aural plaques

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Clare_horse

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hi i reacent bought a new forest pony and later on i noticed in his ears he had white like puss stuff and when i knocked some of it of there was some very very red looking skin underneeth the vet and i agreed over the phone it sounded like aural plaques, i was woundering if anyone had any ways to help / treat it i have read up and it can cause horse head/ear shyness and hes very head shy and ear shy! i no some people say to leave them but they are obviously hurting him! :(

any help would be greatfull thanks!
 
Sounds like they are - its usually powdery the stuff that comes off.

There was a thread on here not so long ago which had quite a few replies.

My personal experience (as advised by vet) is if you forget they are there and do nothing they will not cause you any grief :D

I would guess that the ear shyness is because because he has had people poking in his ears having a look at it- my horse had a good few in both ears and has had them for years - but he is not too keen on me having a ferret about in there - but to be honest I don't want someone messing inside my ears either
 
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My horse has terrible aural plaques inside his ears, they don't really bother me, but i know a lot of people think they are unsightly

my horse was also extremely head and ear shy when i got him, but i agree with first poster, it was just because people had fiddled with them constantly and made them sorer

i left mine alone, and although they are still there, they dont bother him, and his head and ear shyness has completely gone thanks to building his trust in me, and me NOT fiddling with them- my advice, just ignore them and work on building up trust with your horse and get him used to handling his ears just like any other head shy horse

on a separate note, I have heard from some that olive oil is supposed to help.... but think this may be a home remedy, i haven't tried it, and have no idea if it works!
 
My horse has them and they're not noticeable. I asked here for advice a while back, and the general consensus is - Leave well alone!

I imagine the only thing that'd make your horse headshy is people fiddling about with his ears all the time worrying about the plaques more than he does... :p
 
chessy said:
I imagine the only thing that'd make your horse headshy is people fiddling about with his ears all the time worrying about the plaques more than he does... :p
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i havent been fiddling with them but just he wont let me even tootch his ears i managed one day to look into them with lots of pursasion n hes trusts me now its just he will wont let me near the as they are red rore and really look sore! and he shakes his head and we struggle to get head collor ectt on him! :( but vet will come out in few days to see to him!
someone also said to get the vet to perscribe me some Aldara Cream as that suposibly makes them worse and more sore but then they clear up n usualy thats it n no more problems! and also after the treatment they get over the ear thing as its no longer irritating them
 
Mine has them and the vet told me they could knock him out and scrape it off if i wanted but best to leave them alone
 
horsegirl said:
Mine has them and the vet told me they could knock him out and scrape it off if i wanted but best to leave them alone
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^^ This.

Somebody was stood talking to me whilst I was mucking out and she took it upon herself to rub her ear, getting rid of the white stuff. When I noticed I said it was best left and she really shouldn't be doing it :(. Anyway, plaques have grown back but no worse. Luckily she isn't head shy with them and although reluctant, I can touch her ears, but if I don't have to, I don't :).
 
I get round my boy's plaques and ear shyness by splitting the bridle in two. But he's ok with headcollar, it sounds as if your chap has had people trying to 'deal' with his plaques or being roung with tack and so is worse.

If he really cant be even haltered without distress, it may be that he needs to be sedated and the plaques treated (so it doesnt hurt him), tho Im not sure with what as its an ongoing prob, but it might give temp relief to treat it. Following that he would need to wear a fly fringe which includes ear covers to prevent the blackfly that cause the prob (he's allergic to the bites from it), getting into his ears. But of course that needs you to be able to get that on, which I know isnt easy.

At least he isnt too big, mine's 17 hands and if he dont want you near them there ears, all he has to do is throw that head in the air and it's about 9 foot up!
 
Hi yes I have that problem to last year the plaque came and went this year has stayed we have tried caneston cream.fungal wash,and its still there so our vet said leave alone as the plaque is doing no harm.so when in the field we just pop a fly mask on him.
 
My TB has lots in both ears and they have never bothered him. Earlier this year he suddenly became very head shy and I couldnt get his bridle on at all, had vet out and both ears scoped under sedation. He had an infection in both ears which has now been treated and cleared up completely. Vet said that the aural plaque was neither the cause or the reason for the infection and they were best left alone. Trying to clear them away is likely to cause bits to drop further down the ear and cause problems. I am still having to drop the bit off his bridle and pop it in after the headpiece has been placed over his ears, I was told he may never forget about it hurting! (typical bloke :) )
 
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