Proper care of horses during winter weather can lead to challenges, especially during times when pastures and paddocks are slushy and muddy. Under normal circumstances a horse’s skin and protective coat form effective barriers against the winter elements. However, in very wet and muddy conditions this natural barrier can often be compromised and infectious agents can) gain entry and cause infection.
Bacterial infections in horses - Result of wet weather
A relatively common bacterial infection, rain scald, caused by the invasion of the bacterium Dermatophilus often affects horses left in wet, muddy pastures during winter months.
This can result in the relatively common bacterial infection rain scald) which is an inflammatory skin disease caused by the invasion of the bacterium Dermatophilus. As the name suggests, the condition may arise when the horse is subject to prolonged rainfall or melting snow and ice. The wet coat that results from being in wet, muddy conditions frequently affects horses kept in pastures during the winter months.
A number of factors which may pre-dispose the horse to this condition, such as:
- Conditions of persistent driving rain
- Inadequate access to shelter (either man-made or natural)
- Horses with fine coats and thin skins such as Thoroughbreds, Arabs and some sports horses are at increased risk.
Once the disease is established the signs of winter rain scald make diagnosis quite straightforward, but unfortunately the early signs in pasture kept horses can easily missed. This is especially so during the darker winter months, when days areshort.
If affected, the horse’s coat will have a matted and crusted appearance; small bumps can be felt under the skin. There may be a serous (clear) discharge coming from the affected area and the hair will be tufted. Once the scabs fall off, the skin underneath will be sore and may have some purulent (pus filled) discharge). Affected areas will have severe hair loss which will follow the areas of the horse most commonly soaked by rainwater.
Perfectly healthy horses may be affected, if leaking rugs are not removed and replaced with dry ones. In very severe cases the condition can cause un-thriftiness, weight loss, fever and can be debilitating; it should be considered to be welfare issue.
Often a veterinarians services are needed for satisfactory treatment of rain scald.
Prevention can be achieved through the use of correctly fitting waterproof rugs which should be changed if they become soaked through, adequate shelter and by supply of a nutritionally balanced diet to ensure general well-being and successful skin and hair regeneration.
Read more about Skin Conditions in Horses