Rainy Day - Rain Rot

Rain Rot or Rain Scald is layman’s term for a common equine bacterial skin disease caused by Dermatophilus congolensis. It is characterized by the formation of crusty scabs, which peel off along with clumps of hair, leaving bare spots on the skin. As its name implies, rain rot appears on the parts of the body exposed to rain: the top of the head, neck and back. It rarely occurs on the legs or belly.

Left untreated, it may lead to secondary infections, such as Staphylococcal folliculitis. In very rare situations, it can progress to a point at which the bacterial population overwhelms the horse’s immune system. These extreme cases may exhibit fever, pain, loss of appetite and other signs of discomfort in addition to large areas of hair loss.

The vast majority of healthy horses heal spontaneously from rain rot without any treatment necessary, so long as the environmental factors are removed. If your horse is turned out frequently in rainy conditions, be sure he has access to shelter—a shed or lean-to. I have all these things, but if the boys or the Blacks don't want to avail themselves of the offerings, there is not much I can do about it.

Skip keeps his rain rot on the tops of his hocks and on his crop. I peel it away with one of the rubber noodle-y curry combs, debride the affected parts carefully, to remove any loose hair. Be extremely gentle, the area is very sore, can also bleed and horse will very quickly get fidgety. Next shampoo the area, use warm water and I like to use EzAll, a foaming horse cleaner, which can be left on if you can't rinse, but the boys like baths, so that is no problem for me. Remove as much water as possible and dry the horse off, let them stand in the sun until completely dry. It is important not to let the horse roll! The rain scald bacteria may be picked up from the soil. The EzAll will keep them clean, too, and not allow dirt to stick to their hair. I hand graze while they are drying off.

With the Blacks, and the winter weather, it is obviously impossible to treat their rain rot. Beau's condition is worse, and he now lets me comb him with the metal curry comb. His hair is coming off in clumps. He also has it on his ears. Ally is not as bad, but she could use a bath, too. Regular de-worming is good, too, as that helps control some skin ailments, like mange.

We've been using Gold Bond Medicated powder. It seems to give them some relief, although neither wants to have it put on them. It's one of those things that is contagious, and I don't want all my horses looking like their stuffing is knocked out.