "scurf" off and from becoming fungal. Good catching it though!

[Pheobe]

My mare had this a few years back. We bathed the area with a tropical shampoo, waited for it to dry, then clipped her legs and coated them with emu oil. It cleared right up. Comes back every once in a while but never as bad as it was before.

[OHR]

It's still scratches, mud fever, whatever, just a really bad case of it. Been there. Scrub well, removing as much scabbing as you can, and coat it with a mixture of Tinactin cream and triple antibiotic in equal amounts. Do this daily til all you see is healthy skin. And keep those legs dry, out of mud AND wet grass. There's a reason another name for it is dew poisoning.

[carolyn thompson]

It seems if I ever opt to work on a project instead of my normal routine of care it just bites. i am the only one to do projects at my place ( my husband has had 5 back surgeries) and I am so tired of the bull eating my landscaping in the yard. The horses are only interested in mowing which is fine but the bull likes to eat rose bushes hence the fence.The recipe for this has included yeast cream. Do I need that as well?

[Mama Mousekewitz]

Be careful not to scrub too hard or you will irritate it and she will swell, gentle scrubbing is sufficient.

[OHR]

It seems if I ever opt to work on a project instead of my normal routine of care it just bites. i am the only one to do projects at my place ( my husband has had 5 back surgeries) and I am so tired of the bull eating my landscaping in the yard. The horses are only interested in mowing which is fine but the bull likes to eat rose bushes hence the fence.The recipe for this has included yeast cream. Do I need that as well?

I've never used it. Don't think it would hurt anything.

[nashfad]

Do not forget to disinfect your brushes or whatever you use on the legs to not re/cross infect

[ladycascabel]

Tea tree (also called melaleuca) oil or Olbas oil are very effective against fungus. I used Olbas oil on an exotic infestation I got on the palm of my hand when I foolishly aided a goat during her difficult birth of triplets and did not use surgical gloves. The family dermatologist prescribed several things which only made the skin of my hand VERY angry. After three weeks of no results with traditional medicine, I did some research and tried Olbas oil. It had my hand cleared up in three DAYS.

[carolyn thompson]

I have some tea tree oil. What strength do you recommend?