How to Treat and stop rain rot on your horse

Learn how to treat, and remove "Rain Rot."

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Water
• Anti-bacterial soap
• Selson Blue
• Support Wraps
• Athletes foot Powder

1. Wash the leg(s) with "Rain Rot" using Selson Blue. Leave the Selson Blue on the leg(s) for at least 5 minutes before rinsing. Unfortunantly, the only way to get ride of the infection is to get the "bumps" to fall off to expose the infection. Do not pick off the "bumps." The Selson Blue will help them come off on their own. Dry legs well. Never put a horse up with damp legs.

2. The Next Day, Wash the horses infected leg(s) with Anti-bacterial soap. Leave the soap on for at least 5 minutes, then rinse. The Selson Blue should have lifted a lot of the "crud/bumps" To expose the infection. The anti-bacterial soap should help kill the infection.

3. Keep following this pattern until the "bumps" are gone, switching between the Selson Blue and Anti-bacterial soap.

4. If your horse gets rain rot often, is is preventable. After all of the rain rot is gone, you need to wrap the legs with support wraps. Put Athletes Foot Powder all over the cannon and fetlock area of the dry leg(s) that tend to get "rain rot." Make sure the leg is completely dry before you do this. Add the support wrap on top, and remove in the morning. You can do this as often as you like. Good to use during the humid summer months. It is also easy to use this method while at horse shows since most of the horses will be going in support wraps for the night anyways.

Tips & Warnings

• After the "Rain Rot" is gone try to keep the horses legs dry. Sometimes it helps NOT to wash the horses legs everyday.
• You can almost always prevent "Rain Rot" by currying the horses legs daily.
• Time how long the soap is on the horses legs.
• Dont be afraid if you see that the horses loses some hair where the infection occured.
• Do not pick off "crud/bumps" this can lead to an infection that can lead to swelling and a fever. If left untreated is can lead to laminitis.
• "Rain Rot" Left completely untreated can lead to inflammation. It can also cause scaring.
• Make sure you know how to wrap a horses leg properly. Otherwise you will have a "Bandage Bow" and "Rain Rot"

[LorilynFarms]

on 1/17/2009 This is good to know. Thanks for the article! 5*

[LEJockimo]

on 1/9/2009 I love the tips on how to prevent it! Sounds like no fun at all for you or the horse!