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Rain rot or rain scald, is a skin infection and you should get a specified lotion or cream either from a vet or from a feed merchant that sells these products.
To prevent it, always make sure your horse is thoroughly dry before rugging him up and regularly check and if necessary remove his rugs a few times a day to prevent sweating as the bacteria flourish in warm damp environments. If he is wet, dry him off with either towels or put on an anti-sweat cooler and walk him round. Also make sure your rugs are dry too before putting them on. If he is in the stable and is sweating up remove a rug or switch to a lighter rug.Biotin is used for improving hoof quality and you can fidn it in supplements in your feed merchant store. Growth of the hoof stems from the coronet/coronory band, so i would advise you get a vet to check this out for any injury to the area. Also ask your farrier to check if your horse has ‘boxy’ feet as the frog supplies blood to the foot and needs to be in contact with the floor to do so. If it isnt then bloody supply to the hoof is limited so can cause problems. This can be corrected with good farriery. 🙂
Your colt is only 1 year and 4 months old. He is far too young to be backed right now. I would wait until he is 3 at least so he can grow and strengthen in his muscles and body before he bears the weight of a rider.
Plus, you must remember that he is still a baby. He needs to mature mentally before he can cope with the stress of having a saddle and a human on his back. The backing and breaking of a young horse shapes him for years into his life, and if he is hurt, scared or injured it will affect him greatly in his future working life. I would seek professional advice on backing your youngster and never rush. Give him as much time as he needs to understand. He is on a learning curve in his life and needs to be taught with care, respect and time.
Right now your youngster should be out in a herd in the field just having fun being a horse! We ask horses to grow up far too fast.
We own a 5-year-old thoroughbred and even now he cannot take too much on board at once, he is not mentally able to cope.People seem surprised that he is not ‘doing this and doing that’ but what people expect he should be able to do, he cant, because he is, in reality, still only a baby!Bot larvae can cause lumps like this on the back and there will be a grub inside the swelling so the vet will need to lance it and remove the grub before you clean and protect the wound.
Otherwise, it may be an abcess. If its hot and painful and imflamed it is probably an abcess and will need veterinary treatment since it is on the horse’s back.
The best advice here will be from a vet.
Ps. Dont ride him either if the saddle will press on his back onto the lump or you might cause damage.Id make a few quick phone calls to the local pesticide company that sprayed your grass about the contents of their pesticide and ask if your horse is at any risk. If they say yes or they dont know, call your vet and speak to them and they will advise you and if necessary check him over. otherwise keep a close eye on him for the next 7-10 days.
I own 7 chickens which are on loan to someone else as we are tied up right now for time.
I keep 1 rat at home that lives in my jumpers most of the time where she likes to sleep. Her sister got put down earlier this year.
I also work with 10 horses, ranging from young racing thoroughbreds, event veterans and dressage schoolmasters to showjumping connemaras, cheeky dales and stunning welsh section As+Bs.Vet, Vet, Vet.
It might be a severe ear infection but it sounds sudden. She may have been stung by an insect or something.
My rat got put down ealrier this year with a brain tumour which was initially treat as an ear infection. So try be prepared sweetheart, it may be unhappy news.The warmer weather has dried the ground out and this is putting pressure on her hooves and they are cracking. Unfortunately it soudns like her horn quality isnt as good as it once was as she has gotten older. Shoeing her may help this as the shoe will prtect her feet. Biotin will help her horn quality. Also make sure she is getting a balanced diet with plenty of vitamins, minerals and protein to reapir those feet.
She is 5 years old and still a baby. This is probably a brilliant game in her eyes! It is most likely nothing to worry about but if you are concerned then by all means ask someone to check her over. I expect she is just exploring the capabilities of her mouth and water is great fun!
Is your horse coming up from rest or is he currently in work?
Remember the most simple fittening programmes (from rest) take 8 weeks at the minimum to get a horse fit.
Speak to a BHS Qualified instructor about fittening your horse up for jumping competitions.Your horse has pulled a ligament or tendon in his hock from over exertion. call your vet and stick to walking him gently to avoid causing more damage. Your vet will advise you on treating this but remember these injuries can happen very easily when an soft horse is coming back into work. 🙂
Resist firmly but gently with the hand from his downwards movement and push on with the leg. Dont pull him in the mouth though! If you push him on more in his work with your leg he will have less time to think about putting his nose to the floor!
Also twiddle gently with your reins and squeeze with the leg to encourage him to drop his neck and head and work into the bit without fihgting the contact.
try lungeing him in side reins he mihgt be avoiding the contact by pullin the reins from your hands because he hasnt been taught to work into a contact. Let him get used to the feel by using lungeing and he should get better. it will also save your shoulders from aching too!What type of bit are you using? How strong is it on her mouth? And is it the correct type of bit for your ability, her ability, her work and her temparament?
It sounds like she is in discomfort. Although any horse will react when you pull it in the mouth, but the severity of the reaction depends on the pain it experiences.
Get her teeth checked right away and speak to a BHS qualified instructor about her bit.
If she is quiet, I would go back to a rubber happy mouth snaffle and see if that helps with this problem. She may simply be over bitted.
But seek professional advice as fast as you can, otherwise this could cuase a longer term problem if it continues.This sounds like sweet itch.
There are lots of products on the market to stop itching but the best advice is to get a fly rug for her and use plenty of fly repellent and keep her stabled either side of dawn and dusk.
There are sweet itch creams that work the most effectives being Heel To Hoof and the NAF creams. Follow the directions on the tub.At 19, it is most likely to be the onset of arthritis. Glucosamine is expensive, but worthwhile. I would contact your vet for advice to be sure he is not suffering from any spinous diseases (one of ours got put down with a spine disease and the lameness was onli light.)
If it is arthiritis, treat him with care and warm him up for longer before you exercise and reduce hard work for him such as jumping and galloping. You can still jump him, but just make his work less demanding on his ageing joints!