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Re: [RC] FWIW - Scratches PREVENTION - Maryanne StroudPlease forgive my gross ignorance, but after hearing people talk about scratches a lot I really have to ask what are the necessary conditions for them. Is it dust, heat and sunlight? Or do you have to have water mixed in there somewhere? No one ever talks about scratches in Egypt and I've only seen something that looked even remotely like them on a couple of my horses this spring. Mine (unlike any of the other horses here) are out 24/7 and can actually get wet feet messing about in puddles in the paddock if they so desire. Most horses in Egypt are boxed as space is a serious problem. If sunlight and dust were the main culprits, I'd imagine that we'd all have scratches up the wazoo. Most of the riders here prefer to ride in the desert exclusively since then they don't actually have to worry about training horses to deal with any interesting situations involving traffic, other animals, or equipment. The desert is total dust and most horses get hosed off at least on the legs after riding. Can someone give me an idiots explanation of what brings on scratches? I can find lots of explanations of things to do for them but not much on what it is that causes them. Maryanne currently in New Jersey and homesick as the dickens This is why I think I?ve never had to deal with scratches. I ride western, team & ranch rope, & have been teased by the cowboys for my meticulousness, as they say ?Oh, the horse needs fetlock hair for protection in the desert?. Well, I ride in the nastiest rocky, cholla, spiny junk for ?trails? here hunting cattle out of the brush (one section is like Cougar Rock in the Tevis), & protection has been an issue 3 times in 14 yrs (so I just take the multitool pliers & pull out the cactus). In fact, I?d rather have a clipped area there so I can actually see the cactus spines because one is going to pick them up anyway, sooner or later? Just my 2 cents & food for thought on prevention. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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