ridecamp@endurance.net: RE: Scratches / Nothing to Ignore

RE: Scratches / Nothing to Ignore

Connie Hoge (pvtevt@msn.com)
Thu, 26 Jun 97 23:31:13 UT

In my mares case, the scratches came from a round pen that wasn't well
drained, & was used by many horses in training. After 3 wks when we went to
pick her up, the "scratches" were on all four legs, covering her belly, & up
on her hips in spots. The front legs were wrapped. I was instructed to leave
the wraps on for 24 hrs.

When we arrived home, Jas was so stiff she could hardly get out of the
trailer. I put her in the pasture, just to see her almost fall on her face!
The wraps came off - the swelling was unreal. Besides which her front heels
were cut above the bulbs (from doing roll backs, I think) & looked like raw
hamburger. I think this allowed the fungus even better access into her blood
stream.

Three vets & six weeks of hard work later, she was prounced sound to ride in a
50.

I STILL attribute the bleeding from the coronary bands that occured at the 18
mi. point of that ride - to the fungal infection that accompanied the
scratches. Blood oozed out first, then small beads of a clear liquid. This
eruption caused the resulting (parallel to the coronary) hoof cracks that
appeared 4 wks. later.

Scratches to me - since that experience, are a BIG DEAL. I hate them, & think
that all care should be taken to not only get rid of them ASAP, if they
appear, but to limit exposure to whatever enviroment caused them.

My understanding is that race horses have them almost constantly due to the
fungus being in the footing of the track surface, at least in WA state.

Believe me, I spend hours & hours soaking, scrubbing, scraping, rinsing, &
medicating her. It broke my heart to see her limping around in such pain. She
was SUCH a good girl & would stand with feet in two seperate buckets at a
time, night after night. Then - from the resulting cracks, we lost the rest
of the 96 season. Her last shoeing finally removed the remaining damage.

Think that was probably at least $.50 worth!
Connie H.

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