Last year one of our geldings completed the MTRA Shore to
Shore. He seemed a little off after we came home and I couldn't pinpoint a
particular leg-- just seemed uncomfortable in the front. I pulled his front
shoes to really check out his hooves. The next day LOTS of scratches covered
the pasterns of his front legs. It was the weirdest thing that I ever saw!
After the scratches blew out and I treated them, he was sound
again.
So here's my question. Can scratches be similar
to Herpes Virus? People vulnerable to shingles and cold sores break
out under stress. Could horses do the same? Can they pass this around on
contact? I've never had a problem before.
I treated the scratches with the Betadine wash, scab
picking, Thuja/Zinc Oxide ect. What a long drawn out affair. I had several young
horses break out with heel scratches last winter on their hind legs only after I
had treated the other horse. They all have white legs and none of them had ever
been off the farm. It took months to totally clear it up.
This year I read a blip about scratches/fungus being
treated with household bleach. Well about a month ago I notice my husband's
gelding had some rainrot over his loin/hip are. I rubbed diluted bleach solution
onto the area just to wet the skin and scabs. I didn't pick the scabs. I did it
again one week later. The crud is gone. I would use caution with bleach as some
horses might be sensitive to it. But it did the trick for me and faster than
anything else tha I've ever tried.
The race track vets often suggested Captan (a rose bush
fungicide) for fungus. It can be hard to find. So, I haven't used it. But with
all the rain and cold, I might be searching fo some.
Vicky Smith
