With record rainfall across much of the country, horses may get rain rot. Its signs are unmistakable:
- After coming in from the rain, the horse’s coat begins to stand up in a peculiar pattern, either bordered by the “drip line” of rain runoff or in patches
- Beginning to smooth it down, you feel a radiating heat and the horse flinches from the touch
- By the next day, sensitive, tight scabs have appeared where the rain was concentrated on the horse’s back and sides
Source: EQUUS, March 2017. Link. Rain rot is caused by Dermatophilus spp., bacteria that normally live without consequence in the equine coat. However, a rain followed by slow-drying, humid conditions enables the organism to multiply, which irritates the hair follicles and skin of afflicted horses.
Preventing rain rot is a matter of good grooming.
INSIGHTS: Share this article with horse owners during rainy periods to help remind them of their horses’ grooming needs and to catch rain rot early.