Scratches
Our dread of the tall grass and the mosquitoes that it contains has encouraged us to do more “drive-by” checks on the herd in the north field than usual. Not exacting a bonding experience with the horses but it works well for all problems visible from the knees up. The beautiful moisture we have had this year (we haven’t had the great excesses some areas have had but just a really nice amount really) encourages scratches and the pasture has some low, swampy areas which adds to the problem. Chips, the stallion has a bad case of scratches on both hind legs.
I brought him home. I googled “scratches”. It seems that every cure has it proponents and opponents. Some folks have success with some things, others with other things. So I thought I would just see what is working for folks in our little Northernhorse world. Please share any success stories you have in treating scratches on your horses. I am hoping for a quick recovery. I already have the 4 saddle horses hanging around the back yard – I call it the Jenny Craig pen. It would be nice if Chips could get healed up and go back to the pasture asap. Besides I don’t want Keeper figuring out that she isn’t a gelding and falling in love. LOL
Have something to share? 
This site uses valid HTML and CSS. All content Copyright © Dreamweaver Webs Ltd.
If you want to keep up to date, please don't hestitate and subscribe to our
Hey Spanky had really bad scratches when i had bought him and all i did was soak his feet with cold water and then peeled off all the scabs with my finger nail or a brush (after you do this for a few days they tend to not like picking up there feet of a while, it really hurts) and then i put his foot in a pail of bleach water for 15 minutes a day. Only took me three days to get rid of them. I think that is was a worse case then what chips has. Hope you find a quick fix.
I got to come and check out your new boy one of these days.
Aimee
My Paso gelding Tazz seems to get scratches every spring.I tried a bunch of things people recommended and none worked for him.I had used the zincfoax for 2 weeks with his scratches getting worse.
I remebered a product I had picked up to treat a wound and decided to try it on his scratches.Well within 3 days, he was 90% better and within a week you could not tell he had anything wrong. The product is Fiskes hoof and hide balm. I use it for everything,even on my dogs and goats.
Here is a link to their site http://www.fiskes.ca/
Scratches are horrible, and always come back I hear. I had one horse that had them and we used bleach water and baby rash cream and that seemed to work really well. Good luck. That cream also works for sunburn.
There is a new product out called VETERICYN WOUND SPRAY and it is the best stuff that was ever made…you can use it for everything from wounds to spraying on blankets to keep the spread of bacteria…..I used it on a mare that had a puncture wound and it headled in half the time….This stuff is amazing….and it works great on scratches….try it I promise you won’t be disappointed in this stuff.
http://www.vetericyn.com/
I use to have gypsy vanner’s. they would have bad scratches every spring I us to soak thier legs in a cup of copper sulfate and warm water for fifteen mintues then make sure I dried their feet off real good only had to do it once every year.
Good luck it works
Battled scratches on the ranch I worked at last summer. The best (and quickest) treatment was to use a prescription cream containing steroids. Can be made available to you through your veterinarian. I had a couple of cases that were extreme and it took around 3 days to start to really clear up. I did prewash the area with hexadine and remove the crusts with a small scrub brush, then dried thoroughly with a towel prior to applying the lotion. Haven’t heard of the bleach idea, but it is seriously carcinogenic…although less expensive.
Best of luck
I have a TB gelding that got scratches one summer. I hosed his legs off with fairly warm water and picked off the scabs after they were softened a bit. Needless to say he took great except to that. After getting as much as possible of the scabs, I sprayed him with cattle pink eye spray. I sprayed his legs for a couple of days and it cleared it right up. you can get that spray at UFA and its purple. Worked great for me. Have used that purple stuff for lots of different cuts and scrapes that horses get and it has worked every time
Sherry
I am a professional farrier and a horse owner.We get a lot of scratches here in Nova Scotia.My clients have had good sucess with a cream called flamazine.I think its used on bad burns on humans.
Hello,
First clean up the scratches with a soft nail brush and some hibitane or betadine soap to soften up and remove the scabs. Then apply Special Formula mastitis ointment for cows onto the affected area. Works like a charm!
Laurel
Domoso, hibitane, and dexamethazone mixed together to form a paste. apply the paste (thin) and leave it on, we had a really bad case, took about 3 treatments a few days apart and they were gone.
The best cure for scratches I have found, is Stapelys MTG .(original)….its good also for rain rot on their backs, and any other skin problems. Deb Johnson
one of our horses had scratches this spring our local vet clinic ordered a formula from the university of sask, large animal clinic within a week they were gone, the formula must be kept in a fridge and has a short shelf life
I’ve had good succes with a product from Anivac. It’s their accelerated hydrogen peroxide anti-fungal wash. I just rub that in real well with a clean rag until the crusty bits fall off and it bleeds a bit. It doesn’t sting them real bad either.
I have always found that a zinc oxide cream (diaper rash ointment) has worked for me. You need to liberaly apply the cream, bandage the fetlocks and kept the horse in a stall for 2 or 3 nights. The zinc oxide softens the scabs and they can be picked off very easily. Once the scabs are gone the scratches don’t come back.
Diaper rash ointment called ” Desitin” it has cod liver oil in it so it soothes the skin ,mixed with tea tree oil about 15-20 drops which is an anti- fungal and anti-bacterial. I wrapped with plastic wrap and a polo over night and they where gone! NO PICKING…and never have come back!!!
Once in a while we get scratches and we always have really good luck treating it with Tea Tree oil. Or just a simple cream from wal mart with tea tree oil in it. Saves lots of money and its really effective.
When I endurance rode overseas, alot of the horses would get scratches from the humidity, sand, ocean water. So we would clean their feltocks off and then apply Sudocrem (can get it at drugstore). It works great and kept the scratches away.
for scratches we use green wound cream or pennicilen applied to the area.workes good for us and is cheep.
Dependeing on the horse, I have had excellent results with the following:
Apple Cider Vinegar in a spray bottle, sprayed once a day. Also works great for disinfecting cinches etc.
Hibitane Ointment
Mastitis Cream, the type in the tube you place inside the udder. 2 treatments 3 days apart and they were gone.
Bag Balm Ointment
Diaper cream – buy the one with the highest Zinc content
Get some Green Wound Cream from Moore & Company vet clinic at Balzac.. clears scratches up
Preparation H. It’s cheap, easily accessible and works quickly.
Hi,
I have had many horses with severe scratches, what I found that worked the best is wrapping their legs in Saukerkraut for at least 2 -3 days, I know that sounds nasty, but once you take off the bandages, the scratched fall right off, no scrubbing or picking required, then I wash the legs in betadine and apply cream (I use a mixture made from the Westlock Vet Clinic).
I have good success with this recipe:
1 tube generic hydrocortisone 1.25% (like Cortaid)
1 tube generic diaper rash treatment (like Desitin)
1 tube triple antibiotic ointment (like Neosporin)
1 tube generic antifungal cream (like Lotramin)
Mix them all together and apply daily until the scabs are gone.
We found that a liver cleanse made by Silver Lining Herbs paired with 2 X daily application of Calm Coat healing oil works fast & painlessly. It’s been the easiest solution we’ve tried.
Any ointment with tea tree oil in it is wonderful for scratches. I have also tried bag balm and Stapleys MTG with success. If you have trouble finding any of these things, grab a tube of polysporin from the drug store – it is a wonderful cure all for scratches, scrapes, and wounds.
FORGET all the expensive steroid creams from the vet, and the baby creams!! Just use HEMEROID CREAM!!!! Preperation H or the no-name- it all works , and it works FAST!! It is anti-bacterial; anti- itch, and it soothes the pain!! Some people wash the scratches first, but you don’t have to- as this is painful for the horse and the cream will stick better if the scratches scab material is there. My horses graze lots of slough area so their legs are wet allot and I have used this remedy for years after a friend told me about it. I just slather it on- usually in 3 days the scratches are gone or well on their way to being gone!! WEAR GLOVES- it smells icky!! It sticks on well so after 3-4 days you can re-apply it if you need to if your horses are in wet areas. TRUST ME- THIS WORKS!! Its cheap to buy, just a little embarrassing to pay for!!LOL!!
I have one gelding with three white legs that gets scratches every year! What worked the best was a trial vaccine i was able to give him a few years back. Hands down the best,easiest and most effective treatment and prevention. However Due to labeling issues it is not allowed in Canada. Some horses require an booster and my horse was one of them but i am unable to get the vaccine.
Last summer he broke out in scratches again, i tried every remedy reccomended to me (blue stone, bleach, purple crystals, watkins petro carbon, saurkraut, and 10 different prescribed (vet)scratches creams) some of these remedies only aggravated them more. He was to the point last summer where he was unable to walk. One trip to U of S Vet College a three day stay and $800 bill he was on the road to recovery. Worst case the vets there had ever seen, even sedated they could barely touch/scrub the area. They used silver nitrate patches like what they use on burn patients. Then it was their scratches medication (highly reccomend) and full bandages. Within 2 weeks he was as good as new.
I truelly hope that one day in the near future we are again able to get the vaccine!!! I can not remember the name of the vaccine, but it was a drug trial run through Beckwith Clinic.
MTG – SMELLS LIKE ROTTEN BACON, WORKS ON ALL HAIR ISSUES (GROWS MANES AND TAILS LIKE CRAZY AND THE ODD HUMAN HAS TRIED IT, lol). MY GRAY MARE GETS SCRATCHES SOMETIMES MEVEN IN THE WINTER(??) AND IT HAS WORKED EVERYTIME.
Just read one of your replies and she suggested Special Formula and I have to agree with her. We have used it on our horses and it works really well. Helps to keep there legs dry afterwards so putting your horse back into the wet grass might not happen this year. I also pick off the grapes (scabs) with my fingers the next day after putting on the Special Formula.
Faye
The best cure I found for scratches is wash the area with betadine soap. Used a clean rag each time you do this. Get all the scabs off, I seen someone mention a finger nail brush above, this would would lickity split. Dry the area the best you can. Than I used Green Wound Cream that I have purchased from my vet. I believe the cream contains steroids which helps speed the healing process. Then I have used vet wrap on the wound to help keep it dry and clean.
My understanding of scratches is that its caused by one of two things. First, some horses (the minority) get scratches as a photosensitivity to alsikie clover. Alskikie clover damages the horse’s liver – and horses with white areas tend to get this horrid type of scratches that looks almost like sunburn. The dark colored horses that don’t show this reaction still have liver damage, just not the outside appearance. And this type of scratches doesn’t clear up easily with topical treatments because unless you remove the source of the problem, it continues. Also, horses with photosensitivity to certain other plants can get scratches, it seems more common in horses that are pastured on wet ground.
The second, and more common type of scratches is caused by a fungus. The fungus is much more prevelent when its wet, therefore you’ll see a big increase in scratches in years like this. The best solution is to prevent the problem, which is much easier said than done. Keep your horse out of mud and wet areas if possible, and if you can’t, try to wash their lower legs every day or so, and pat dry really well. And monitor them carefully, because once they get edema (like your horse seems to have) it can take a long time to clear up.
I wouldn’t recommend home remedies – instead talk to your vet. There is constant changes in treatments, so what has worked for us might not be ideal anymore. The last time i treated scratches my vet recommended using an anti-fungal soap (such as hibitane or betadine) and rubbing it directly into the hair and scabs in the area, using an old toothbrush. Allow the soap to sit for five minutes, to allow it time to kill the fungus, then wash it off thoroughly with warm water. Pat dry, and try to prevent the horse from going back into the enviorment that caused it. If the scratches were mild, you might not need to do anymore than this – just treat it with hibitane once a day for three or four days. If the scratches are more severe, then you need to look at something topical that will sooth the wound (that’s where the zinc in diaper rash lotion comes in, but you have to be careful because it can hold in moisture, which isn’t what you want) something to take down the inflamation (that’s where the cortisone ointment comes in handy) something to prevent a secondary infection (that’s where the antibiotic ointments are used) and maybe something to also work on the fungus. The ideal combination will depend on the severity of your horse’s scratches, how much swelling and edema they have, and whether they have an infection on top of it all. That’s why I suggest going the vet route.
Good luck. A serious case can literally take months to cure, and some horses are very sore in the meantime.
I always use diaper rash ointment for all wounds, scratches etc. Won’t come off easily even in wet conditions. Must be put on thick though. Usually doesn’t have to be put on again for quite a few days.
I have had horses that have this before but have found it is almost always in pastures with alsike clover. Have sprayed out alsike clover out of all horse pastures. It isn’t worth the health issues and the time taken to treat them. Check out your pasture for this.
The best solution to scratches is the “MTG” from shapleys… it is a must for any tack room, very good for girth itch, rain roat, mane and tail growth…. great product!!
Hi we have had the best luck useing a anti-bacterial spray called Blu-kote. It can be used for numerous things. We just soak feet in a pail of warm water and epsom salts and wash area fairly well then apply spray until scratches have gone. Some take longer than others depending on severity. Good luck.
While clearing it up can be a real pain, I find keeping those legs as dry as possible in the early spring will usually stop it from happening in the first place. I had a horse that went throught it every spring, then I worked for a trainer that told me to clip the hair off the back side of those pasterns before the mud comes in spring – haven’t had a case since and it’s been twelve years now; even when it is muddy/wet.
Schrieners Herbal Remedy. Kane Vet Supplies, Edmonton.
Not sure where you live… the Vet Clinic at the UNiversity of Saskatchewan has great stuff they make. It will fix your horse up in three days… of course depending on how bad it is!!
HI, I cure it with Fiske’s Hoof and hide balm – which is absolutely excellent to heal cuts , abrasions fast, seal punkture wounds etc. You can find stories on their website on very badly injured horses who only survived with this remedy – the vet had no other answer than putting those horses down.
see the website
http://www.fiskes.ca
I was happy to see it on someone’s comment on here. The recipe is over 100 years old and it works.
PS. Greenhawk in Lower Sackville sells it, as well as many other country stores or tack shops or you can order it online.
hey there,
a really super easy cure and preventative for scratches is essential oil tea tree combines with some water in a spray bottle. typically i apply it whenever i go out to play with my horses (on average once a day), it doesnt hurt or sting and your ponies wont get cranky with you.
I think at some time or other we all will encounter scratches.
what worked for me was to soak the feet in warm water and wash with hibitane wash.
then really slather with hibitane cream, wrap with padding (um..a feminin napkin is super) then with gauze and vet wrap. Leave for 2 days, unwrap and wash again removing the soft scabby stuff, then re-cream and rewrap. When all the scabby’s are gone and you have fresh pink skin you can just keep it clean and massage hibitane cream a couple times, then let be. This seems to be less painfull for the horse than all the stringent sauves and lotions and bleach etc so the horse doesn’t balk.
lynn – an old wise man told me of a remedy for scratches – used motor oil – have used it a few times – and it works – my horse hasn’t had them this yr .
Try a regular wrap or bandage with honey on the wound. Works wonders, is cheap and tastes good on toast!
SAURKERKRAUT!!!!!!!!! It really does work. Wrap with a pad and change every 24 hrs for a couple of days, and then everyother day until it clears up (putting the suarkerkaut wright on the scratches). My vet told me about this treatment. It’s a cheap fix. Hope it works for you, buy a large of the pickled kind.
the best cure for scratches is to clean area and dry it soak bandages in penicillin and wrap you will be amazed at how fast it works think about it makes good sense
1 ounce iodine
16 oz mineral oil
16 ounce hydrogen peroxide
Mix together apply 2x day works good
1 ounce iodine
16 oz mineral oil
16 ounce hydrogen peroxide
Mix together apply 2x day works good for scratches,rainrot and ringworm
Have tried ‘em all or most of them–UofS $$$$, diaper cream, sauerkraut, hibitane/betadine, MTG and used saran wrap, fem napkins, vet wrap, etc. The cheapest, least time consuming and painless for both horse and handler is hydrated lime (bought at the hardware for cement making). This is also present in Farnam’s “wonder dust” at 70%, a bottle of it costs about $10 and a 20kg bag of hydrated lime is about $7. I just put on rubber gloves so my hands don’t dry out dip a small container into the bag and toss it onto the scratches. You can do this as often as you want I usually try to do it twice a day and don’t give up until they are 100% gone.
The lime doesn’t burn as some would think, I’ve had it on my hands with cuts. There is no kicking, scab picking, etc., the scratches dehydrate and the scabs fall off on there own. Good luck.
Have used mastitis cream, sauerkraut held on with a diaperI( the vinegar works great), hibitane, diaper rash cream, they all seem to work just some faster than others
I want to thank everyone who took the time to share their experience with scratches. Right near the beginning someone suggested Stapelys MTG and I had some of that so I thought I would start with that and see how it went. Well, I don’t know if I am just lucky or what but it is clearing up amazingly fast. He is already much better. A couple of little spots and I think he is going to be good to go. I will leave this up on the blog as it is a really nice resource for folks who end up with a horse with scratches. We sure have a lot of nice people on the site who are willing to take the time to help others. Thanks everyone.
Hi there I never had to deal with this but I found this article that looks good I didnt read it all but what I did looked really good. Thought it might be of some use to you!! Hope this helps…
horsetalk.co.nz go to “the menace of mud rash”
Good luck!!