The Skin As An Indicator of Health and Disease

The skin of a healthy stabled horse should be elastic, smooth, clean and slightly warm. The coat should be fine, smooth, glossy and clean and give the horse a sleek appearance. Horses at grass build up a layer of protective grease which should not be removed by grooming as it helps them withstand cold and wet conditions. It is normal and healthy for a grass-kept horse to have a more greasy skin and coat and to have a longer coat in winter.

The skin can be affected by local problems but it is also the best indicator that the horse owner has of the horse's general health and condition. The coat may become dry and dull. If it is not lubricated by normal sebaceous secretions; this is a well-known sign of digestive problems and worm infestation. The horse is said to be hidebound when the skin is tight and does not move freely over the underlying structures. This can be due to dehydration and lack of subcutaneous fat and is also seen in grass sickness and poorly nourished horses.

The colour of the mucus membranes of the eyes, gums and tongues is also used as a guide to health; the membranes should be a salmon pink colour and may be pale if the horse is anaemic or red if the horse is fevered.

Other more obvious signs of disease include wounds, heat, pain, swelling, bruising, blisters, ulcers, abscesses and scabs. These signs may be due to a number of causes -bacterial (mud fever), fungal (ringworm), viral (warts), parasites (warbles), allergy (urticaria), injury (ill-fitting tack) or sunlight (photosensitisation).

Unexplained sweating or evidence of dried sweat may indicate that the horse has been in pain (colic), fevered or perhaps cast in its stable.

It can be seen that a daily inspection of the horse's skin and coat is an essential stable management routine. It should not be confined to visual inspection and the horse owner must also feel for any changes. This is best done during the daily grooming session.

Samantha writes articles on several subjects including horse health issues, horse riding tips and horse rescue stories. To read more articles please visit our Horse Riding website

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