Out of 12 horses I help my neighbor take care of, there is one that is very prone to rain rot. During the summer I just give her a bath with diluted listerine and it clears up pretty quickly. What do you do in the winter though? This is the first time she has gotten it when it is cold outside and we don’t have heated water (except in the house) or a heated barn. They have shelter but it’s just as cold as outside.
I’ve heard that some people have success spot treating with listerine (and you can also spray or clean brushes with it). Some people swear by MTG but I never had any luck with it. There’s a product out there called banixx(?) which I would spot treat with and it would take care of all my winter rain rot woes. (For me it was a seasonal issue - the slightest hint of damp under a blanket would cause rain rot for my guy.)
Just make sure whenever you apply your product of choice in a spot treatment approach that it gets down to the skin. Other than that, I think there’s a number of things on the market that people have varying degrees of success with.
I’ve had great success with Goldbond Medicated Foot Powder (I got the generic brand). When I first bought my OTTB she was boarded at a pretty rough place with inadequate shelter and she was wet a lot. I moved her home while it was still cold and read about the medicated foot powder and gave it a shot. It worked very well and obviously no need for water. I’ve used it for scratches as well. Just dump some on the area and gently rub it in to get it down to the skin.
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All you need to do is rub some Equiderma Lotion into those areas. Smells great and just leave it there. It clears up rain rot in a couple days. Can be used to prevent it in future.
I purchased a horse that had some when I got her due to living in a pasture setting and she chose to stand out in the elements. I used the eqyss Micro Tek products (there is a spray and a shampoo) and it cleared up.
Muck Itch works the best of all. Put it on and leave it on.
I would also recommend Equiderma.
I like Equiderma too but would be hesitant to use it in the winter. It’s a lotion that makes their hair and skin wet.
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I recently tried Equiderma from a free sample bottle. It worked great on the spots on a warm-ish day but the rain rot on my OTTB is spreading like wild even though he’s not out in rain (he’s blanketed, he does roll in muddy turnout, but the rot is all over, not just in the spots where he’s getting his skin wet. I’m at wit’s end as I can’t imagine covering him in lotion. He’s on SMZs with no change. Maybe the powder…I picked up a can of Gold Bond original strength but the active ingredient is just menthol…
Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I have lots of options to try now.
Hmm that may be, I wasn’t quite sure of the ingredients but Menthol and Thymol are antifungals and both in the powder. To clarify, I used the BODY powder, not the foot as I previously said (yellow bottle)…not sure if it makes a difference or not.
Hope it helps if you try it. I was also at my wits end and honestly haven’t had problems since. I have changed her environment and diet too which I think is probably the most important part after getting the current problem cleared up. Good luck!
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Tea tree oil will soften the scabs. Just don’t put it on any cuts or open wounds.
Just a heads up - I’ve not seen this happen with other horses but mine freaks at powder. I tried the gold bond thing on his back, and when I shook it out of the container a white puff of powder rose up in the air he [B]took off like his tail was on fire /B. As in - BAM - exit stage left at warp speed. It was unexpected because he’ll stand around forever while I vacuum him, clip him, wrap him, pull his mane, soak his foot - etc etc.
I tried it again a week later, this time standing back and putting the powder in my hand first, then putting it on him - but again a little powder rose into the air when I rubbed it in and he flipped out. This time he was on cross ties and he popped the ties and did a little hysterical dance, luckily staying on the scene rather than bolting for his life.
Maybe I’m an idiot and don’t know how to apply powder to an equine, but I was pretty surprised at the extreme reaction.
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