Management know-how
Barney Ward
Our experts
Kate Hore RNutr (Animal) is Senior Nutritionist at NAF.
Sally Burton is Head of Sanctuary Care at The Mare and Foal Sanctuary.
My horse’s skin really suffers when the weather’s wet, although he’s sensitive all year-round. Is there any nutritional support I can offer him? If so, what sort of ingredients should I look for?
Sensitive support
Kate Hore answers: Your horse’s skin is part of his integumentary system, the largest organ in the body, which forms his outermost defensive layer. If damaged, it allows access to bacteria, including Dermatophilus and Staphylococcus species. The resulting skin infections – mud fever or rain scald – can be painful and tricky to treat. Antimicrobial resistance is a real threat in horses, so prevention is better than cure.