Horse & Rider USA – September 2019

88 / HorseandRider.com

(or allergy) can wreak serious havoc. An
allergy to culicoides gnats (also called
no-see-ums) can cause such serious
itching that your horse might rub his
mane and tail completely away, leaving
behind raw, bloody skin.
To protect your horse’s skin, mount a
full-throttle control program as soon as
insect season strikes. Include every-
thing from environmental control (ma-
nure management and feed-through
fl y-control products) and insect barri-
ers (fl y sheets and masks) to vigorous
use of fl y repellents.
If your horse has experienced an
insect hypersensitivity reaction in the
past, ask your vet whether initiating
treatment with medications to control
infl ammation (such as the corticosteroid
prednisolone) before fl y season even
begins would be a good idea. And pay
attention to the skin along the middle
of your horse’s belly, where fl y reactions
typically show up fi rst. Protecting this

area with a barrier ointment before

scabbing and itching even begins can

help keep damage to a minimum.

STEP 5:Clip with care. Body clipping

might be necessary if you’ll be working

your horse hard during winter months

in a cold climate or moving your horse

from a cold environment to a warmer

one. Unfortunately, frequent body clip-

ping can be hard on your horse’s skin.

Body clip as few times as possible, and

avoid clipping during shedding season

if you want to encourage a healthy sum-

mer coat. If you do clip, consider leaving

thicker hair behind where he’s more at

risk for chafi ng, such as underneath the

saddle. If you wear spurs, leave a pro-

tective patch of hair where your heels

rest when you’re in the saddle.

Set aside these minimal-clipping

guidelines if you have an older horse

with a long, thick haircoat that doesn’t

shed well (commonly seen in horses

diagnosed with Cushing’s disease). A

horse with this type of coat is likely to

sweat excessively, and body clipping

might actually help protect his skin.

Finally, if your horse stands in deep

mud in his pasture or paddock, you

might need to clip the hair around

his fetlocks and pasterns to prevent

scratches (also called mud fever) from

developing. Note that in some situa-

tions, leaving hair in place on the lower

legs might actually protect the skin from

mud exposure. If you choose to leave

the hair long, regularly check the under-

lying skin for signs of damage.

STEP 6:Check your equipment.

Something as simple as a cinch rub

can put your horse out of commis-

sion for weeks—or even months. Your

equipment should be clean and fi t your

horse well.

If your horse has sensitive skin, he

might react to such manmade materials

as neoprene. Check his skin daily after

riding, and discontinue use of any piece

Summer 2019 / 88

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