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[RC] Rain Rot + Horse - Val NicosonFor the past 1-1/2 weeks have treated my mare for rain rot and it is getting much better. So much rain around the country...it seems most of the rides are nothing but mud rides. Mare was stabled for the past 2-1/2 years and always brought in during bad weather. Since late March she's been in a pasture at my friend's place with 5 other horses (1 mare, 4 geldings) for 24/7. The other horses will seek shelter by coming into the dry lot/s and under the barn overhang. There are two overhangs in dry lots, one on the side of the barn and the other behind the barn. The horses must go thru a gate from the pasture into the dry lots, with the second dry lot with its overhang accessible after passing thru the first dry lot. Gee, I hope this makes sense. But anyway, my mare refuses to come in with the herd...she will stand outside the gate between pasture and the first dry lot instead. Additionally for added information, the water tank and free choice minerals are also under the first overhang. Fortunately there is a creek running alongside the pasture where the horses can drink from too if they wish. Anyway, with the rain rot treatment and getting it cleared up, we have watched the weather and we have to go out to bring in my mare and put her in a stall to keep her dry from the rain. The only other choice is to close the main dry lot gate on the herd, but then she will stand out in the dry lot and not under the overhang with the rest of the herd. My friend has helped with this too but we can't always be available to bring this girl in :-( She's had rain rot over most of her face including the cleft under her jaw, in her mane and alot in her tail. Her tail looks awful and she's missing a couple hunks in her mane for treatment purposes. She's a sad looking horse but looking better than she did. Of the six horses in the herd (including this mare) two are mares, rest are geldings...all Arabs except one QH who has bullied my mare some and all he has to do is look at her and she's gone and/or stays put in "her" place. Whenever we bring the horses in she will sometimes escape and we let her go. But when she realizes she too must be caught in the dry lots then she will rush up ahead of the herd so she doesn't have to pass near them getting to the far side of the dry lots...away from them. Then she appears to stay off to herself and gives evidence of being "afraid" of the herd itself. It doesn't take much of a look even for her to give way to any of the other herd members, not just the QH. When I visit her to groom her and such I lead her over to the water tank and mineral feeders to see if she wants any, ensuring she is relatively safe from the other herd members if they should come too close. Sometimes she gets a nice drink from the trough. But again, this is being done *for* her...not something that any of us can always do. Hopefully she will get better and learn to take care of herself. Has anyone else had problems with horses not seeking shelter and susceptible to rain rot too? What did you do or what can be done? Would hate to roach her mane and tail as she needs these for protection from insects and such. Any suggestions anybody? Is this something she will overcome the longer she is in a herd environment? Or is this a sign of a horse that must always be looked after in a herd? We think she seeks shelter occasionally...but not with the whole herd for sure. TIA for helping my friend and I regarding my mare, Val + Sania (me, unsociable?) __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Calendar - Free online calendar with sync to Outlook(TM). http://calendar.yahoo.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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