# Recurrent scabs on horse's legs?



## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Eventer, it sounds like a fungus.

My gray Arabian gets something similar every year, and my vet said it's a fungus of some type.

Good for you for keeping it mostly under control, as it can spread up their legs and onto the rest of their body if it's not taken care of properly.

I found a mixture of Betadine, bleach (just a smidge), a drop of dish washing liquid, and water helps clear it up.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

Does it sound like this? REMEDY FOR "SCRATCHES" by Heather Smith Thomas [01/01;F;101f5]

And look like some of these pictures? The worst pics are what can happen if Scratches is left unattended. scratches on horses - Google Search

You are doing a good job of keeping them clean. You can also put some generic diaper rash cream on the sores to help them heal faster and keep the flies off.

I don't show, so I can hack my poor horses legs up any way I feel like to keep Scratches at a minimum. I just shaved everyone's fetlock areas down, crewcut style, this morning. This is the third shaving this year and I have only had Scratches outbreaks right after it rains, the sun comes out and they walk thru the humid/wet grass.

I never used to cut leg hair but I do since I moved here because two of the four are a lot more prone to Scratches and Rainrot these days.

It's a good thing their fetlock hair isn't part of their breed standards because I shave it clear back to where one can see the Ergot:shock:

The purpose of shaving all that hair is to allow the skin to dry quicker; the hair holds moisture in and the begets scratches sores on horses prone to them.

The immune system plays an important role, as well. Like people, some horses naturally have a weaker immune system. My horse most prone to Scratches is also on herbs for dust/mold/pollen allergies. I feed him 2,400 I.U. of people Vitamin E daily, during the warm months, to help.

Welcome to the forum, hope this information is helpful for you and if you want to see pictures of their hairless hooves, I'll be happy to take some


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## Ladytrails (Jul 28, 2010)

I agree with Walk's advice about clipping - don't irritate the skin or you will spread whatever it is through the tiny breaks in the skin that clipping can cause. I had the experience of the worst case of scratches that my vet has ever seen, which was caused by killing one thing (bacteria and fungus) just to let another thing (Pseudomonas bacteria) take over. She got vasculitis and her back legs stocked up - which sometimes is permanent. I got lucky - but mine started out EXACTLY what you're describing, just dime-sized scabs that came off but didn't heal properly. Since that episode, what's worked best for me is nutrition (like Walk said, and also I use omega 3s for general immune system and skin/coat health) and I now swear by Vetericyn spray gel. It dries up and clears up any spots and keeps them from spreading. There was a therapy horse at our therapeutic riding center who had a bad case and they'd tried everything - and I recommended Vetericyn for him. Cleared up him in a week, I'm happy to say. It's expensive, $30-40 for 16 oz, but much less than the $1600 in IV antibiotics I went through that first year.


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## eventer757 (Feb 23, 2009)

Thanks for your replies! The scabs are on the front of her fetlocks for the most part, are single scabs, so doesn't look like any case of scratches I've seen. I will continue cleaning and will try the solution you recommended, Speed Racer, and I'll look for that spray to prevent infection. I've been wondering, though, how effective cleaning the scabs are since they are so thick. I'll keep doing it, of course, if just to keep it from spreading  But will it ever go away?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## horselvr (Apr 5, 2011)

Do you have any photos? Does it look like this:


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## eventer757 (Feb 23, 2009)

Hmm no not really...I'll take some today and post them 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Royal Pine Buck (May 28, 2011)

kind of sounds like mud fever... are they itchy? or do they hurt? i would agree to clip the hair..moisture is only trouble. you want them to stay as dry as possible. apply an iodine shampoo like mega tech by equss to the site. but wouldn't keep washing them.. sometimes it makes them worse by repeatedly shampooing or scrubbing as it allows more bacteria to enter the pores as it washes the natura oils away.

if she is standing it wet (usually a stall is worse than ouside) try to keep it clean and dry.

good luck


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## spirit88 (Jan 12, 2011)

horselvr i have a gelding with the same thing on one of his hind legs on the front of his cannon bone. Only diffrence is he has no white on that leg.Iv been treating it with a fungus shampoo but doesnt seem to make any diffrence.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

Royal Pine Buck said:


> kind of sounds like mud fever...


Mud Fever and scratches are the same --- it gets confusing because there are so many different names for the same skin conditions.

Where I am from originally it as always called mud fever but where I now live, it is called scratches

Some horses are more prone than others because their immune systems are weaker.

My 23 yr old never had skin issues until he was diagnosed with insulin resistance four years ago. The skin issues came upon him like a fire storm; caught me totally off guard because he'd always been so healthy no matter what part of the country we lived in:-(

The strict diet he is on for his IR helps, plus I have him on 12,000 I.U. of Vitamin E daily; that is in addition to what he gets from pasture, hay & vit/min supplements. I cut that way back in the winter but, along with keeping his legs clipped really short, the large doses of Vit E help immensely.


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## horselvr (Apr 5, 2011)

spirit88 said:


> horselvr i have a gelding with the same thing on one of his hind legs on the front of his cannon bone. Only diffrence is he has no white on that leg.Iv been treating it with a fungus shampoo but doesnt seem to make any diffrence.


I cleared it up fairly quickly by using Betadine. Not the shampoo just straight surgical betadine. I would soak them down with the betadine, let it sit for ten minutes then try to pull off what i could. Rinse it off and dry it. Key was keeping it dry after. She was not let out in the pasture she was stall bound to make sure it stayed dry. Took me just about a week to clear it up. I did the betadine daily for 6 days and on day 7 she had no hair left on her legs but it was cleared up. Just have to keep picking the tufts of hair and scabs off. You have to rinse off the betadine because it will burn their skin if you dont. (so I've been told) Hope that helps!!


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