Scabs on pastern - so unattractive!

[sara]

So my OTTB boy, who was a former lesson horse until he became mine, has some scabbing on his left rear pastern that I think is from his leg being wrapped when he kicked himself about 2 months ago. I’m not too concerned about where the scabbing came from, as there hasn’t been any increase in the number or size, but there are about 2-3 large ones on his pastern that I just can’t seem to get rid of. I’ve tried picking them off to facilitate hair growth but 2 of them are still too tender for me to get off without him moving around. I’ve also attempting scrubbing them with a scrubby mitt when I rinse him off after riding or when giving him a bath but the scabs are just too large or too hard for this to have any effect on them.

Any advice to get them off his pastern? They just don’t do any favors for him in the looks department :disgust:. I’ve worked super hard at getting him to look gorgeous and these stupid scabs are the one thing that keeps thwarting me!

[sketcher]

Either leave them alone until they heal up and fall off or have a vet take a look and make sure they are really scabs from bandage rubs and that there is not another issue going on. Two months is a long time. Does he ever stand in mud?

If you really must do something then you can soften them with Vaseline but first you should really make sure it is not scratches or some other skin condition before applying anything that would soften them as you risk making an underlying problem worse. .

[Simkie]

Spray with a chlorhexidine solution daily. Don’t touch otherwise.

Worked awesome for my mare that had some scratches on her pasterns for nearly a year.

[Laurierace]

Do a search on scratches. I like a mixture of generic diaper rash cream, athletes foot cream. And triple antibiotic ointment. Equiderma works well too.

[sara]

I tried to do a basic search but I either had sucky key words or just needed to look harder because not a lot turned up. But I’ll definitely try again I think I might hit up the drugstore before the barn tomorrow to try the mix Laurie recommends and then see if my trainer has any chlorhexidine solution as well. I guess I just need to keep experimenting!

[CrowneDragon]

If it has been going on for this long I’d have the vet look at it, in case it is something like leukoclastic vasulitis (not that uncommon), and what you are doing is just making it worse.

[ForeverInBreeches]

Sounds more like scratches. My horse gets these all the time, but only on the pink skin on his white socks. I find that two applications of MTG will usually clear them right up.

[marta]

earlier this summer i thought my mare got a cut on her pastern, above the coronary band. shortly thereafter, she got another. it turned out that they were not cuts but some form of scratches (allergic dermatitis). giant oozing sores that would scab over to look like it was a cut. then another would appear out of nowhere in the vicinity. and so on and so forth. both her hind legs were involved but she also had a bad outbreak on her rump. vet did culture thinking maybe ringworm but nothing specific grew.

my mare has a compromised immune system (cushings) so we had a hell of a time fighting it. in the end the vet’s scratches ointment (zinc oxide, azium and SMZ’s) got it done but it took a long time. hair on her rump is only now growing back… don’t pick the scabs. treat it as if it’s scratches. get the vet out if you’re not sure.

[PNWjumper]

My TB has 4 or 5 pencil eraser-sized scabs on his RH that he’s had for the 7 years I’ve had him. I’ve asked numerous vets about them and every other horse professional who’s worked on him (farriers, dentists, bodyworkers, etc.). All are confounded, but none have felt that it’s worthwhile to culture (speaking vets only). Most of the vets look at him and go, “eh, it’s fungus of some sort. We live in a wet area. No big deal.” And it doesn’t bother him except when I pick at them (short of actually peeling the scabs I can poke and prod all over and around them with no reaction).

He also has a wound on his heel bulb right at his coronet band presumably from the exit of an abscess many, many years ago that won’t heal. We’ve tried just about everything you can try (including dozens of different topicals over the years, laser treatment, etc.), and he’s been on serious rounds of antibiotics in a couple of instances…the last when he got cellulitis in that leg (which very well could be tied to the won’t-heal-scabs), and nothing seems to make a difference. But with the cellulitis incident I’m much more concerned about the presence of the excellent little access points and am going to have my vet culture the spots to see if we come up with anything.

So I can’t offer any help since I have no idea what’s up with my guy, but I feel for you!

[CrowneDragon]

[QUOTE=PNWjumper;7107707]
My TB has 4 or 5 pencil eraser-sized scabs on his RH that he’s had for the 7 years I’ve had him…

He also has a wound on his heel bulb right at his coronet band presumably from the exit of an abscess many, many years ago that won’t heal…[/QUOTE]

Have you ever tried treating it as vasculitis? It sounds exactly like my gelding, who has slits in 3 of his 4 hind heel bulbs that look like an abscess just blew out. He has to be constantly treated with topical steroids (betamethasone or triamcinolone) to keep them quiet.

[4THEHORSES]

Second the scratches comment. I treat alternate days with Vetrycin and Neosporin. Works a treat.

[merrygoround]

Search for “Scratches”. There is an all OTC combo that works miracles.

[CarolinaGirl]

I bought some stuff in the UK call Muddy Buddy Magic Mud Kure Cream. Literally takes two days of applying it and the pasterns clear right up!
Found it here: http://www.equestrianclearance.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/p/veterinary/lincoln-muddy-buddy-magic-mud-kure-cream/3886

[sorrelfilly721]

What is MTG?

[ElisLove]

[QUOTE=sorrelfilly721;7155443]
What is MTG?[/QUOTE]

Horrible bacon grease crap that often causes the horses horrible burns/reactions that may possibly aid in hair growth if it doesn’t burn all the hair off.

[sdlbredfan]

Do not worry about how it looks, sheesh! Do stop picking at the scabs. That poor horse. Do get the Vet out and do what the Vet tells you. It is clear that what you have been doing is not working.

[rcloisonne]

[QUOTE=ElisLove;7155498]
Horrible bacon grease crap that often causes the horses horrible burns/reactions that may possibly aid in hair growth if it doesn’t burn all the hair off.[/QUOTE]
Tell us how you really feel about this product. :applause:

[Jealoushe]

Tamanu oil…http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/oilprofile/tamanu.php

Amazing…will heal it right up.

[Larbear]

@CarolinaGirl

I bought some stuff in the UK call Muddy Buddy Magic Mud Kure Cream. Literally takes two days of applying it and the pasterns clear right up!

Bumping this old thread because I was curious about the Lincoln Muddy Buddy ointment. I saw it while I was poking around online for wound ointments etc. I can’t find much on it but is this stuff just basically ichthammol?

https://www.bigdweb.com/product/lincoln+muddy+buddy+ointment+500g.do?sortby=ourPicksAscend&page=2&refType=&from=fn&ecList=7&ecCategory=100605

[TheHunterKid90]

They’re most likely scratches.

Silver Sulfa, Desitin and Zinc Oxide cream mixed together with some injectable dexamethasone is a great DIY treatment.

Some people have good luck with that blue stuff.