{"id":17455,"date":"2019-10-25T14:18:23","date_gmt":"2019-10-25T19:18:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/be55915bbd.nxcli.net\/?p=17455"},"modified":"2026-03-15T07:56:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T12:56:22","slug":"scratches-rain-rot-dermatitis-and-skin-allergies-in-the-horse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nouvelleresearch.com\/index.php\/articles\/17455-scratches-rain-rot-dermatitis-and-skin-allergies-in-the-horse","title":{"rendered":"Scratches, Rain Rot, Dermatitis and Skin Allergies in the Horse"},"content":{"rendered":"

Scratches, rain rot, and skin allergies in the horse…oh my!<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0 Skin problems in the horse are very, very common and at the top of complaints for many horse owners.\u00a0 For most, they are easily resolved with a little attention, while for others, the skin problems fester and turn into real concerns.\u00a0 Why are these problems so common in the horse and why are some so difficult to manage, no matter what you do?<\/em><\/p>\n

The winter and spring time seem to be the main times of the year for certain skin conditions in the horse, while for others, the problems are present more so in the late spring and summer.\u00a0 Why? The reality is that in order to understand the problems, you have to understand the concept of skin in the horse.\u00a0 Along with that, you need to look below the skin surface, make connections, and in those connections the answers will become a little clearer.<\/p>\n

The skin is a living organ, meant to provide a barrier of protection for the body.\u00a0 This barrier is not just to repel moisture, but is a defense barrier for the invasion of bacteria, chemicals, and other potentially harmful substances.\u00a0 When there is a skin related problem, be it allergies, dermatitis, rain rot, scratches or otherwise, it is a signal that the natural skin barrier is compromised.\u00a0 Something has weakened it and now, you are seeing clinical manifestations of that compromise.<\/p>\n

Now, keeping this in mind, anything you do to your horse topically can impair skin health and weaken those defenses.\u00a0 This means any chemicals applied can create harm, which include fly sprays or other chemicals, including perfumes, shampoos, and conditioners.\u00a0 No two horse’s skin is the same and just because you use a fly spray in one horse does not mean another will tolerate it.\u00a0 If you irritate that skin surface and weaken it, then bacterial infections will likely occur and linger until you help to restrengthen what was weakened.<\/p>\n

The skin is a living organ and as such, communicates with and reflects the health of the body and other organ systems.\u00a0 The skin is dependent upon nutrients, just the same as any other part of your horse’s body, and thus diet and proper digestion are paramount.\u00a0 If the diet is not correct or digestion is impaired, this will be reflected in a state where the skin is weakened and unhealthy.<\/p>\n

Making Connections with Skin Conditions in the Horse<\/span><\/h3>\n

No matter the skin condition which is present, first, view it as a compromised state of health in your horse.\u00a0 For some reason, the skin is not healthy and performing its defensive ability.\u00a0 Bacteria have invaded, the skin is now irritated, and normal defenses are lost.\u00a0 Why?<\/p>\n

Let’s look at a few common complaints that I encounter with horses:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Dandruff<\/li>\n
  2. Rain Rot\u00a0 (Florida Funk)<\/li>\n
  3. Scratches\u00a0 (Florida Funk)<\/li>\n
  4. Skin Allergies<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Dandruff<\/strong> in the horse is related to excessive shedding of skin cells on the outer layer or epidermis.\u00a0 This dandruff can really come in two forms; large flake or small flake dander.\u00a0 Discriminating between the two is important as it helps you to better resolve the issue.\u00a0 Dandruff is more common in the powder or small flake form, especially during the dry times of the winter, as this tends to dry out the skin and cause excessive cell loss from the epidermis.\u00a0 Despite how common or simple this may be, it is still a breakdown in the skin surface and a potential weakness.\u00a0 Small flake dander is generally viewed as dryness, a blood deficiency from a Chinese perspective, and usually resolved not by using a shampoo, but by ‘feeding’ the body properly.\u00a0 This comes from a higher plane of nutrition, ideally in whole-food form.\u00a0 Higher quality hays, spirulina blue green algae, ground flax, or even a low level use of topical olive or flax oil on their grain.\u00a0 Large flake dander is not due to dryness, but is actually attributed to ‘dampness’ in Chinese medicine and can be viewed as excess oils which have dried and are shedding from the skin surface.\u00a0 This large flake dander relates back to the diet and digestive difficulties.\u00a0 If you take the same approach as a small flake dander, you can easily upset the situation, more than help it.\u00a0 In these cases, you have to address the digestive issues, then the skin will fall into place.<\/p>\n

    Rain rot, which includes the ‘Florida Funk’,<\/strong> is very common and most evident during wet times of the year, so it can be present during a wet winter or even the spring.\u00a0 This is also noted in the southern climates where humidity is excessive.\u00a0 The excessive moisture that is present tends to accumulate on the skin surface, mainly the horse’s back region, and create damage to the skin surface.\u00a0 This is no different than you or I soaking our hands for a prolonged period of time.\u00a0 The skin becomes water logged, saturated, and soon, the cells begin to lose their normal integrity.\u00a0 Then, bacterial infections become problematic and the cycle continues with the bacteria invading and then creating their own damage.\u00a0 While the main issue is the excessive water exposure, this is not always easy to resolve other than using a sheet or blanket in your horse, which may or may not help.\u00a0 In most cases, the damp times are over, but the skin infections continue.\u00a0 In order to resolve this, you must address skin health through feed, digestive health if needed, and focus on the immune response.\u00a0 The immune response is what you need to enhance clearing of that bacteria, and once this is addressed properly along with digestive health and the diet, the skin usually rebounds uneventfully.<\/p>\n

    Scratches<\/strong> in the horse is not too dissimilar from rain rot.\u00a0 Both, in my opinion, are related to excessive wet conditions, which aid in the breakdown of the normal skin health.\u00a0 This then opens the door for bacterial infections, which then escalate and prolong the problem.\u00a0 Scratches generally affects the back of the pastern region, the fetlock, or the heel in the horse and is associated with superficial and sometimes deep dermatitis or pyoderma.\u00a0 This equates to a bacterial infection which is creating inflammation, discharge, scabs, redness and overall irritation for your horse.\u00a0 The approach for these horses is the same as for rain rot.\u00a0 A high percentage of ‘scratches’ horses have underlying digestive issues, which is then impacting the immune response.\u00a0 This then leads to the ongoing cycle of events that many horse owners contend with and why so many fail to respond.\u00a0 I am not against topical shampoos, but again, you have to realize that anything topical can and will irritate the skin further.\u00a0 If you irritate that skin, you have just compromised it further, and opened the door for more invaders and problems. Personally, I will use a topical agent once daily for a few days to help reduce bacterial numbers, but mainly rely upon the diet, digestive support, and immune support to benefit that horse.\u00a0 Most respond quite readily.<\/p>\n

    Skin allergies<\/strong> are rampant and result in all sorts of clinical problems from hives to complete hair loss, open sores, and tremendous irritation for the horse.\u00a0 Allergies are sign that the immune response is not working properly, no matter whether if those allergies are involving the skin, the eyes, or the respiratory tract.\u00a0 If your horse has skin allergies, then you need to think ‘immune response’.\u00a0 While this may seem simple, and for some it is, the reality is that the immune response is tied back in with digestive health. So, a horse owner can use an ‘immune’ supplement, yet not receive benefits.\u00a0 The reason for this is that the digestive tract is out of balance in most and a dysbiosis exists.\u00a0 This dysbiosis<\/a><\/strong> is then triggering all sorts of inflammatory events in your horse’s digestive tract and impacting their immune response.\u00a0 Unless you get the digestive issue under control, all efforts made will likely be futile to some degree.\u00a0 In order to get the digestive response back to a healthy state, you must address the diet properly, and in most cases the horses benefit from specific herbal formula to encourage a state of balance.<\/p>\n

    A quick word on the “Florida Funk”, as most of our clients refer to.\u00a0 This is a common skin ailment that is present in many horses in the southeast section of the United States.\u00a0 In reality, it is nothing more than a condition similar to rain rot or scratches.\u00a0 It is a bacterial infection, sometimes coupled with a secondary yeast or fungal invader, that is encouraged to develop due to very humid and damp conditions in that region.\u00a0 In reality, the humidity is not a problem, but when problems develop, it signals there is excessive ‘dampness’ present within your horse.\u00a0 The humidity in the environment is adding to an already ‘humid’ or damp state in your horse, thus creating problems.\u00a0 Not all horses in the southeast develop skin problems and this is why.\u00a0 Some are more ‘damp’ than others, not in location, but in the horse themselves.\u00a0 Think of your horse as being a sponge that is already wet, and now you add more moisture to it.\u00a0 It creates an ‘excess’ state and the skin breaks down, opening the door for infections. The root problem in these horses is digestive health and this must be the primary area of focus.<\/p>\n

    Correcting the Problem in the Horse<\/span><\/h3>\n

    The bottom line in most of these ‘skin’ related cases, is:<\/strong><\/p>\n