Scabs on outside of both hind legs - not healing

Animals
1

I noticed a few weeks ago that my horse had almost identical scabs (10p size) on the outside of both hind legs, near the hock. On one side it was slightly bleeding/raw and obv attracting flies.


The yard owner assured me they were perfectly normal and were something to do with rolling/laying down in field...I wasnt 100% convinced but took her word for it.


3 weeks on and the same patch is still raw.


Does anyone know what these could be?


Thanks

2

Likewise :)

3

Thanks Sandy :)

I personally don't own a horse but we've always had them in the family and if we've lost any of them (5 to date) it's always been due to old age. My mum was very keen on natural remedies and I do a cracking bran poultice ;) Lol.

4

Hi Claire,

My sister's horse suffered with the same problem as he was getting older (he was 25 at the time) and he spent a lot of time lying down. We used wood chippings on a stable mat with straw all around the edges as a "push up". The sores were washed with salt water twice a day, wrapped with zinc cream at night and we left them open with another dab of cream on whilst he was out during the day. It took a while but they did heal eventually. They looked very raw and quite worrying but if you keep them clean and disinfected, they should be fine.

5

Is he stabled at all? Might be from concrete flooring and not enough bedding? If he is out 24/7 then I would have a good look at his back, leg stiffness? You don't say how old he is? Reading some of the threads, it seems the horses most prone are those that struggle to get up easily, hence the skin is rubbing under pressure. Others say they have an issue when flies are abundant and the horse chooses to rub their hocks against something in the field to get rid of them?

Good luck finding the cause and a solution......

6

Thanks for the research! Ive been trying too :)

It is weird that theyre on both sides and almost identical, just above the hock. The ground is hard mud/turning dusty now but generally smooth - not ideal i know, another reason for moving him :)

Ive seen him lay down very rarely! Im going to go down later and check on them again, the only one that looked particularly raw was pinkish with darker red bits but couldnt see any oozing but something was attracting the flies (just 1 or 2).

He isnt rugged at the moment.

I'll make sure its kept clean and will have a look at those links again :)

7

http://www.proequinegrooms.com/index.php/tips/grooming/hock-sores/

Here is a great article with some home remedies......

I have never experienced hock sores but have used the stretchy sticky bandage tape for various injuries/boots for abcesses etc. So maybe padding at night with tape and cotton wool may help......just let it air during the day.

8

Having just done a quick google it sounds like your horse may have "hock sores"....
Caused by lying on rocky or gritty surfaces. Either hock protectors (you can buy online) or bringing in soft sand or some kind of wooden chip bedding on an area he chooses to lay will stop it happening and allow it to heal.
Hopefully when you move him the problem will be solved, until then looks like you need to change the laying down environment if possible?

9

Can you take a pic? Could be an injury, but seems weird it's on both sides. Is there somewhere the horse might have squeezed through and caught on both sides, or been stuck trying to climb through a fence/poles. Is it the same place on each side or could it be two kicks at different times (horse herd changed, new horse?)
What does the soil/sand look like that the horse is lying down on and does your horse spend a good deal of time lying down? Could be parasites in the soil?
Are they infected (smell, colour of oozing?).

If they are not infected then hose daily with clean water to keep clean and encourage good tissue healing, if infected you will need to give the horse some penicillin and possibly some antibiotic ointment.

Does your horse have a blanket? It may be a strap rubbing as he rolls and gets up which is keeping it raw?

Horses are pretty good at healing themselves if given the right environment but if you suspect it's infected, you may need to medicate.