Rain Rot in Horses – Equine Health Care

How to care your Horse health? – Seek equine therapy. Read on to know the best treatment of Rain Rot in horses – home remedies

Does your horse have crusty scabs on its skin? Do they peel off your horse with clumps of its hair and leave bare spots on its skin? If yes, your horse is suffering from Rain rot. Read on to know more about rain rot in horses.

1- What causes rain rot in horses?

Rain rot is a common bacterial skin disease in horses. It is caused by an organism called dermatophilus congolensis. Rain rot is seen on those parts of a horse’s body which are exposed to rain. Examples are its back, neck, and head.

It is frequently seen in regions having high humidity, warm temperature, heavy rainfall and proliferation of insects. These create the perfect breeding conditions for these bacteria.

2- How does rain rot spread?

The bacterial spores, which produce rain rot penetrate a horse’s skin when it has experienced some trauma. Examples of this trauma are wounds, scrapes or abrasions.

Insect bites and excess moisture on the horse’s skin can also allow the bacterial spores to penetrate its outer skin layers. After this, they spread throughout the inner body.

Due to this invasion, your horse’s immune system will produce extra proteins and white blood cells. This then causes the formation of pustules (small bumps filled with pus) on your horse’s skin and result in scabs.

3- What conditions cause the rain rot to spread?

A) The bacterial organism has to infect your horse. It can become infected as a result of shared saddle blankets, halters, brushes and leg wraps or by brushing against other infected horses.

B) Your horse’s skin has been damaged (as a result of a cut or a scrape)

C) There is generally poor stable management in the form of poor ventilation and damp stalls.

4- Is rain rot painful for your horse?

No, the scabs formed as a result of the rain rot does not hurt your horse. They do not lead to any itchy sensation. But, if you try removing the scabs they may be painful for your horse. If you try to remove the scabs, be very gentle and do it slowly.

5- Will rain rot go away on its own?

At times rain rot does disappear on its own. This happens due to your horse getting rid of the bacterial organism when they shed their coat of hair.

But, you shouldn’t wait for it to go away. Go to your veterinarian and start treatment before the condition becomes worse.

6- Rain Rot Treatment for Horses

The best way to treat rain rot is to wash your horse with antibacterial and antimicrobial shampoos. These help in killing the bacterial organism. You should also carry out the following steps:

A) Protect your horses from insects

Keep your horse in a well-ventilated and clean air which is dry. Give it protection against insects. Rain rot can spread to other horses, so make sure to separate it from other horses which have rain rot.

B) Use horse shampoo

Use an antibacterial and antimicrobial shampoo. Lather your horse vigorously and leave on for 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water and a conditioner. Repeat daily for a week.

C) Manage scabies in horses gently

Remove any scab which is present. This might be painful for your horse, so do this step gently. Temporarily moisten the scabs which will make them soft and subsequently easy to remove. Dry the horse thoroughly as soon as you remove the scabs.

D) In case your horse is infected badly by rain rot, you should immediately go to your veterinarian and seek medical assistance.

Rain Rot in Horses – Equine Health Care

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