thoughts on allergic reaction pls

[Vicki1986]

My mare has developed an allergic reaction over a month. the skin started of feeling bumpy not really scabby - it wasnt weepy or infected.
then about 2 weeks ago if you rubbed it gently with your nail, little chunks of skin just flaked off with the hair attached

then last week the skin / hair became looser and was really coming away - and leaving some parts underneath a bit sore.

Vet has confirmed NO mites.

Pony not sore / lame / itchy / bothered / noticed at all.

Have been given some medicated shampoo by vet to use every other day. doing this makes it quite sore as lathering with shampoo loosens skin/hair that maybe isnt quite ready on its own? not sure.

I want to try to work out if i can whats caused the problem so i can stop it happening again.

what would you think is more likely the cause.

equilibrium stretch flex training wraps (90% neoprene) - i have got rid of these just in case ...... she wore them about 5-10 times over 1 month on her backs only. and surely some of her other boots have neoprene in i thought it was a common material?

Her field is getting quite long (have asked it to be topped) and there are some "itchy" type plants in there (sorry not good on plant names) We thought maybe as she picks up infornt more but is stiffer behind and dragging through the longer plants maybe she has an irratation to them?


Shes never had anything like this before - and its only on her back legs - fronts are completely clean.

I really don't want her to have anything like this again. The vet wasnt really sure.

any theories or suggestions welcome and appreciated.

[Llewelyn]

Is it mostly on the lower, white hair/pink skin part of her legs? I was wondering about photosensitivity, which is caused (I think) by St John's wort? Will go dig out a picture so you can look round your field to see if there is any growing.

[bailey14]

There are a lot of allergic reactions around at the moment, there are quite a few at the yard of 40+ where I keep my horse. I am just guessing but do you have a lot of buttercups in it by chance? Buttercups can cause photosensization as can St Johns Wort, Ragwort, and Comfrey and about a zillion other plants. I'm just guessing its buttercups as that's more common than anything else. It's a nightmare having a horse with white socks, my WB has four! Try these links for more info.

http://www.freevetadvice.co.uk/photosensitisation.htm

http://www.newrider.com/forum/archiv...p/t-86528.html

[Vicki1986]

thank you both of you for info - thats the odd think its mostly on the chestnut part - weird?? it has spread down a little onto the top of her white sock though but still started on the chestnut.
maybe i will try to get some pics of whats in the field and the clever guys can tell me what the plants are havent seen any buttercups there but not looked too closely. any ragwort gets picked straight away.

[helenandroger]

bout to post a very similar question. few wks back my bay looked like he had scratches on chest from eating the hedges - skin peeling off/flaky. it has now spread to his "armpits"/girth area and outside his sheath area - there it lks like fly gel thats dried. girth area it's a little bit crusty. i've rubbed sudocream in tonight to loosen it all up and stopped squirting fly spray as i'm wondering if that has caused it - was using naff off deet spray. am going to ask instructor tomorrow her advise. have had 2 ponies that suffered from sweetitch and rain scald and not like that. the chest skin peel is most bizzare. i can't say it looks sore as he's dark skin but i suspect it is around girth area.

[Simsar]

Vicki the boots might have something to do with it if your mare got sweaty or wet under them when they were on, did you wash her legs properly after them being on as i have seen this in comp horses that haven't been washed of properly! Also has she got any Arab in her as i seem to remember an article in H&H on mud fever that said about something similar that arabs and part breds get in the summer that sounds quite similar, just a thought.

Helenandroger see fly spray post above

[Doris68]

I have pm'd you.

[Vicki1986]

Yep and shes always kept fairly clean, well apart from the fct she poos down herself alot the cretin! She does get mud fever in the winter - but on her white bits / more lower down around the heel / fetlock. Not an arab no, not sure what she is!
Field being topped today so will have to wait and see how it goes i guess.
the part thats red/sore seems to have gone scabby now since i washed it in the medi shampoo.