From: Robbin
Jessica
I have recently found an area on my pony about a half dollar in size-bald area. My vet was over checking on my horse and I had him look at it. He said it was ringworm. As soon as I found out I washed all grooming supplies with bleach (I had shared them between the two) and bought some new supplies so they each have their own. I am presently putting betadine and water solution on the infected area once a day. Do you have any other suggestions. What are the chances of my horse getting it- I know it is a contagious fungal infection. How do they get it in the first place?
Thanks, Robbin
As your vet probably told you, ringworm is a highly contagious fungal infection of the skin and hair. It's a fairly common sort of skin disease in horses. Dampness and darkness make it more likely for horses to contract ringworm. So do crowded conditions - this is why it's seen much more often in winter, and most often amongst groups of horses that are occupying a small space (e.g., horses spending wet winter days in a small sacrifice area when their pastures are closed).
It's a very good idea to have separate grooming kits and tack for all of your horses. Ringworm is easily spread through shared brushes, sponges, saddle pads, halters, etc. There's no point in getting rid of the ringworm on one horse if the others are going to be sharing space and grooming tools - they're likely to get it too, and eventually share it with the first horse again. It's very contagious, and is also, in theory, contagious from horse to human, although I have not yet seen a human who contracted ringworm from a horse.
You'll probably need to keep your horses separated for some time. Your vet will be able to tell you when it will be safe to allow the horses to share a space again. Ask about disinfecting procedures, because there are certain areas - wooden fence boards, for instance - where ringworm fungi may remain for many months if nothing is done to disinfect them. Don't worry - this doesn't mean that you need to disinfect your entire fenceline, but if there is a particular section of fence where the infected horse spends time rubbing and scratching itself against the boards and/or posts, it would be a good idea to disinfect that section of fencing and a section to either side of it. Similarly, if that horse has been in the habit of scratching or rubbing itself against a feeding trough, the feeding trough would need to be disinfected. If you're familiar with your horse's habits and behaviour, you won't have any trouble identifying potential "problem" areas.
It doesn't sound as though your horse's ringworm is very advanced. It usually appears first as small, round patches of flaky or scabby skin, with the hair missing. If you are aggressive in your treatment of these areas, you should be able to get rid of the ringworm long before the lesions progress to the next stage (large, scabby, blistered areas where the hair is missing or broken).
Typical places to look for ringworm lesions: check the horse's face, especially around its eyes. Check the legs, and check the areas where the saddle and girth touch the horse. Make it part of your grooming routine to check each horse in these areas - that way, you should be able to notice any ringworm and treat it while the lesions are still few and small.
Most vets generally suggest just what yours told you to do: Isolate the horse and immediately disinfect all of your grooming gear and any tack used on the horse. For treating the horse itself, the usual procedure is to use Clorox (bleach) diluted 1:10 in a bucket of water, and a medicated shampoo (usually miconazole). Most vets will tell you to treat the horse daily for five to seven days, then weekly until the last lesion has healed. Your vet may have different suggestions - be sure to ask his advice. Also ask him about cleaning your tack, halters, and any blanket your horse may have worn - everything will need to be disinfected.
Ask him about stalls and turnout pens, as well. Ringworm can also be spread by moving other horses in and out of an affected horse's stall - and it can be spread by a human who handles a horse with ringworm and then handles other horses without taking proper precautions. The easiest precaution is simply to handle the infected animal last - groom and handle the others first, clean their stalls first, and then handle the infected horse when you have finished with the other horses, and know that you can wash yourself and your clothing as soon as you have handled the last horse. You may find that it's worth investing in a couple of inexpensive coveralls to wear over your clothing - you can strip one off as you leave the barn, stuff it into a plastic bag, and wash it as soon as you get home.
The horses most likely to get ringworm are generally youngsters - horses under three years old - and old horses. Very old horses may have compromised immune systems that make it easier for them to contract diseases, and very young horses may be more susceptible to diseases simply because they've never been exposed to them before.
Good luck, keep disinfecting, and hope for dry, sunny days!
Jessica
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