A Fungus Among Us
© Marta Towne
We have had several instances of localized fungal infections. Even our Arabians, who are normally very resistant to problems, have been subjected to these outbreaks. The main area affected seems to be the neck, under the mane. There have been fungal infections in other places as well. The genitalia, and anus, directly under the tail; udder and teats and the frogs of the hooves. We treat them with fungal treatments several times, but they always seem to come back. With the humidity, the fungus has a wonderful environment to grow and thrive. We have found that stopping the fungus permanently is not an option, the only real course is to treat the localized area with medication and make sure you coll off the horse after a workout.
The problems with the hooves is caused by the moisture being trapped against the inside of the frogs. Some of the problem migrate to the outside of the hooves as well; though the external problems are mainly relegated to the Paints. The Arabians have very few problems with their hooves. The fungal infection most often seen in the hooves is Thrush. Keeping the area clean and treating it with medication is the best way to cure the problem. If left untreated, this problem can cause a horse to go lame. Remember the old adage, "no hoof, no horse."
So, remember, the "dog days of summer" are a wonderful time to have a horse, but there are other, less positive results from the hot weather that need to be treated for the health and happiness of both horse and rider!
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