Rain Rot in Horses

When there are high volumes of rainfall many horse owners may begin to see the presence of rain rot on their horses. Rain rot is a skin disease that can be frustrating to owners but with the right care can often be easily treated.
In periods of constant frequent rain it is important for horse owners to consider how rain may impact their horses farms and riding experiences. Rain rot is a common condition during rainy seasons and can be of concern for many horse owners. While typically easily treated rain rot can be a serious issue and should be addressed immediately by the horse owner to prevent spread or worsening.

What is rain rot?
Rain rot also called rain scald or dermatophilosis is a skin infection caused by a bacterium known as Dermatophilus congolensis. Living on the horses skin D. congolensis is mostly dormant but under wet conditions this bacterium can cause an inflammatory infection resulting in lesions along your horses skin. These lesions cause small patches of raised bumps which are scabs containing clusters of your horses hair. Removal of these scabs results in bald patches along the affected area. In severe cases lesions and scabs may become large and affect multiple layers of skin. When this occurs the horses use may be impacted until the infection clears.
While most often found on the horses topline rain rot can be found on numerous areas of the horses body including their rump face and legs. Therefore it is important that regular thorough fullbody examinations occur. Handson palpation may be needed when examining your horse for rain rot particularly during winter months as increased coat length makes visual assessment difficult. Unlike many other skin conditions areas with rain rot do not typically itch but can be painful and cause your horse to become sensitive

to touch.
All horses can be affected by this condition however there have been identified links with horses coat colors and immune status leading to a higher incidence of rain rot. Particularly horses with lighter coat colors as well as horses with compromised or poorly developed immune systems such as young or older horses have been found to be at higher risk. Specific environmental factors have been also been identified. Rain rot most often occurs when the skin has been compromised in some way. Compromise occurs during times of high humidity prolonged rainfall or increased exposure to biting insects. Horse owners