Conference noted::equitation

    Calcium cloride will burn, my husband did in his hands once emptying
    tractor tires filling with a solution of it. Have all the affected 
    horses been used or turned out in the ring? The areas described sound
    like they are laying in it.
    

    Does this look kind of like ecsema (sp?) - lots of little scaley
    bumps with no hair around the affected areas?  If so, we've got
    it here, too.  
    
    I suspect it's a fungus.  These infections look real ugly and spread
    very quickly.

    I doubt that it's rainscald. That mostly just shows up on the rump,
    from what I've seen. Practical Horseman has an article on rainscald and
    ringworm this month. 
    
    Sharon

    Sounds like scurf to me.  Don't know if that's the real name or what
    the owners lovingly call it.  It's spread by the use of brushes, wraps,
    etc.  If nothing touches from one horse to another, it's not spread. I
    know it's treated easily by scrubbing -- what I don't know is if it's
    just betadine or vet-supplied scrub.  It's a pain, but it goes away,
    and can be controlled.
    
    The hive-like bumps on the back are something else.  We had an outbreak
    of it in our area last year, and my horse has them again this year.
    There were various reasons given, but it came down to allergies. My vet
    said not to worry unless they get enormous, which they didn't. I just
    scrub the bumbs with betadine and ensure that he has only white pure
    clean pads on him every time I ride him (daily). I won't use a pad
    twice, even after baths.
    
    Seems like it's something new every year.
    
    Good luck,
    Dawn

    It sounds like an allergic reaction to me...has the feed changed as far
    as protein content goes?  We had a little fellow break out in all the
    'warm' areas when the protein in his feed was increased.
    
    Good luck

    Re: .0 and .2
    
    You both refer to your geographic location as "here" but I (and
    perhaps others) have no idea as to whether your "here" is anywhere
    near the place I call "here".
    
    May I suggest that we all keep geographic location in mind when we 
    are noting.
     

	The skin feels like tons of little bug bites, with tiny scaley
	scabs, and patches of fur are falling off places where the scabs 
	are bad.  Under their elbows is the worst place.  My mare's skin is 
	hot under the elbows and she's got terrible crust formations there.
	So far today no vet has come out yet.  There was a vet there over the
	weekend who lanced puffy eyes and those horses are being treated with a
	cortizone ointment.   Either its an allergic reaction or its 
	something contagious.   When I left the barn, I don't know if I
	was imagining it, but I felt itchy all over.  

	The barn is in Southwestern NH. 
	
	Melinda

    	This sounds very much like what my critters have.  It's under
        elbows and on the side of their hind legs - and it really seems
        ITCH.  We're treating it with betadine scrub followed by
        Desitin ointment and Neo-Predef powder.
    
        You don't, by any chance happen to have any birds (like chickens
        or barn swallows) around do you?
    			-maureen
    

    What do the barn swallows have to do with it? 
    
    (I'm hoping the swallows who nested on the light fixture in one of my
    stalls don't return.)
    

    
    We had something like that in massachusetts about 5 years back, but it
    only happened to maybe 10 or so horses out of 40 - turned out to be the
    bedding.
    
    I think they were using a Betadine shampoo or something like that to
    relieve the heat/itchiness.
    
    Amy

    Birds tend to carry nasty things like mites and assorted fungi.
    They seem to be a particular problem with straw bedding.
    
    -maureen
    

     
    
    		from what she is describing sounds like either lice,
    or fungus (fungus can spread rather quickly to one another)
    just keep em separate dont use other brushes etc, until they find out
    what it is....
    
    
    or might be what sharon said.. it might be ringworm... ringworm always 
    doesnt show a bald ring.
    
    if the skins looks sore i would try something for fungus. (horses
    can get summer itch from dirty blankets)
    
    if it dry and scaly i would figure proably lice..
    
    let us know! I would interested who diagnosed correctly, without seeing
    the horse ;^}
    
    
    		wendy o'
    
    

    Seems to me it could be any/all or a combo of whats been mentioned.
    here (MA) my horse along with a few others got this type of thing
    on their legs.  It was a fungus, according to the vet, from the
    pond they had and played in in the turnout field.  Treatment was
    scrubbing with Betadine to "dry" out the fungus.  Cedar chips in
    the bedding can cause allergic reactions, too.
    
    
    L-

    Well. the vet diagnosed a fungus.  But then one of the owners
    got a spot of (yuk) ringworm.
    
    In any case, what we've got doesn't seem to itch or anything.  It
    just looks GROSS.  	I suspect that the unseasonably warm weather
    has something to do with it.
    
    We're treating it with betadine and Micactin (the jock itch stuff).
    What the heck, it works!
    
    -maureen
    
    

   re -1
    
    and an especially vile one at that!  :>)
    
    

    
    ringworm is a fungus??!!!
    
    really?? are you sure???
    
    i thought it was a worm that got under the skin...
    gezze talk about childhood preceptions ;^}
    
    hummmm.. I think I better start brushing up on me animal science again.
    
    	wendy o'
    

	Two different vets diagnosed the problem (at the place
	where I board) to be from the bedding.  My vet said it was 
	too fresh, and it burned the horses skin.  I'd never heard
	anything like that before.

	Anyway, I took my horses out, since the vet couldn't
	come for several days and I didn't want my horses hanging
	around getting worse from some unknown thing.  

	At first they were treated with antihistamine and a 
	cortizone ointment for the rash areas.  Now they aren't
	on any medication, since the cause has been removed, and
	they seem to be improving (gradually).

	Melinda

    
    That makes sense.  Sawdust/shavings taht is too green tends to be
    very alkaline and will burn.  Or is it acidic - I tend to get
    them confused :>)
    
    -maureen