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
