Rain Rot and Light Coat Color?

[AngC]

I'm trying to think prevention vice treatment and have been reading old posts here about rain rot.

Last spring during shedding, one horse developed a small patch on his back. I noticed when it was quite small (inch or two across.) I looked at many pictures on the internet. I’m pretty sure it was rain rot (hair coming out at root in small clumps, limited skin irritation with slight scabbing, no apparent discomfort.) It’s hard to tell for sure it was rain rot, because many of the pictures were advanced, affected large areas and looked pretty horrible. I applied a fungicide containing benzalkonium chloride per label instructions; label said results should be noticeable within days. I used it 3 days; spread was contained and healing commenced; I worked harder on keeping them clean and on helping them shed and had no further problems.

Is there any correlation between coat color and rain rot?

I didn’t keep count but it seems like many photos I saw were of appaloosas or horses with very light-colored coats. Here, the appaloosa got it in an area of white hair, and the dark colored horse did not. At the time they were housed together; shared brushes (I know better now) so if one got it, why not the other?

 

[Riverrose28]

To answer your question, I'm not sure if it is related to coat color or not, but I do know that some horses are more suseptable then others to rain rot. We own, grandson actually, that is a pally, and every year, no matter how hard we try he gets one spot on his back. Just ot be clear this horse is not groomed daily, so that may be part of the problem here, but is groomed often and none of the other horses get it, just him. So early on in the spring, I just go ahead and clip this area and wash it on warm days, so that for the last two springs, no rain rot. Yeah, problem solved for me. Hope this year is just as good, I hate rain rot! Good luck

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I don't really think colour has anything to do with it. I have never had any big trouble with it but I have a dark bay that has gotten it and a sorrel (red roan actually) that I struggle to keep free of it(he gets a spot the size of a silver dollar right behind his withers) every spring. I have found 2 things that seem to make them more susceptible, one is extra thick hair that holds dirt and moisture alot and the other is being over weight enough to create a small hollow, again this allows the moisture a place to sit and not getting dry seems to be the real issue. I have finally gotten set up with a stall (versus a run in shelter) for each horse so they are completely out of the weather at least part of each day and really get dry everyday. That seems to have solved the problem (touch wood )