Ringworm in Horses: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Ringworm is one of those diseases that cross species boundaries and is easily transferred between humans and animals. Although cats are the most common cause of animal-to-human transfer of the skin disease, any animal susceptible to ringworm can give it to their human handlers including horses. If you are around horses for any reason, it is a good idea to learn about ringworm in horses, how to spot it, and how to get rid of it quickly.

What is Ringworm in Horses?

The official name for ringworm is tinea, though your veterinarian may also refer to it as dermatophytosis when talking about your horse. Like humans, it is caused by fungus called dermatophytes. The species of dermatophytes most likely to affect horses are the microsporum and trichophyton. Horses can become infected with these organisms by interacting with other horses that have the infection or coming into contact with contaminated grooming equipment, tack, clothing, and stables. Horses can also pick up ringworm from infected humans and, as noted before, can pass the infection to their human handlers.

Signs of Ringworm in Horses

Ringworm can cause hair loss, which can be devastating for show or competition horses where their appearance is a key judging factor. Knowing what the ringworm signs and symptoms are is critical to diagnosing this skin disease and treated as soon as possible. The good thing about ringworm infection in horses is that it produces immunity, which lasts a long time.

The symptoms of ringworm in horses are:

• The coat appears raised or rough at the infection site
• Hair loss at the infection site
• The horse continually scratches a particular area
• Skin rashes that are red and raised; sometimes looks like a red worm hiding under the skin
• Infected skin may crust or flake

Photos of ringworm in horses can be found online which can be helpful in diagnosing the problem.

How to Treat Ringworm in Horses

Interestingly enough, ringworm of the skin in horses will often cure itself in 6 to 15 weeks. Because of the potential to transmit the disease to other animals and humans, however, treating ringworm in horses quickly is the best course of action.

Here are the steps to getting rid of a ringworm infection:

• Cut the hair from the affect area. The fungus feeds on keratin, which is the protein that hair is made from. The first step is to take away the food source for the fungus.
• Apply antifungal antiseptic to the affected area. Betadine is an over the counter scrub found available at most pharmacies. Novalsan is also a popular treatment but is only available by prescription. If you are not sure what to use, get a recommendation from your vet.
• Let the solution sit on the fungus for 10 minutes and then rinse thoroughly.
• Add two tablespoons of white vinegar to a quart of water and rinse the area one more time.
• Dry the skin using a blow dryer. Fungus thrives on moisture, so you want to deprive them of another source of sustenance.
• Follow up this treatment by applying a thin layer of antifungal ringworm cream.
• Repeat this treatment every day for seven days. Then reduce to twice per week until the lesions disappear and new hair starts to grow.

To prevent new infections, use an antifungal cleaner like bleach or Lysol to thoroughly disinfect the area, yourself, and any materials you use to treat the horse. Keep livestock, pets, animals, and humans away from the horse. Be certain to have your horse’s progress monitored by your vet.

Home Remedies for Ringworm

If, by chance, you do catch a case of ringworm from your horse, there are a number of products you can use to eradicate the infection quickly. After conducting months of research, we found a few products that kill ringworm infections without causing side effects. To read our reviews of these products and see before and after pictures of people who have successfully used them to clear their infections, go to the homepage.