My father-in-law so very graciously gave me a horse (my very first!) for Christmas. I have a lot of experience with horses, I took riding lessons for years, but have never owned myself before until now. Turns out, my sweet new horse has rain rot 
Iāve researched it out, but Iād like first hand advice on how to treat it efficiently so as to hopefully nip it in the bud by spring time. Thanks in advance!!
When we got home from our vacation and found our wooly little Shetland looking like a leper victim from rain rot, we basically scrubbed in apple cider vinegar to help break up the scabs and pulled as many off as we could that didnāt hurt him.
After that we just applied Listerine daily. I really rubbed it in. As soon as a scab came loose we pulled it off and doused him again. The rain rot started healing and going away within a week. I donāt remember clearly how long until it was totally healed but I know it was really fast compared to a friend of mine who used a standard treatment (Truly sorry, I donāt remember what it was).
Just our experience. After that we actually started spraying Listerine on their backs once or twice a week. Itās cheap and makes me feel better.
I did a lot of rainrot work volunteering at a rescue that did a huge intake last January- If you can get the listerine into a little applicator bottle so you can squirt it in at skin level without soaking the coat it will help. Work around and get stuff soft, and then make a second pass and try to get off any scabs that come loose. I also like to use a hot water bottle under a towel blanket (if itās really cold out) next to the area where Iām working- just to give some of the nerves a happy song to sing when Iām doing something potentially painful. I donāt know if there is any science to that- but I believe that nerves canāt give really detailed information (like taste has sweet salty and sour without smell) a nerve might have hot, cold, pleasure, pain, pressure and itch. I like to try to overwrite any negative nerve message with something nice- theyād been through a lot.
You can heal it now- in just a few treatments youāll see new hair coming in. Try to keep the horse dry in between (blanket or stall if itās rainy or snowing)
THIS stuff:
http://www.muckitch.com/?gclid=CNO7j4j1jsMCFchr7AodjAYAyA
Best product Iāve ever found in 40 years with horses. One or two applications does it! Just rub it in well with your hand, and LEAVE it on. Also works great on āscratchesā on backs of the pasterns and heel bulbs, āleg scurf,ā blanket rubs and any other skin eruption or chafe. Super-easy and doesnāt even freeze! 
Itās primarily tea-tree oil with an āaspirinā component in it too. Whatās nice is the oily-ness forms a barrier against further wetting, even if the horse is out. Other ārecipes,ā including the antibiotic shampoos the vets sell, are nearly useless alongside of Muck Itch! (And no, I have no financial interest here).
Thanks, everyone! So it is safe and beneficial to pull the scabs off? And then apply some kind of treatment to the sores? Also, would any or all of you recommend blanketing? Iāve read conflicting information on that subjectā¦
I use chlorhexidine solution, sprayed on as it comes from the gallon jug, undiluted.I do not pick off the scabs, I simply spray it on rubit in, and leave it, the next two or three days I may respray and again rub in. Some scabs will come off but I do not deliberately remove them.
I have found that blankets can be put on, for some with large areas involved, it may be a kindness.
There is also a couple of creams that can be used.
I use chlorhexidine solution, sprayed on as it comes from the gallon jug, undiluted.I do not pick off the scabs, I simply spray it on rubit in, and leave it, the next two or three days I may respray and again rub in. Some scabs will come off but I do not deliberately remove them.
I have found that blankets can be put on, for some with large areas involved, it may be a kindness.
There are also a couple of creams that can be used. One is 1/2 &1/2 chlorhexidine cream, and desitin plus small tube of OTC cortisone. The second is Equishield CK, which also comes as a spray which is very effective.
