I habe one that I’ve been fighting this for years. I’ve tried added vit e, zinc, copper, removing alfalfa, etc. And tons of creams. The best ive found, and the scratches are almost gone, is kinetic equishield ck cream. The ck plus hc cream is even better, but pricey. I had to use it every day, and rub in well to soften the scabs. Then once every week or 2 I wash with betadine and let it sit for awhile and then loosen the scabs more.
Have you tried mixing in smz pills made into a paste in any of your topicals? When I have a stubborn case that usually kills it.
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A farm I used to work at a million years ago had a couple broodies who had a terrible time with this. We tried all sorts of things from the vet and nothing healed the scabs completely. The farrier - an ancient cowboy - suggested wrapping their legs with diapers soaked in sauerkraut juice. Seeing as we had tried everything else, we figured why not. We wrapped the soaked diapers in plastic wrap, then placed standing wraps over the top and left it on for 48 hours… and be darned if it didn’t work. It stank terribly and I have never been able to eat sauerkraut again, but that has been my go-to remedy ever since.
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You win the weird horse story of the week award. Have a 
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I have used many prescription and OTC preparations for this common problem. It seems each case is different and no one thing works across the board. EXCEPT! I worked for a Vet. And he gave his own horses oral fluconazol when the dermatitis would pop up. It would be gone in 2-3 days and stay away. Sometimes using a benzoyl peroxide wash would help some ( yes acne meds) and I love to use neutrogena T Sal shampoo to keep the skin scrupulously clean. Ohh! And one horse with inch thick scabbing and whorls of hair on the pasturns, we kept it sprayed with scarlet oil initially to soften it up and that was also helpful.
I agree with (a) do a scrape if you can to try to identify cause, so you don’t contribute to possible resistance if you don’t have to, and (b) add more cu/zn. This past winter was the first that I have successfully kept my horses on increased levels of this & it was also the first winter that, despite record rain levels, we had ZERO issues with any plaguing leg crud!
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I have had great luck with Equiderma’s protocol for scratches. I use both the lotion and the zinc oxide cream for an active case and use the zinc cream alone as a preventative when turning out in wet grass in the summer.
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I feel your pain! I have a horse prone to winter scratches. Also cellulitis and hoof abscesses. Was never a problem until we moved here.
I finally got it in hand with copper and zinc. She needed quite a lot–she gets a full scoop poly copper/poly zinc from Horsetech daily. When she’s dumping her summer coat and growing her winter one in late summer, I go to a scoop and a half. No idea why she needs so much, everything looks fine on paper, but the horse definitely disagrees.
To turn the corner on the active scabby stuff, I use something emollient for a few days to soften and remove the scabs (udder balm or corona) and then a steroid (triamcinolone) on the fresh skin + top with an emollient. You can get triamcinolone OTC as Nasacort.
If you’re wrapping a leg with active scabby stuff, hydrocolloid dressings are awesome. You can get them pretty cheap from amazon. Leave them on and alone for as long as they’ll stick, then replace.
I never had luck with zinc cream (although sometimes use it on top of the emollient to make it last longer) or Equiderma.
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Another vote for Equiderma. I have used their zinc paste for pastern dermatitis and scratches, and their lotion for any body rainrot. Both products are great!
Dealt with this on and off for months. Multiple rounds of antibiotics, including IV. Honey finally saved the day and was the cure. Organic, local (not even the expensive Manuka stuff). Slapped it on, repeated daily, scabs were off and pink skin healing within a week.
My theory? Some sort of soil microorganism, either fungal or bacterial, that the horse’s immune system cannot beat off. Honey is one of the few substances that is both anti fungal and antibacterial, yet super kind to skin.
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@ChasseurSauteur I use that same concoction as well and it works fantastic. the only modification I made was adding dexamethasone powder to the mix. I struck out on every other OTC and prescription medication.
Something to think about for horses with stubborn or recurring infections.
I had my gelding in today for intradermal allergy testing. He tested very, very positive for staph bacteria. So his immune system overreacts to the bacteria, instead of just fighting if off. We were ending up with “scratches”, hives, rainrot, etc.
Never had a problem in the spring, just in the fall (turns out that the fall is when most of his allergens are present). Typically needed systemic antibiotics and steroid/antifungal/anitbacterial/zinc creams to get things under control. Last year he also got oral dex for awhile as he was having respiratory flare-ups from seasonal allergies.
Hoping that allergy shots, meds when needed, and some prescription shampoo during mud season will keep things at bay.
He has also been getting additional copper and zinc to balance the high iron here.
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Chinese herbs brought us ephedra. Y’all remember that? That was DRUGS! 
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I have a TB with this issue and I’ve tried everything! Some things work for a while or help somewhat, but I have FINALLY hit on the solution. Wash with betadine scrub (leave on for 10-15 min) then rinse. Dry thoroughly. Use Animax (Rx from vet) and rub into scabby areas. You should find that the scabs come loose and start to come off after a couple of days. You should be able to cut back on the amount of scrubbing and amount of cream you need over time.
I also like to use a Betadine scrub/shampo and then rub gently. Dry thoroughly and maybe hand graze in the sun to be sure it’s very dry, then I just keep applying Apple cider vinegar. I use your organic ACV with the “mother“ but I suspect regular old ACV would work. Or perhaps it’s the organic with the “mother“ that makes it work. As long as I keep the ACV on daily and rub it in gently, it stays away. Getting it under control when it’s really bad, is definitely more difficult. The betadine really helped me a lot initially.
Oh yes honey also works wonders!!! Watch out for the bees though, they will be after you and your horse
I tried the copper/zinc supplements to no avail. My guy gets them every Aug here in the midwest. Chlorhexadine scrub left on 15 min and twice a day SMZ’s are the only thing for him that works although the honey sounds interesting.
Thanks all for the tips. Lots to try here.
He was prescribed Animax and that seems to be helping for now, along with scrubbing with Betadine and letting it sit as was recommended. However now he has a large scab on the inside of the hind pastern that he keeps rubbing off with the opposite foot. Fetlock guards/rings hit right on the scab so they rub it too. Next thing to try will be a fllecey bell boot flipped upside down to hopefully give it time to heal.
I have also ordered the copper and zinc to add to his diet. I think a paddock/turnout change may be in his future as well. I’m starting another thread on his current issues…
Maybe try Biozide wound gel. One of my horses recently had some kind of dermatitis on his lower hind leg between the hock and fetlock. It looked like rain rot or pastern dermatitis, but in an uncommon place. I slathered Biozide on it, waited 2 days, scraped off scabs and re-applied Biozide, waited 2 more days, finished scraping off scabs and then washed the leg. Dermatitis was completely healed. For those not familiar, Biozide is basically betadine in gel form. It will kill bacteria and fungi, and the gel stays put and keeps flies off.
