August 2003

Attack Skin Disease From All Directions

A nasty skin disease may force you to juggle several therapies at once.

Start with a good bath to remove all irritants from the horse’s skin.

Skin problems are difficult to control because you’re usually battling simultaneous problems, such as insect-bite irritation and skin damage with allergic/irritated reactions. On top of that, you’ve got a variety of possible secondary infections, maybe with several organisms.

It’s best to catch the problem early and start with a gentle product. Our favorite first-line options include Corona Ointment (www.coronaproducts.com, 800-241-6996), Cut-Heal (972-293-9700), ichthammol, clear aloe gel or Farnam Aloe Heal (www.farnamhorse.com 800-234-2269). If you don’t see improvement in a day or two, switch to a more specific product. …