United States Eventing Association

Tips and Tricks of the Trade: Keeping Your Horse's Legs Fungus Free

Tips and Tricks of the Trade is a new article series being provided through a partnership between Athletux and the USEA.

It’s very easy for horses to get scratches, rainrot and other bacterial or fungal infections on their legs, due to mud, wet weather or simply the footing you ride on. However, there is an easy solution that keeps your horse’s legs picture perfect; washing their legs with an antibacterial soap. Using an antibacterial soap greatly reduces the chance of your horse developing a skin condition. It also allows you to check their legs for any cuts, scrapes or abnormalities.

I personally like to use dish soap. You can purchase it at any local store, just make sure that it is antibacterial. After you’re done riding and you have hosed off your horse, you want to wash his legs. The easiest way is to just take a tiny bit (the size of a quarter will do) from the bottle and apply directly to the legs. This allows you to feel their legs as you go and works better than using a sponge. You want to wash the legs from the fetlock down, or if your horse has any socks or stockings you should go as high as the white. The pink skin is more susceptible to skin irritation. A lot of dirt and sand tends to stick to the back of the pasterns, so you’ll want to make sure to scrub there very well. This also helps to keep socks and stockings cleaner. After you have washed the soap off, the last step is to make sure you dry the horse's legs really well. You want to dry the legs from the knee and hock down. If you wash your horse with antibacterial soap and dry their legs, it will really help to keep your horse sound and clean-legged year round.

Enjoy the rest of your season and have fun riding!

Stacey Driscoll is the head groom for Woodstock Eventing. She is a graduate of Delaware Valley College and completed a Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, Equine Training Degree and a Business Administration Minor. She also studied abroad at one of England’s leading equine educational schools, Hartpury College in Gloucestershire. In 2014, Stacey was awarded The PRO Liz Cochran Memorial Groom’s Award.