Ring Worm in Horses

Ringworm is a fungal skin disease in horses. It is easy to identify and treat and is not a serious condition unless it is left unattended. Nevertheless, ringworm is highly contagious and often spreads quickly from horse to horse, infecting whole barns. The faster ringworm is identified in a horse, the smaller the chances are of that horse passing it on to others. Knowing the causes, symptoms and appearance of ringworm can help horse owners treat the infection and prevent its spread.

  1. Causes

    • According to the Clyde Vet Group, ringworm is caused by a skin fungus called dermatophyte, which thrives on a horse’s skin. Ringworm can also occur in other animals and in people. Ringworm infections are commonly transmitted from horse to horse by skin to skin contact, or from communal use of grooming tools. Ringworm can quickly spread, infecting whole stables in several days.

    Appearance

    • Ringworm appears as scruffy patches of dry skin in concentrated areas on a horse’s body. Close inspection of ringworm infections shows hair loss, usually in circular patterns. The affected skin will not appear to bother the horse, it will not be itchy or uncomfortable and the skin around the infected area will not be hot to the touch.

    Treatment

    • Successful treatment of ringworm is usually accomplished by washing the affected area on the horse’s body with anti-fungal shampoo. There is a wide variety of anti-fungal shampoos and treatments available at tacks shops and online. Washing should be repeated over several days. It is rare that ringworm will be eliminated with one shampooing. It is also important to disinfect grooming tools, blankets, saddle pads and any other materials that have come in contact with the infected horse’s skin, because they can reintroduce the ringworm fungi to the horse’s skin, even if the horse itself has been successfully treated with shampoo. In the instance of a virulent outbreak of ringworm within a group of horses, medications such as Griseofulvin can be administered in the horse’s feed. These must be prescribed by a veterinarian.

    Prevention

    • Keeping your horse clean, dry and out of contact with infected horses is the primary way to prevent ringworm. Using only one set of grooming tools, specific to your horse, is another way to keep ringworm infections at bay. Ringworm is more common in old and young horses than in middle-age animals. This is because the weaker immune systems of aged and infantile horses are less able to fight off the fungal infection.

    Considerations

    • If untreated, ringworm may “self-cure” within a month or two, but leaving cases of ringworm untreated increases the chances of it spreading. It is also important to treat the condition because an infected horse may be prohibited from traveling or competing. It is possible to catch ringworm from your horse, but it is unlikely. Consult with your doctor should any irregular skin rashes appear after contact with an infected horse.