Could it be rain rot?

[1 is not enough]

I noticed a small bare patch on my mares neck. I thought it was maybe from rubbing her winter hair. I gave her a good brushing and some small clumps came out with yellow crusty stuff on the ends.

I clipped the affected area and some more for good measure! She has a bare spot on one side now about the size of a closed fist. On the other side I ended up clipping about half her neck I thought maybe lice but did not see any bugs. I washed her neck down with some organic tea tree oil shampoo ( did not have horse shampoo) and rinsed her well. I had some Shapleys MIG so I put that on. She stood as good as gold for all this, she usually does not like baths! Maybe felt good to get the hair off! I looked over the rest of her body carefully but no other skin issues.

Suggestions are appreciated! I am not sure if I should do more.

Karen

 

[Katiean]

One of my mares has something kind of the same. She has no bugs. But, when I clipped her bridle path I noticed small scabs and some bare patches. I clipped the whole side of her neck under her mane. It was all the way down the side of her shoulder. I figured it was some kind of fungus so I got jock itch cream. It cleared up the side of her neck I shaved. Today she got a rough cut body clip. She had the fungus all over the other side of her neck all the way past her shoulder. I am hoping to have her cleared up soon. But she looks real funny because she is a dark bay and is all speckled with black spots. This time I have used Liquid athleats foot spray. The only thing is with my mare all the spots are very tiny. Good luck with your mare.

 

[Jill]

I doubt it's rain rot... that usually is on the back where water can "set".

One of my geldings always gets an area on his neck. The first year, we treated it with some kind of ointment from the vet, and it went away but since then (2 seasons) we did not treat it and it went away on it's own in the same time frame. The first time, the vet did a culture of it but wasn't able to figure "what" it actually was. Mystery Crud...

Can see it kind of here from February 2006...

AND see a clipped picture in 2007 w/o it treated (went away on its own):

 

[kaykay]

Rain rot can appear anywhere on a horse but it normally shows up where areas stay moist and wet. Under the mane on the neck, forelock, flank area etc. It has been so wet here this year that we are really fighting it. I had to head and neck some horses this week to try and get it healed. Its really hard to get rid of with winter hair. Sometimes just clipping the hair and removing the scabs will get rid of it. Listerine and MTG get rid of it the quickest but it needs to be kept dry

 

[wildoak]

Could be rainrot or something akin...could also have originated from bite marks if she plays or "argues" with other horses. My geldings who are together often get bite marks on their necks, nothing serious just playing, but enough to ruffle the skin and leave it open to a fungus. Does usually clear up with a medicated shampoo of some kind.

I have a related question I was about to post separately, but since it follows your question I will piggyback it

- what have you found is the best way to get rid of the scabs in a bad case of rainrot, aside from just picking them off which is painful for the horse and not very well tolerated? I have a pinto filly who got a bad case on her back - on pink skin - over the winter. Have treated it and it seems to have cleared nicely but still very scabby even after clipping her back twice. She's extremely sensitive to having it scrubbed.

Jan

 

[whitney]

LymDyp or Lime Sulfur same thing that is in MTG but just higher strength. You can mix it and put in a spray bottle and just spray the spots.

 

[Katiean]

My mare can't be rain rot because it is way too dry here. Every where the hair has grown back it is jet black. She is a dark bay.