How to Get Rid of White Spots on a Horse's Withers

Depending on the source of your horse's white spots at its withers, you may not be able to remove them. Veterinarian Janet Roark, Hill Country Mobile Veterinary Service in Austin, Texas, notes that there are several skin conditions that can lead to white spots that can be removed with treatment, and some that cannot. You should ask your veterinarian to make a definitive diagnosis of a suspected skin condition so that you can treat it correctly, if treatable (Ref 1).

Things You'll Need

  • Medicated or iodine horse shampoo
  • Sponge
  • Grooming brush
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Instructions

    • 1
      Look your horse over carefully for sign of a skin condition such as rain rot or other fungus.

      Check the withers area for clumpy shedding, matting, patchiness or bumps. One or more of these could indicate a fungal infection, such as rain rot or ringworm. If you feel bumps with some clumpy shedding or matting, suspect rain rot; circular lesions are more likely to be ringworm (Ref 1, 2).

    • 2
      If you treat your horse for ringworm, be sure to disinfect any brushes or equipment.

      Treat the fungal conditions with a medicated shampoo, such as one containing iodine (Ref 1, 2). Ringworm may need additional medication from your veterinarian (Ref 1). You should also remove any horse afflicted with ringworm away from other horses, as it is contagious, and disinfect its gear, such as halters and lead ropes. If rain rot is the cause, keep your horse dry and gently remove the scabs as the medicated washings begin to work. As your horse heals from either of these afflictions, any white areas should disappear following treatment.

    • 3

      Check the withers are for single or groupings of nodules. Particularly if you suspected rain rot or ringworm and your treatment was not effective, your horse may have a sarcoid, which can also present with simple hair loss and crusting (Ref 1, 3). An equine sarcoid is not malignant, but if it is in an area that bothers the horse, or if you want to try to remove it for cosmetic purposes, there are a few options your veterinarian can try. Surgical excision, injections and a few available topical treatments may singularly be effective or as a combination (Ref 3).

    • 4
      Hair pigmentation loss at the withers is usually the result of scarring from poor saddle fit.

      Check the white spots for hair pigmentation loss. You may be able to determine the source of the problem by checking this first, but if your horse had other underlying skin conditions that could have been contributing to white spots and has been treated, then you should suspect scarring that led to loss of hair pigmentation. The most common cause of this is poor saddle fit, which leads to saddle sores and subsequent scars. Unfortunately, this pigment loss is irreversible. If necessary for competition, check your tack shop or horse supply vendor for temporary spray on dye that matches its coat.

    • 5
      Investing in a properly fitting saddle is important to your horse's health.

      Have your horse professionally fitted for a saddle. This is the best way to prevent future pigmentation loss, although it will not reverse what has already occurred. If you acquired the horse with this pigmentation loss, then it has likely been ridden with an ill-fitting saddle in the past, so you may consider some massage or body work to alleviate lingering soreness. If it has happened since you have owned the horse, stop using your current saddle immediately and get a properly fitting saddle.