Content

1. "We are what we eat."
2. The skin is the largest of the body's organs ...
3. Topical antibiotic creams - it's a No from me
4. Natural alternatives to topical treatments
5. Beauty comes from within
6. Skin health is much deeper than skin-deep -  the role of the lymphatic system
7. The spring/autumn coat change - time to support the liver/kidneys
8. Sulphur deficiency
9. The well-known coat/skin issues
10. Itchy skin/sweet itch
11. Hives
12. Cellulitis/Mud Fever
13. Mallenders/Sallenders
14. The gelding/stallion sheath
15. To conclude
16. Top Tips
17. Personally ...

Sub-Chapters (links below)

1. Sarcoids

Principal Body System: Integumentary

Definition: The skin and structures derived from it, i.e. hair, sweat, oil glands.

Function: Helps regulate body temperature; protects the body; eliminates wastes; synthesizes Vit.D; receives certain stimuli, i.e. temperature, pressure and pain.

1. "We are what we eat."

"If we shouldn't eat it, we shouldn't be putting it on our skin."

Dr Mark Hyman, American physician, NY Times best selling author, founder and medical director of The UltraWellness Centre

We all know the saying, and the skin is no exception. The health of our horses' skin and a glossy coat depends not only on their diet but also on the function of their primary detoxification organs - the liver, kidneys, and lymph nodes, collectively known as the '3-Amigos' - to keep them beautiful.

The skin is the largest organ in the body by far, yet we rarely stop to think about skin health other than to slather on lotions and potions in the hope of a glow or a shine. Many in the field of dermatology will tell us that the key to better skin is whatever they’re selling. However, from a Functional Medicine viewpoint, what's important is what we put in the body. ⁣⁣

Function, health and beauty really does come from within, and the skin's function should never be underestimated.  We couldn't be without it, literally, because it’s the primary protective organ of the body, protecting the body from injury, from damaging light and chemicals, from temperature extremes, and it's also the body's armour from invasion of pathogens. It’s elastic, it's waterproof and it's self-mending, renewing itself constantly and adapting to fit the body perfectly, from birth to esteemed old age. Yet stress, poor quality food, nutrient deficiencies, hindgut disruption - all will create skin issues.

The horse's skin is also incredibly sensitive - look at the way it flinches when a fly lands on it. Shampoos, fly repellents, midges, mud and bacteria. toxic pollens such as buttercups ... my pink-nosed connemara, Murphy, experienced buttercup toxicosis a few years back, erupting on his muzzle like a thousand bee stings - it was horrific; I had to cancel a holiday to care for him, and I made sure thereafter that he never suffered like that again.

2. The skin is the largest of the body's organs

... communicating with the rest of the body through the liver, kidneys and  lymphatic system, collectively the body’s very sophisticated natural detoxing and elimination system. These three work closely together to keep the skin healthy, so if one vital link is overburdened with too much toxicity, the skin will show it (more on this further on).

And it works both ways. Would you believe, the skin is responsible for eliminating around a quarter of the body’s waste products - that's a huge percentage. So in itself, skin has an enormous job to do.

That said, the skin would also be nothing without a healthy gut microbiome, which creates a healthy functioning immunity and nervous system. Skin needs a healthy digestive function to assimilate the nutrients it relies on, then a healthy blood supply to deliver them. That strong immunity will then protect it from external disruptors, and a balanced nervous system will keep it calm and non-acidic (again, more on this below).

The skin’s main role is clear - it provides a wall between the body's internal organs and the outside world. There's even a song about it -

"You gotta have skin
All you really need is skin
Skin's the thing that if you got it outside,
It helps keep your insides in"
- Allen Sherman

Skin is the barrier that protects the body from infection, pollution and parasites, but it’s not just a physical barrier; a big part of its function is invisible as skin also has it's own microbiome upon which it completely depends. Just like the gut, the skin has its own population of good and bad bacteria, and it's these microorganisms that form an extra layer of protection for our horses.

So let's start with topical therapies, and here's a simple fact - whatever we topically apply to our horse's skin means it gets absorbed and travels through the bloodstream. Even small amounts of toxic ingredients in skin products - parabens, phthalates, fragrances - can build up and contribute to endocrine disorders and  hormone disruption, to name a few. Hence why it's so important to carefully read ingredient labels on skin products. And for starters, when it comes to topical antibiotic creams it's a No from me

3. Topical antibiotic creams - it's a No from me

In our human world, if we believed the dermatology, plastic surgery and cosmetic industries, we would all be slathering on numerous products to get great skin and make us look better. Of course, these industries have a wide range of these products to sell us!⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣As an aside, the cosmetic industry also seems to be a wholesale dumping ground for just about every single type of chemical that exists. From lead compounds, mercury compounds, formaldehyde, aluminium - there are multiple different toxic compounds that make it into the cosmetic industry, such as SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) and other artificial foaming agents that are used in detergents, shampoos, body lotions … the list goes on.

Many dermatology products such as steroid creams, peelers, and topical antibiotics can harm us long term by wrecking our skin's biome, because part of the skin’s protective armoury is that it harbours its own natural community of friendly bacteria (its biome) which secrete antimicrobial substances. These protect the skin against unfriendlies by creating an unfriendly environment right back at them. Which means … a topical antibiotic will completely disrupt the external skin biome, opening the door for infections.

Just as the internal gut biome protects the body against toxins getting inside us, the skin biome protects the body against external toxins and infections. These friendlies help repair wounds, combat allergens, and even slow the aging (oxidation) process. However, just as oral antibiotics destroy the gut microbiome, topical antibiotic ointments have the same effect - they kill bacteria indiscriminately, destroying both the good bacteria along with the bad. This means our horses' natural skin defence system against infection will be significantly effected. And it's now thought that this destruction is permanent. Studies are now showing that a biome may never fully recover following antibiotics, so any short-term benefits can be a long term wrecking ball, making your horse's skin more susceptible to infections in the future.

For the full eye-opening story on the amazing microbiome, see our Microbiome page in our Herbal Condition by Equine Condition section off the top menu. Its function is so integral to the health of the body that science is now calling the microbiome 'the hidden organ'.

Natural alternatives to topical antibiotic creams

We're all aware these days that through overuse of antibiotics, we’re developing antibiotic-resistant bugs. And this isn’t just about oral antibiotics - multi drug-resistant organisms (MDROs) are becoming resistant to topical antibiotics as well.

Since as far back as 2011 it's known that ointments such as Neosporin and Polysporin, or any containing the ingredients neomycin, polymyxin B or bacitracin, may be a factor in a severe MRSA strain called USA300, which is not only resistant to any antibiotic, but also creates deep, supporated, pus-filled sores. It’s a very dangerous infection that can spread to blood, lungs and other organs. It also blocks the body’s ability to make its killer army of white blood cells (lymphocytes) that fight infection.

Equally, the pharma companies are no longer developing new antibiotics so there's really nothing out there to protect against these antibiotic-resistant bugs. When our TB mare, Carmen, developed joint sepsis back in 2014, our vet was honest enough to tell me that antibiotics only had a 5% chance of working - yes you read that right; just 5% percent. I was basically leaving her recovery to a mere 5% chance, and one that would also destroy her vital gut microbiome in the process, just when she needed the strongest immunity she could muster. Not on my watch, I thought, and formulated what became our BioCARE blend.

So what's out there in the natural world to give us a better choice for our horses' minor skin wounds or abrasions? The following are all natural, and none of them will harm your horse if they lick them off.

Antimicrobial

• Garlic - we already know garlic has many health benefits when we eat it thanks to its active compound, allicin, which has antibacterial effects (and also what gives garlic its fabulous aroma), but it can also be a good topical home strategy for cuts and scrapes. The easiest method is to take a raw clove or two and crush it to release the allicin. Let it sit for a few minutes then finely chop it, and place in a jar with a couple of tablespoons of virgin olive oil. Shake vigorously and apply to the sore spots with a cotton ball. Keep refrigerated and make a new batch daily. Stays effective for 8-12 hours.
  

• Manuka honey has proven antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties with research showing it can even help control MRSA, one of the many antibiotic resistant bacteria. I've also seen incredible results from Manuka following violent, gaping, huge injurines in a horse charity I support in Egypt, the likes that any western vet would instantly opt for PTS. It's also thought to be effective on sarcoids - there's tons on this on Google. Spread Manuka on scrapes, cuts, puncture wounds - anywhere really.

Wounds

• Calendula - nature's renowned wound supporter, even for deep wounds. Calendula cream, ointment or salve can soothe and repair cuts, scrapes, burns or insect bites. You can use a calendula tea or diluted tincture to clean wounds or help hot spots. Use a cotton ball to dab on to the wound/irritated area several times a day to help with itching, pain and support.
  
  
• Yarrow - another herb that helps against wounds/infection, its latin name of Achillea so called because Achilles used yarrow on his wounded soldiers. I swear by yarrow for just about everything - simply dab yarrow tea or diluted tincture on the affected area 2-3 times a day.
  

Inflammation

• Plantain is a super-useful herb to use for minor skin injuries, because it’s everywhere! Great for instant emergency wound care, pick a leaf or two, roll/rub them together between fingers and apply the juice to the wound - it's as simple as that. I use plantain personally on me with nettle stings and insect bites - instant relief. Like calendula, you can use a plantain tea or diluted tincture with a cotton ball swab. Top Tip - you can also use plantain if you over-trim your dog’s toenails and cut the quick; it’ll stop the bleeding and ease the pain.
• Aloe Vera Gel is widely recognised for its soothing properties, especially when mixed with beneficial essential and macerated oils.

Detoxifying/infections

• Clays - I love clays, and there are several that can help with supporting wellness, including Bentonite, Montmorillonite, Illite or Redmond clays. Clay can help stop bleeding, help dry up an oozy wound, and block infection and itching. Sprinkle dry clay directly on a wound, reapplying a fresh sprinkling daily or as needed. Top Tip - clay is great to dry up hotspots that are oozing pus. Clean the area, clip hair away if you can, then sprinkle clay straight on the hotspot. Or for a more potent effect, combine the powdered clay with an equal amount of powdered yarrow, plantain or echinacea.

• Sugar - yep, I said sugar! If you have none of the above lying around, you probably have some sugar sitting somewhere. It's great for emergency first aid as it draws infection out beautifully (same principal as Manuka honey). Research also shows sugar has some pretty useful antibacterial effects, with one study even showing topical sugar inhibits the growth of antibiotic-resistant MRSA Staphylococcus bacteria. To use, sprinkle some regular granulated sugar on the wound and if you can, bandage over it. The granules soak up moisture and stop bacteria from growing.

Overall skin support

• Hemp - A 'full spectrum' hemp salve can help many types of wounds and sores – even tumours, so say some. Make sure the words 'full spectrum' appear though.

TaDah! So … Now you can throw those pharma creams away with confidence. We also have a range of soothing topical therapeutics, produced with organic aloe vera gel as the base and with beneficial essential and macerated oils, all hand-blended to order. 😉

4. Beauty comes from within

Now to the rest of it, and going back to the saying 'Beauty comes from within' - if your horse has skin problems it's likely to be a sign of something else going on in the body, and it's usually down to three factors:

• First up, the way to prolonged healthy skin is about what nutrients we feed into the body to create a clean inner environment - not about what we put on the body, and especially not anything oily as this blocks one of the major toxin elimination channels - the sweat pores. More on this two bullet-points down.

• Second, that old chestnut again, Stress. A stressed state, especially a chronic stressed state, triggers the stress survival hormones, adrenalin and cortisol. These two basically flood the body, including the skin, with acid, so we don't taste nice for when the tiger bites us. Agreed this is ancient DNA stuff dating back to when we all lived in caves, but this survival process is still hardwired into us mammals today. And just for the record, this nasty acid prematurely ages the body.

• By contrast, when the body isn't stressed, or at least having some happy restful down-time, two happy hormones - dopamine and serotonin - are released, which are alkaline in nature. These two, plus a healthy feed plan, creates a little-known natural secretion called ojas, an Ayurvedic term which literally means 'nature’s beauty serum'. Ojas is a lovely friendly alkaline antidote to the acid released from stress. It's literally anti-aging, or, as some call it, the body's natural honey. Ojas is considered to be the most refined by-product of digestion, and can take up to 30-days plus to create, so you can only imagine that in our current pressured day and age we all live in, during this time there'll be many factors trying to hinder the production of this natural wonder.

• Now to topical oils which destroy the natural skin biome balance. As with many topical creams, the chemical range is almost too huge to mention; they're loaded with toxins, most of them containing synthetic fragrance chemicals too. I've read a report out there (which typically I now can't lay my hands on) on a lab analysis carried out on a popular perfume which had an astonishing 21 different potentially carcinogenic toxic chemicals in it’s composition, none of which were listed on the label. Many of these toxins will make their way into many non-organic equine products.

Thing is, with the skin being the most visible - and biggest - organ of the body, understandably it's all too easy to slap on a cream or oil to make it shine, or smear on a topical antibiotic to make it better, or puncture it with injectable steroids in the hope that this will fix a skin 'problem'.

We've all been there, but here's the rub. Unless the immune system and liver are strong enough to deal with the chemical composition - and resulting toxic residues - from these products, the issue(s) will be buried even deeper, as well as overloading more dangerous toxins into an already overburdened system.

Skin health is much deeper than skin-deep - the role of the lymphatic system

Gut imbalances, food intolerances (alfalfa is a known skin irritant for some horses) and nutrient deficiencies all contribute to the health of the whole body, yet I guarantee will present outwardly on the skin. Remember, and as I said above, the skin is responsible for eliminating around a quarter of the body’s waste products, so if the skin's not happy, the rest of the body's natural balance will be stressed.

What we see as a skin issue is more likely to be a whole-body, poor-immunity issue, so let's focus a bit more on the part the 3-Amigos play. First up, skin (and the lungs) rely entirely upon the lymphatic system to drain toxins and congestion away, so if the lymphatics are overburdened and clogged up, the skin will be too.

Think of the lymphatics as the body's drainage canal, with the lymph (the clear fluid) as the canal where all the junk is dumped, which after then filtering itself through the lymph nodes, drains the remaining impurities into the bloodstream which heads onwards to the kidneys to dump the water-soluble toxins off for excretion, then the liver to dump off the fat-soluble toxins.

The kidneys draw water from the body into the mix and shuttles it all off and out via the bladder. The liver meanwhile sends the fat-soluble toxins into the large intestine to be eliminated out via the solid waste. This is a finite act of synergy between the lymph, blood, kidneys and liver, and without them able to working together in harmony, the skin's going to have a real problem.

So, the key to healthy excretion of these toxins is to keep the liver, kidneys and lymphatics running like a well-oiled engine, and like any smooth-running engine they need the right fuel fed inside, and no clogging, petrochemical oils on top which will suffocate every pore, preventing the natural sweat function to evaporate the toxins out.

5. The spring/autumn coat change - time for a liver/kidney tonic

Moving on, show me a horse carer, or anyone come to that, who isn't obsessed about our UK weather. For us humans we're lucky in that we can dress for the weather, or turn up/down the heating, or head for the beach on really hot days. For our horses, they're generally able to self-regulate their body temperature, and their coat adjusts well to different weather conditions, but during coat change time it's a bit more complicated because their hormonal system plays a key role in this, regulating what happens to the available energy in their bodies.

That said, the last few years have thrown us more and more unpredictable weather - I can't remember the last really hard winter with endless below-freezing temperatures and/or snow (other than 2017 when the Beast from the East paid us all a visit). And yet other years we seem to get a prolonged winter with persistently cold temperatures extending well into early summer. This can really affect our horses as the internal heating mechanisms of the horses will have already turned into summer mode with their winter coats long shed.

Equally, one summer's day can see temperatures soaring to the mid-30's°C, then the next day it's suddely 20-degrees colder. Horses that were sweating in the scorching heat just the day before may now find themselves shivering. Their adaptive self-thermoregalatory system simply isn't able to respond as swiftly as we can to abrupt changes in environmental conditions.

During the annual autumn coat change, their metabolism shifts into winter mode, releasing more energy as heat, effectively warming them from the inside out. Consequently, horses tend to be less active in winter, preferring to consume hay to convert the absorbed energy into heat rather than moving to keep warm. Come the spring coat change, their internal thermostat shifts back to summer mode. Less heat is produced, and they can produce sweat to cool down their bodies. But it doesn't end there.

The spring/autumn coat change can be a taxing time for the horse’s two main detoxification organs, the liver and kidneys, as this is the time when the whole protein metabolism is renewed. Old proteins are degraded and biotransformed for excretion, and new proteins are created, both of which put pressure on firstly the liver, which has to biotransform (metabolise) the significant extra waste protein, and for the kidneys who have to excrete the excess urea (the nitrogenous end-product of the metabolic protein breakdown) created by this higher burden of protein metabolism.

The autumn coat change, often accompanied by a change in forage as grass nutrients deplete and hay is reintroduced into the diet, is particularly burdensome on not only these two vital detoxification organs, but also on the lymphatic system, with lymph now overrun with the excess protein toxins. This puts the risk of overburdened lymph becoming sluggish, typically presenting as lymph pads over the body. Owners can understandably become confused, thinking their horse is laying down fat, when it’s actually stagnating lymph building up all over the body. The coat may also start to look rough, and may often be accompanied by unexpected itchiness and poor quality hooves.

This is the time to tone the 3-amigos - see our LKLCARE which is blended specifically to support the liver, kidneys and lymphatics. Also useful is our WildFed blend, either added to the feedbowl or sprinkled over hay, which adds beneficial, natural nutrient diversity to their feed regime.

If you’re seeing clear early markers for kidney issues, i.e. poor coat quality, hoof horn problems such as thrush, abscesses or white line disease, or immunity issues such as multiple infections or poor wound healing, then this might also a good time to consider a full-body detox with our OptimaCARE programme. This comes in 3-stages, stage-1 addressing hindgut function, stage-2 for the liver/kidneys, and stage-3 toning both circulatory systems, blood and lymphatics.

Equally, if your horse has prolonged and varied issues, they may very well be a KPU candidate. Have a read of our KPU page to see if any of the symptoms resonate with you.

The winter coat has a very clear energy-saving function, giving horses their thick winter protection until the nights finally start to warm up again. However, this can be difficult for our older horses, as they’ll hold onto their winter coat for longer as we head into spring. Older horses often find it easier in the spring if they're supported with liver/kidney herbs, and also supplemented with sulphur, as sulphur is needed for the formation of keratin, which forms the new hair. Zinc is also utilised more at this time, and here’s a tip – if your horse has a known zinc deficiency, it’s likely they’ll have a sulphur deficiency as well (all explained in our KPU page).

Sulphur deficiency

Sulphur deficiency is difficult to identify in blood tests, but we can visibly see the presentations of sulphur deficiency in skin, hair and hooves, because sulphur is needed everywhere where horn structures are built up. Typical recognisable issues are eczema or mud fever; hair thinning in the mane/tail, or struggling to either grow a decent winter coat or timely shedding it in spring.

As for hooves, they’re built from keratin which naturally has a very high content of sulphur, so typical signs may be slower hoof growth, weak/soft soles, footy, poor hoof horn quality – all likely to be a sulphur deficiency, and all kidney markers. It's now also thought that horses with chronic respiratory issues may also have an undiagnosed sulphur deficiency.

We sell sulphur as MSM (methylsulfonylmethane).

6. The well-known coat/skin issues

Itchy skin / sweet Itch

We'll talk about sweet itch first, but ultimately the triggers and symptoms all lead to the same thing - unbearably itchy skin, which as with everything, starts with the gut.

Sweet itch particularly is truly the worst of all equine skin torments, and which I have first-hand experience of with two of our horses. Previously thought to be an autoimmune response to the Culicoides midge, recent research (2021) is now showing that the primary issue with sweet itch is not so much a skin problem. Skin symptoms for sure, but it's actually a gut issue relating to a massively disturbed microbiome, with extensive inflammation in the gut wall lining. This triggers a hyper immune reaction, making it extremely sensitive to allergic reactions, which means a huge increase in toxins.

Now the kidneys get involved as they only have a limited disposal capacity as well as a whole range of other vital tasks, including ensuring that the acid-base balance is kept constant, as well as the mineral and water balance, and also the blood pressure. As a result they end up having way too many toxins to excrete so they become overwhelmed and unable to excrete the heavier load. So, those clever kidneys use an emergency detox pathway – the skin. Cue an excess of toxin excretion via the skin surface, which causes the skin surface to itch like crazy, especially during summer when there’s insect bites to deal with as well.

As soon as we cover the horse with a fly rug, the midges can't bite so the symptoms lessen. However, for some horses, the metabolism is so overloaded that the skin becomes the main elimination organ; you'll see this in horses who constantly scratch, even in winter.

A problem with the underlying cause of itchy skin is that it can't necessarily be seen in the blood count. Values that indicate renal insufficiency, i.e. poor performance of the kidneys, only become apparent when 70% of the kidneys have already been damaged - in other words, much too late. At least for our sweet itch or fly-affected horses we can cover them with a fly rug, but not so for our non-sweet itch horses, where it all stems directly from gut biome dysbiosis.

This is where we need to seriously address the health and function of the kidneys, never mind the gut system. If it’s obvious that there’s itchy skin, we should be asking why the kidneys aren't working properly, then work upstream. If the kidneys have an overload problem, the liver also has a problem, which affects the whole toxin biotransformation process.

This takes us back to where it all starts - the gut; yet again, as with so many issues, it's all about a significant imbalance in the gut biome. Too many toxins, so the liver and kidneys can’t do their jobs, with the skin being used as an emergency pathway for excretion. And for the record, this is the same with mallenders/sallenders; all typical of when the liver and kidneys aren’t working normally anymore.

So, what to do?

Pulling this altogether, first up we need to stabilise the skin biome so don't bath your horse using harmful chemical, oil-stripping products. Fortify the diet by swapping ultra-processed feeds to clean grass-forage base feeds, i.e. grass nuts/cobs/chaff, and keep sugar and acid content low. If your horse has been fed haylage, feed spirulina for 1-month which will not only bind intestinal toxins but also help deacidify the hindgut, and feed adlib stemmy hay to get plenty of cellulose fibre passing through the colon to help recolonise the friendly hindgut fibre-fermenting microbes.

Now we need to clean up the gut, liver and kidney function with a 1-month course of our OptimaCARE three-stage full body detox. NB: Linseed has also been found to help control itchy skin as a result of the Culicoides midge bite (Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research, October 2002)

October'21 - Edited to add : New research this year is now showing that sweet itch could be connected to a now widespread, multi-metabolic detoxification disorder called Cryptopyrroluria, aka KPU. See our KPU page for the full story.

Hives

Basically meaning small-ish lumpy swellings that can appear anywhere on the body, hives are also known as ‘nettle-rash’ amongst other nicknames. The medical term is ‘urticaria’.

There are differing schools of thought as to what causes hives – they’re generally thought of as an autoimmune allergic reaction and are the least severe type of an anaphylactic reaction, but the source can be tricky to track. They can erupt due to anything from environmental allergens such as bedding or pollens, to medications, food, topical creams or oils, chemicals, something eaten or inhaled, or insect bites or stings. Allergic reactions generally develop within 20 minutes of being exposed to the allergen (antigen) and (usually) disappear within 24 hours. 
 

Small bumps occur on the skin due to fluid accumulation, mainly over the back and neck, but can also appear on any part of the body including the face and eyelids. The hair stands up over these swellings and sometimes they can itch, and generally horses may seem restless. Hives can also occur due to other causes unrelated to the immune system, including pressure, heat, exercise, stress, or sunlight. Ringworm infections, and inflammation of blood vessels (vasculitis) can also cause hives.
 
Hives are usually not life threatening and typically go away by themselves once the cause of the allergic reaction is removed or passes through the body, but keep an eye on the swelling - if it extends to the airways it can become life-threatening.

The best way to deal with hives is, of course, to eliminate the source of the problem, but sometimes it's not that easy. Knowing generally the kind of things that might cause hives, my first suggestion would be to look over a horse’s recent regime. What's changed? Any medications, topicals, feed or forage? How about environmental factors – extreme changes in temperature, different exercise routines, local crop-spraying, or any new stressors?

If you can figure it out, eliminate. If not, go for an immunity reset to clear out potential toxins from the liver, kidneys and lymphatics - see our LKLCARE blend, but overall we should be mindful of the fact that hives are, in essence, an autoimmune syndrome, so it's worth considering a strategy to reverse this with the Alleviate, Detox & Fortify protocol. We also have a couple of informative blogs on Autoimmune Syndrome.

Cellulitis/Mud Fever

Topical skin bacteria issues, typically on the heel, fetlock and pastern, mainly occur during the wet autumn/winter months with mud thought to be the source, although this syndrome can be just as bad during the summer months. Straw beds can also affect pasterns which may be sensitive to the sharp, chopped edges of the straw, which can also be covered with various bacteria.

This type of response is thought to be caused by an opportunistic bacteria, Dermatophilus congolensis, invading via breaks in the skin and causing the skin to swell, stretch, crack and weep, causing hair loss and hard scabs forming. If not caught in time it spreads and spreads. Horrid. And very sore for our horses.

Again, pro-inflammatory feeds, lowered immunity and mineral deficiencies don't help, with low zinc and copper linked with poor wound healing, and mud derma issues being linked directly with low copper. This is where we can really help our horses with a clean-up and detox, either a full-body with our OptimaCARE if the gut's struggling as well, or straight in with a 1-month course of our LKLCARE which focuses on those vital immunity detoxification organs - the liver, kidneys and lymphatics.

It goes without saying that feeding balanced minerals are also absolutely essential, and as well as resetting immunity from the inside. You can also help mud fever topically with our antimicrobial DermaCalmGel which targets the bacterial infection from the outside.

Just as an aside, back in our early days together (early 2000s), Murf would regularly, year-in year-out, get mud fever on all four of his hooves, and the last two winters before we finally fixed him, he had terrible cellulitis on both his hinds. So how did we fix him? As luck had it, this was when I found the UKNHCP forum (around 2006-7) when I was desperately searching advice for taking one of our horses barefoot, and started to learn about the importance of mineral balancing. As soon as I started giving Murf balanced minerals into his diet - see our EquiVita/VitaComplete - we've not seen any derma issues on him since 😉.

Mallenders/Sallenders

Usually afflicting our heavier feathered horses, it's thought that mites certainly seem to be a factor in the feathers, but at the heart of it all lies an over-production of keratin, the key structural protein that makes up hair, nails, horns, claws, hooves, and the outer layer of skin.

Excessive keratin production causes painful crusts, cracks and scabs in the skin on the legs - the term Mallenders relates to the front legs, Sallenders on the hinds in front of the hocks - which become thickened, cracked, and incredibly painful. Owners can be driven to distraction trying to keep on top of the ever-advancing crusts and keeping their horses comfortable.

The good news is that there's new research. As at Oct'21 and as per sweet itch, the research is now showing that Mallenders/Sallenders may also be connected to the now widespread, multi-metabolic detoxification disorder called Cryptopyrroluria, aka KPU. See our separate Mallenders/Sallenders page for the full story.

7. The gelding/stallion sheath

Did you know? Your gelding’s sheath area is also part of the extensive skin organ system.

Ever noticed your gelding/stallion’s sheath sporting an unpleasant odour or a crusty buildup? This is smegma, comprised of dead skin cells, sebum, urine, and in stallions, sperm residues too.

While stallions naturally clear out smegma through their, er, activities, geldings aren’t as lucky to have the opportunities that lead to natural cleaning. This brings us to the question: should we be regularly cleaning our geldings’ sheaths?

A revealing study by Delaware Valley College, Pennsylvania, explored this issue They divided 19 geldings into four groups, subjecting them to washings at three-week intervals with different treatments: natural water, mild baby shampoo, a special care preparation, or no treatment for the control group. Surprisingly, all treated groups, regardless of the cleaning method used, experienced a significant increase in bacterial growth. The water wash recorded the lowest.

This emphasises a less-is-more approach to sheath cleaning. The skin’s natural protective layer plays a vital role in inhibiting bacterial growth, and overwashing will strip away the skin’s natural defences. However, this doesn’t mean you should never clean your gelding’s sheath.

Regular observation is key. Watch out for behavioural cues like discomfort or difficulties  urinating, which could signal underlying issues. If you notice anything amiss, it's time for a closer examination courtesy of your vet, often under gentle sedation as it can be an uncomfortable procedure.

Excessive smegma production might also signal underlying metabolic issues, indicating that his detoxification function is overburdened, so it may be worth considering a liver/kidneys clean-up. Regular, minimal washing with just warm water, alongside vigilant monitoring for any signs of discomfort or abnormal behavior, remains key in maintaining not just the hygiene but the overall health of your gelding.

To conclude, regular sheath checks are an important aspect of horse management, with minimal washing, ideally with just warm water, supporting their comfort and well-being.

8. To conclude

Keeping the internal natural detox organs (kidneys, liver and lymph nodes) and circulatory systems (lymph and blood) toned will go a long way to sustain glowing, nourished, healthy skin.

Skin conditions can put a halt on everything and force management changes that weren't necessarily on the agenda. However, with natural phytonutrient support alongside forage-balanced minerals and micronised linseed for the super-beneficial omega-3 EFAs in the feedbowl, this can help get coat and skin health back on track.

I know how I'd prefer to achieve healthy skin, and that’s via nutrition from the inside out - not via topical petrochemicals or artificial fragranced chemicals. Address the causes, maybe consider a full-body clean up to keep the 3-Amigos fully functioning, and fortify the body with real food, nutrients and a calm, happy lifestyle. The body’s natural intelligence will take care of the rest 😊

Top tips

• Dump the processed feeds - dump sugar and eliminate food sensitivities - alfalfa and soya are two prime examples. See our The Feedbowl chapter for some fairly eye-opening info (part of our Feeding our Horses Healthy section off the main menu).

• Fix gut microbe imbalances - see our pages The Gut System and The Microbiome - The Missing Organ?

• Dry, scaling or flaking skin means that the skin may not be getting the fats it needs, but don't go reaching for the first bottle of supermarket oil you find, as we should never add liquid oil into the feedbowl. It could signify an EFA deficiency (essential fatty acid, aka Omega-3), so consider adding Linseed (Micronised) into the feedbowl for it's high omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs).

• Nourish! A variety of nutrients play a role in healthy skin, i.e. forage-balanced minerals, with zinc deficiency known to contribute to poor skin. Vit.D is also important, so that's plenty of all-over skin exposure on our all-too-rare sunshine-y days. See our Mineral Solutions.

• Exercise and sweat! When the body temperature rises, i.e. during exercise, skin bloodflow transfers heat from the core of the body to the skin. Sweating is a super-detoxifier - it literally excretes toxins from inside out, but remember to get the toxins off the skin after sweating with a hose-down, and not a shampoo with chemicals in, i.e. SLSs, parabens, petrochemicals etc.

• Quality rest. Overwork, lack of time out, isolation, poor feed management, stress and anxiety - all profoundly stresses gut health which has an overwhelming negative effect on the immune system which directly diminishes skin integrity.

• Check the composition in topical skin products - parabens and petrochemicals feature highly and can overload the toxicity levels of the system, meaning the liver has to work overtime to metabolise and clear them out.

9. Personally ...

Well, not me personally but I've had my share of skin issues with my horses. Back in my conventional days, my gut-sensitive connemara, Murphy, used to break out with mud fever and cellulitis every year without fail - our early winters together were a constant battle with his sore, infected heels.

Along the way I originally mixed up some aloe-vera gel with appropriate essential oils, which eventually became our DermaCalmGel. The final piece of the jigsaw was getting his gut function sorted to cope with his EMS, plus introducing our forage-balanced minerals in the late 2000s. Once Murf's internal system was cleaned up, his mud issues literally vanished and he's been clear ever since. More than a decade on I don't even think about Murf and mud now.

Then there was our adorable Kelso, without whom there would be no EquiNatural. He came to me as a renowned chronic sweet itch sufferer; fully hogged with festering sores over his mane, tail and rump from where he'd rubbed himself raw. I witnessed first hand how stressful this was for him, and it was heartbreaking to watch.

I formulated what became our herbal LKLCARE and our aloe SwItchGel for him, after watching him go through hell, not to mention repeatedly trash his very expensive, specialist sweet itch rugs. Within a few months on the herbs he'd grown a full mane and tail for the first time in all the years we'd known him - he was 17 at the time, and lived comfortably for the rest of his days to the ripe old age of 24.

Now cut to 2017 when I met a chunky native Dartmoor pony, Mac, aka MacAttack, so named as his mission in life was to attack humans with his teeth. He got better! Eventually .😊

Mac had the worst sweet itch I'd ever seen, hence why I adopted him. To say he had huge, infected, suppurating sores the size of dinner plates over his rump was an understatement. Once the lead rope was in my hand he went straight onto our clean-up regime with our OptimaCARE full-body detox programme and a gallon of our SwItchGel. You can read Mac's story and see the gory details in his dedicated page.

2021, and after studying the multi-detoxification disorder, Cryptopyrroluria, aka KPU, I was certain that MacAttack was a KPU-affected horse, so I started managing him accordingly. A year on and, well, what a difference. With Mac on the P5P for over a year I began weaning him off it. He was in such a better place; he grew a full thick winter coat for the first time since we'd known him (5-years), so much so that we didn't need to rug him all winter other than a rainsheet when it was persistent heavy rain, of which (no surprise) there was plenty.

He was a calmer, happier, and above all friendlier boy. He no longer bit, or cow-kicked when I was trying to grab rug straps under his belly; he also stopped charging at us in the field. He started going into his sweet itch rug much later than usual, and barely rubbed himself throughout the summer. Agreed we still got through two fly rugs that summer but only because during a very satisfying bum rub he shredded the tail flap off his first one.

That's not to say he'll ever be 'cured' - this autoimmune response is almighty powerful so he'll always be a work-in-progress. Overall though, there's no question that these days he's doing brilliantly compared to how he was when I first met him over the fence 😉.

Meanwhile, click on the SHOP link below to see our herbal Coat&Skin product range.