Page 38 - Speedhorse Canada Spring 2020

WINTER SKIN PROBLEMS
IN HORSES
by Heather Smith Thomas
There are a number of skin problems and infections that affect horses, some of which are more frequently seen in winter and wet conditions. Dr. Greg Evans, co-owner of Moore Equine, near Calgary, Alberta, says that in his practice the following are several com- mon skin problems he deals with.
SCRATCHES
“I think inconsistency in weather
and a constantly changing environment can be harder on the skin than a more consistent climate. If your winter is
wet and muddy or alternately dry and wet, this is tough on skin. If horses
are standing in mud or have to walk through muddy areas in their pen or pasture, scratches is the number one skin condition we deal with. There are several names for this, including greasy heel and mud fever. The medical term is pastern dermatitis,” says Evans.
“If your winter is wet and muddy or alternately dry and wet, this is tough on skin.”
“The cause is not always known, but it occurs most frequently in wet conditions. We think there is likely some micro- trauma to the skin of the pastern— maybe a nick or abrasion. In winter, the skin might be broken by ice or crusted snow. If moisture is held against the damaged skin by hair, especially in horses that have a lot of hair on the lower legs, this seems to make them more susceptible,” he explains.
The precise causative organism has never been definitively cultured. “It’s usually a mixed bag of bacteria and fungi that are present in the mud and fecal material the horses are standing in. It starts as a wet rash on the leg/pastern/ heel area and then becomes a crusted scab. The lesion can spread aggressively. In our practice, scratches tends to most commonly affect horses with white
legs.” Pigmented skin seems to be a little tougher and less readily nicked and
Scratches, or pastern dermatitis, occurs frequently in wet conditions on the lower legs. Scratches begins as a wet rash, then becomes multiple firm nodules and sometimes a crusted scab.
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SPEEDHORSE CANADA Spring 2020
EQUINE HEALTH