Ringworm

Very infectious!!

Ringworm is caused by a fungal skin infection and is commonly seen first on sites where horses rub, or where tack rubs. It is VERY infectious and ususally means having to treat ALL horses in a specific area to effect a cure. Spores will live on wood and soft stone walls as well as tack, which spreads the spores if shared. Lesions are uaually dry, bald, grey, thickened and scaley. This can become complicated if the horse rubs the lesions.

There are good treatments available - oral preparations to kill the fungus and topical washes to kill the fungus and, more importantly, the spores, which spread the infection. Tack can be soaked and walls sprayed with these washes.

Hair samples sent to the lab, will confirm ringworm, although results can take 3 weeks, so if we suspect an infection, we will usually start treatment immediately.

It will infect you, so take hygienic precautions.

The name comes from the red ring-like lesion which shows in the human infection, although there are no worms involved at all, just a fungal infection of the skin!

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