Equine Fungus Infection

Types

• Horses experience a plethora of fungal infections. The three most common are ringworm, girth itch and rain rot.

Ringworm

• Ringworm can affect almost any animal. Ringworm manifests itself among horses as a raised red circle that causes balding. Thin skinned horses, young horses and those receiving inefficient nutrition are most susceptible to ringworm. The ringworm infection is highly contagious and is most commonly spread through unkempt grooming supplies.

Girth Itch

• Girth itch is a form of ringworm that manifests itself as a cluster of hairless circles that are covered with tiny scales. It is highly contagious and can spread to humans.

Rain Rot

• Rain rot mainly affects horses that graze on damp pastures and that urinate in a manner that wets the legs. A rain rot infection can have many different appearances. Rain rot can cause bumps on the horse's skin that are hot to the touch. It can also cause matted crusty hair on the horse's lower level.

Prevention

• All three of these infections have been know to go away naturally within eight weeks. While this is true, steps should be taken to avoid the problems all together. It is important to wash all grooming tools with a solution that is one 1 bleach and 20 parts water. Rain rot can be avoided by providing dry housing for horses.