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Demodectic mange is rare in horses. This condition is caused by a mite that normally resides in the sebaceous glands and hair follicles. Clinical signs of disease are generally seen in immunocomprised horses, and the disease is not considered contagious. Horses generally show signs of alopecia and scaling of the head, neck and withers. Itching varies with each individual. There has been no effective treatment in large animals. Spontaneous resolution may occur. Hypothyroidism is quickly becoming one of the most over diagnosed conditions in horses today. True hypothyroidism is a rare occurrence. Affected horses may have dry, scaly skin and dull hair coat. Hair loss is possible. Thyroid supplementation is the most common treatment. Chronic Selenium poisoning, called "alkali disease", is a result of prolonged consumption of forages with abnormally high selenium concentration. Another cause is over-supplementation. Affected horses usually show clinical signs of hair loss (most common area affected is the mane and tail), ill thrift, lameness, and deformities and sloughing of hooves. Treatment involves removal of the offending feeds/forages and good nursing care. Iodism is mainly seen in horses which are over-supplemented with iodine in their diets. Affected horses will have a scaly hair coat and hair loss. Treatment involves removal of the excess iodine from the diet. Toxic plants that can cause toxicity in which hair loss is a secondary finding. Plants of the family Leucena are commonly associated with hair loss. The Jumby tree (genus Leucaena) grows in Australia, Papau New Guinea, New Zealand, and Hawaii, and has been implicated as a cause of hair loss of the mane, tail, and fetlocks. Physiologic stress is frequently seen after a horse develops a high fever or stress. The actual hair loss, in this case, usually occurs a few weeks after the stressful disease or event. There is little to do except to manage the primary cause of the hair loss. The hair will regrow. Anhidrosis is a condition in which a horse loses the ability to sweat. This is common in horses that have moved from mild to warmer climates but is also seen in native horses. The disease is seen in all breeds, age and sexes of horses. The etiology is still unknown. Hair loss is mainly in the head and neck regions. Treatment involves nutritional management. Movement of the horse to a cooler, more arid environment can be beneficial. Self-trauma is a frequent cause of hair loss in horses. Hair loss is commonly observed in pastured horses that reach through the fence and subsequently have hair rubbed off. Stabled horses will frequently rub against something in their stall and cause hair loss as well. Continued rubbing of the area may result in a secondary bacterial infection. Elimination of the causative factor is the most effective treatment. Ringworm (dermatophytosis) is a superficial fungal infection of the skin. It is most often found in young horses but can be seen in any age horse. Lesions are most commonly seen on the head, neck, shoulders, and sides of the chest. Initial infection in the horse may look like an allergic reaction in the sense that there are small circles of 'erect' hair. Within 1 or 2 days, these circles will progress to the more characteristic lesions with scaling, crusting, and hair loss. About two-thirds of horses don't itch. Photosensitization is frequently seen in light colored horses, and is usually most apparent on the face. This condition may also occur in darker-colored horses that have eaten hepatotoxic plants (toxic plants which affect the liver). Treatment often involves the application of a sunscreen in those horses that are just light skinned and removal from the source of toxicity in other horses. All horses, regardless of etiology should be kept indoors until they recover. Grease Heel (idiopathic equine pastern dermatitis, scratches, dew poisoning) is a condition characterized by crusty lesions on the backside of the pasterns (mostly the hind legs). It is seen in horses that are kept on pasture in which the wet grass (from the morning dew) keeps the back of the pastern wet and irritates the skin. The disease may also occur in horses that are washed frequently without proper drying of the pasterns/fetlocks (especially in draft horses). Treatments range from keeping the horse off the pasture, applying astringents, and wrapping the legs prior to being turned out. Antibiotics may be necessary to treat secondary bacterial/fungal infections. Dermatophilosis (rain scald, rain rot) is to due to the bacterium (dermatophilus congolensis) and is commonly seen after prolonged periods of overcast and rainy weather. Lesions are most often seen on the rump, loins, and back, but can also be seen on the distal limbs. Treatment involves keeping the horse dry, removal of the crusty hair (clipping works), baths (usually with an iodophor or chlorhexidine based shampoos), and in severe cases, administration of antibiotics (e.g., penicillin). Remember you can re-infect the horse if your brushes and blankets are not cleaned, and it is possible to acquire the infection yourself (but this is rare). I hope you now have a better understanding of the diseases that can cause skin problems in your horse. Hopefully, this summer will be one full of 'hair'.
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