Yellow Crusties - Too Cold For Ticks

[Dawdler]

So about a month ago my mare started rubbing a spot on her mane and losing hair. At first I thought she was accidentally rubbing it on the new roundbale feeder, but then the barn owner caught her rubbing it on a post and we found her hair on the post and other fence boards. She’s now rubbed out all of her very thick mane in a six inch length. It’s well above the neck of her blanket, so it’s not her blanket bothering her. Her mane has gotten pretty scurffy this winter even though I try to comb it out as much as possible. I tried MTG, but that hasn’t seemed to make much of a difference to the rubbing, and then today I found a bunch of yellow crusties in her mane and a little down her neck. I know yellow crusties are associated with ticks, but the weather here has been below zero (celsius) for the last few months, which is too cold for ticks.

I’m wondering, could the yellow be a reaction to the MTG? Or could it even be dried MTG? It seemed pretty attached to her neck. There is no scurf or crusties where she’s rubbed out her hair (and I’ve rubbed MTG in there as well), the skin looks pretty healthy where she’s bald, but where she still has mane looks like a mess of scurf and now yellow crusties. Not sure what to do, I’d love to shampoo and give her a good scrub, but I’m worried about it being too cold. Has anyone had a similar experience and/or advice?

[Scribbler]

Rainrot fungal type infection?

[OneTwoMany]

The yellow “crusties” are most likely dried serum. When the skin is aggravated it can ooze “serum” which, when dry, can be “crust-like” in appearance. Most likely the crust is due to your horse rubbing her mane. Best course of action would be to address the mane rubbing. Some sort of bacterial or fungal infection is likely. You might try different products until you find something that works. MTG knocks out a lot of stuff, but you need to apply it daily and give it a chance to work. Microtek is another product to consider. If the weather were warmer a good mane washing with Betadine could be useful. I’m sure you’ll get other suggestions for products that are useful for addressing skin conditions.

[imaginique]

Where are you located and what are the temps? My vet says that deer ticks are out when it is above freezing so it could be 40 or below and the deer ticks would be out. I have experienced this myself when walking in the woods or fields.

[S1969]

@OneTwoMany

The yellow “crusties” are most likely dried serum. When the skin is aggravated it can ooze “serum” which, when dry, can be “crust-like” in appearance. Most likely the crust is due to your horse rubbing her mane. Best course of action would be to address the mane rubbing. Some sort of bacterial or fungal infection is likely. You might try different products until you find something that works. MTG knocks out a lot of stuff, but you need to apply it daily and give it a chance to work. Microtek is another product to consider. If the weather were warmer a good mane washing with Betadine could be useful. I’m sure you’ll get other suggestions for products that arAnd, ite useful for addressing skin conditions.

Agreed. Yellow “crusties” aren’t just from ticks. But, lots of horses are sensitive to MTG. I’d probably switch to something else and watch the rubbing.

And ticks are definitely active in the winter months, too, but it’s more likely that this has to do with the rubbing if that’s the only place you’re finding scabbing/serum.

[Highflyer]

I’ve definitely seen ticks at those temps-- we’ve had a couple of horses with anaplasmosis in winter, even.

[Dawdler]

Thanks for all the responses! I’m in Ontario, the last month we’ve had temps down to -15C (5F) and the mane rubbing has continued, so I’m not sure if it could be ticks? The last few days we have been above zero, so it’s possible it’s a problem on top of a problem . . . I was actually wondering if it could be lice, but I can’t see any eggs or “walking dandruff”, and I thought that rainrot doesn’t cause itching? I was also wondering if it could be some itch-causing fungal infection because her skin looks fine where she’s rubbed all the hair out, so I was thinking that maybe exposure to the air helped it. I don’t know. Tomorrow is supposed to be warm enough that I could wash her neck but I’m stuck at work for 12 hours, incredibly frustrating.

[fordtraktor]

I think it is probably serum from skin irritation and rubbing. I would put some Equiderma on it. And toss the MTG, that stuff is caustic!

if it was a bite I would suspect spiders in addition to ticks but it sounds too widespread to be a bite.

[beau159]

Just want to say it is NEVER too cold for ticks.

Last year, we found these miniature (but very alive) ticks on our newer horse (had him a couple months) in the middle of December in North Dakota. There were tons of them all over his chest. None of the other horses had them. I had never seen such a thing before. Asked our vet and she said they aren’t common, but she has seen a few cases of them.

They were about the size of a pinhead. Super small, but had legs and were alive and were ticks!

[candyappy]

Perfect time of the year for lice and mites.

Wet, damp conditions are the perfect breeding ground, especially if your horse is in a stall or run in with bedding.

Ivermectin takes care of them. While I have never had a horse with them my goats on occasion experience it. I use the 1.87% Ivermectin horse dewormer on them and it works like a charm.

[Dbliron]

I echo that it’s NEVER too cold for ticks. Last winter at -22 a local vet took 100 ticks off a horse (in January). The deer and moose are infested with them.

[merrygoround]

While this might sound like an ad for Terminex, which it is, it is good info. So "Yes Virginia"there are ticks in winter. Try treating accordingly. I do believe Ivermectin will do the job, but check with your vet

https://www.terminix.com/pest-control/ticks/facts/ticks-in-winter/

[Gamma]

If you already have a 6" bald strip and it looks worse under the parts that still have mane…I would be inclined to trim or roach the whole thing. Maybe start with hunter length if you’re hesitant, you can always take it shorter later. OK, so chop it off is my solution for most mane problems, but even if you ultimately want a longer mane, you’re going to have to wait for the rubbed out portion to grow, so you might as well have it all growing evenly. And it will be much easier to care for and de-scruff if it’s short.

[walkinthewalk]

Not to burst you tick bubble but I pulled one of those liittle SOB’s off one of my horses this past weekend:(

[demidq]

Also, when horsie begins rubbing it causes irritation that causes more rubbing etc. long past the initial cause. After checking for ticks and lice, use a soothing lotion, preferably and antibiotic+steroid lotion or cream to heal and break the itching cycle.