Horse Acne

Horse Acne or equine pimples are one of the major areas of concern for most of the horse-owners. Though the small multi-toed creature has evolved into a large single-toed animal today; problems regarding horse diseases too have increased along with it.

This disease is sometimes confused with ringworm . Small, round,inflamed areas appear on the horse's coat usually in the girth andsaddle area. This condition can he treated with tincture of iodine.It is highly contagious, which necessitates the isolation of thehorse and disinfestation of all the tack, kit and equipment thathas come into contact with him. Soiled bedding should be burnedand not put on the muck heap.

Earlier, the skin diseases in horse were not discovered in detail. That’s why it took a considerable amount of time for the veterinary science to analyze the various types of skin infections in horses. Similarly, the remedial measures too faced a slow but steady progress where horse acne received the status of a curable disease.

Definition:
Acne is a skin infection or a disease wherein we see pimples on the body parts like face, chest, and back in human beings while in horses it affects the girth and saddle area of the animal.

Although acne is a common skin disease, it is assumed to be a contagious disease. Bad acne leads to very bad scars and its treatment is equally expensive. The major fact is that there are specific reasons that cause it, be it in humans or in animals like horses. Early detection of the acne can save further spread of the skin disease.

Causes of Acne in horses:
Basically, the causes of equine pimples or horse acne are mysterious. Reasons for this skin infection are pores blocked with oil, inflammation of skin layers, irritation, hormonal fluctuation, unhygienic living, dead skin cells, and bacteria accumulation in skin pores.

Health conditions:
Whether it is a creature like horse or in case of human beings, the symptoms are clearly visible. In, horse acne the skin looks itchy and pimples like formation on the infected parts. Changes in the sebaceous gland secretions appear prominently as scars. Any kind of physical contacts with the affected body part can be painful leading to scratching and irritation. In addition, the spread of infection in diverse ways results in various forms of acne that acts in a different way. Thus it requires an altogether different treatment as per the severity of the disease. For this, careful observation and treatments can be applied to minimize the spread of the skin infection.

Treatment and remedy:
There is no proven technique or a fool-proof remedy that can completely cure horse acne. However combinations of various antibiotics as well as homeopathic medications are practiced in general as per the responsiveness of the affected body part towards it. For e.g. killing the bacteria by means of oxides or pills to prevent the further spread of the skin infection. At the same time, care has to be taken so that the infected part should not develop a resistance to the medication.

Various skin treatments kits are also available that can be applied to the horse acne to get rid of the pimples and itchy skin. Some of the popularly applied medications are as under:

• Applying various forms of oxides
• Killing the bacteria
• Removal of dead skin cells
• Avoiding pimple popping
• Applying warm water
• Usage of horse pimples kit
• Detoxifiers
• Sprays
• Herbal treatments
• Tetracycline acne medication
• Holistic and natural equine products

Till date, various case studies have revealed that even if acne can’t be cured completely, the damage caused by it to skin can be effectively reduced to a great extent. Horse acne too can be controlled, provided it is treated by means of proper medicines and effective prescriptions through the certified veterinary professionals or at registered animal health care centers.