Scratches or mud fever, technically known as equine pastern dermatitis, is a condition almost every horse owner or groomer will face at some point. It doesn’t discriminate – pasture pets and million-dollar show horses alike can develop scratches. Left untreated, they lead to inflammation, lameness, and swelling. Scratches can even become a chronic, ongoing condition.

Similar to rain rot, scratches is caused by microbes that thrive in dirty, wet conditions. Primarily bacterial, it can be accompanied by a fungal infection as well. It presents as scaling, reddening, or oozing in or around the fetlocks and pasterns. It can occur in any horse that is exposed to wet, dirty conditions. Muddy turnouts, pastures, round pens – anywhere moisture and dirt are present. It may be worse or occur more often in draft breeds or breeds with feathered pasterns and fetlocks. Additionally, any wound or abrasion can increase your horse’s chance of developing scratches.

Often, simply removing the horse from the wet environment and keeping them dry and clean will remedy the situation. However, that’s not always possible. There are topical solutions and over-the-counter products like antifungals in conjunction with Betadine that are efficient at preventing or clearing scratches when started early enough. If the condition does not improve or gets worse, you should call your vet in to have a look.
Washing your horse’s legs (and drying thoroughly) can help. Clipping draft and feathered breeds may help prevent scratches in these susceptible horses, but with a caveat: you run the risk of damaging the skin’s surface which increases the opportunity for the bacteria to take hold.