Newsdate: Monday January 09, 11:00 am
Location: GILROY, California

In spite of the relief that rain brings to drought-stricken areas such as California, the extra moisture can create health problems for horses because of prolonged exposure to wet, muddy areas.

Horse standing on the bank of a flooding river

In spite of the relief that rain brings to drought-stricken areas such as California, extra moisture can create health issues for horses because of prolonged exposure to moisture and muddy areas.
© 2017 by M Francis McCarthy New window.

Prolonged wet weather also increases the risk of skin and feet infections in horses. A horse living on wet ground with no shelter from the rain, or standing in water, can potentially develop hoof abscesses, various dermatologic conditions and a host of other diseases,

Incidents of rain rot, rain scald, scratches, mud fever, a common bacterial dermatitis caused by Dermatophilis congolensis increase during wet weather. The most important factors in the initiation of dermatophilosis are skin damage and moisture. The exudative, crusted lesions are found over the rump and topline, face and neck and pasterns, coronets and heels in horses.

Wet, poorly drained pastures and paddocks are commonly associated with the distal limb dermatitis. A definitive diagnosis is based on cytology, skin biopsy and culture.

In addition, wet muddy conditions can predispose horses to foot infections. Horses who are in wet, muddy pastures/paddocks are at increased risk of developing hoof abscesses. The horse will present with lameness and should be examined by a veterinarian to determine the extent of the infection and foot structures involved.

With the extra moisture, horse owners need to be on the lookout for health problems in their horses including more insect-borne diseases especially if periods of heavy rains are followed by milder weather. Biting insect populations increase significantly following excessive rainfall and thrive in flooded and previously flooded areas.

Mosquitoes and biting flies spread a number of viral diseases, such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE) and West Nile virus (WNV). The natural disease cycle is a bird/mosquito transmission cycle. When the virus becomes more prevalent in nature, it may spill over into horses, other animals and humans.

In addition, If your barn and stable are in an area that is prone to flooding, an emergency plan with carefully-determined escape routes for both people and animals is important. If you receive advance warning that flooding is imminent, move your animals along with feed and clean water to higher ground.

Make sure they will not be left in standing water or in areas that may later be cut off by flooding. Many county extension offices in flood-prone areas have information relative to what to do in cases of flooding. Make use of as much local information as possible to protect the health and possibly the lives of horses and other animals.