Disinfecting tack/rugs/grooming kit after desease

lialls

lialls

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 February 2008
Messages
1,431
Location
The Hills
Visit site
My horse has got ringworm and the vet said to clean her tack, rugs and grooming kit to stop reinfection. How should i do this? The vet said to just wash all rugs and saddle cloths like normal but didnt say anything about leather work or grooming kit.

I was thinking that id soak the grooming kit in detol, do we think thats ok? but not sure what to do about any leather work? just wide over with soapy water and clean like normal?

The treatment for my horse is done weekly and will take a number of weeks to clear the ringworm, so should i disinfect her grooming kit/headcollar again everyweek when i treat my horse?

Is there anyting else that im missing that i need to disinfect? The stable has already been done in the last week and she hasnt been in so i dont think i need to do that again.
 
I would get a big container, massive bucket, bin whatever and fill it to the bring with boiling hot water and disinfectant (cheap and easy to get from any supermarket) and shove anything and everything in there to soak for a few hours.
I do this about once every 2 weeks - although my horse has never had a virus or anything I just do it out of principal, also it feels good having everything clean and it also keeps the colour in brushes and makes them last longer!
Headcollars,ropes,brushes,bit rings,fly hoods I shove the lot in.
 
I'd have thought that for leather work, taking apart and wiping it over with really hot water and then soaping would be okay? Hot water kills bacteria, so I'd have thought it'd be okay! Wouldn't want to go near it with disinfectant though! Could be wrong xx
 
Ohh just had a brain storm.. if you have any tea tree oil lying around add one or two drops of that into the hot water and then wipe the tack over and soap? Tea tree oil is supposed to be anti-fungal and antibacterial, and with a small amount in the hot water I wouldn't have thought it'd be bad for it..? :p Just an idea! xx
 
Virkon or other fungicidal cleaner.
Normal disinfectant won't work and you should really disinfect brushes etc. daily or after each use.
 
Im useing Imaverol (sp) for the horse atm but been using it for nearly 4 weeks now and havnt seen much improvement :S Its what the vet procribed so i will carry on anyway. Having regular check ups so might bring it up next time that i havnt seen much improvement but they did say that it could take weeks :S

Will the Vikron be ok to use on leather work do you know?
 
I dont see how thats so? My horse has her own grooming kit/tack and rugs and it was new when i got my horse 4 years ago... I mite not wash the grooming kit regulary but its deffently clean as is all her rugs and tack. My vet said that its much more likely that my horse picked it up last winter when she wasnt very well from a wodden surface or another horse she has come in to contact with. Im only cleaning everything so she dosnt get reinfected with it. Her rugs are cleaned after the winter anyway and her tack is cleaned monthly.

I think you should read up about ringworm tbh
 
I don't think it would hurt tack to wipe it over with an antimicrobal/fungicidal disentectant then wash this off with warm water and then rub in some good quality saddle soap. I would try it on a little area first though. Thats what I did when my horse had ringworm years ago and the tack was fine.
 
lialls said:
I dont see how thats so? My horse has her own grooming kit/tack and rugs and it was new when i got my horse 4 years ago... I mite not wash the grooming kit regulary but its deffently clean as is all her rugs and tack. My vet said that its much more likely that my horse picked it up last winter when she wasnt very well from a wodden surface or another horse she has come in to contact with. Im only cleaning everything so she dosnt get reinfected with it. Her rugs are cleaned after the winter anyway and her tack is cleaned monthly.

I think you should read up about ringworm tbh
Click to expand...

Not ganging up or taking sides, but I think she just meant in case you had lent one of your brushes, or a numnah or something to someone else :) so is then slightly dirty. xx
 
Thats ok VS, i just didnt like the comment at the end of the post. Makes it sound like my tack, rugs and grooming kit are dirty and i dont look after my horse properly thus my horse gets ill. There isnt any prevention for ringworm, it can stay on fence posts for up to 10 years so it may be just bad luck if your horse picks it up. Any anyway the most common cause is not nessiceraly dirty brushes etc. Yes, cross contamination maybe but that is not what was written.

Ok i'l stop now. Thanks for wording it better VS :)
 
No need to get hasty we are all here for the welfare of your horse and that only.

I have read about ringworm and also have known someone at an old yard who's pony got it.

http://www.horses-and-horse-information.com/articles/0198epp.shtml

PS - Who cares if you have dirty tack etc. ? You own a horse after all. No ones stuff is perfect ;) I also said it is the main cause, so obviously when one thinks or ringworm that's the first cause they think of. Well me and most people I know anyway. Not that it is the cause in your case, but to prevent it from happening again stuff should be regularly cleaned.
 
niagaraduval said:
Seeing as the most common cause for ringworm is dirty brushes, numnahs,headcollars sharing tack etc.. let this be a lesson!
Click to expand...

Erm, that isn't actually true! Your stuff can be as dirty or clean as you like - you just need it to have been in contact with another horse (or human!) with ringworm to transmit it. It lives in wood for long periods of time so it is commonly picked up from rubbing on fence posts etc.

I wouldn't use hot water on leather, you will wreck it. Perhaps for your tack you could use a sponge squeezed out with virkon wiped over it, then clean normally with a new sponge to keep it nice and supple.
You need to use an antifungicial like virkon to clean your stuff, something that is just antibac (eg, detol won't kill off the ringworm fungus) won't do it I'm afraid. You can get little sachets of virkon from shops online / tackshops / farm stores so you can make it up fresh easily each time.
 
Thank you Glosgirl. Have used Virkon S for everything that wasnt leather, and didnt soak wooden brushes for too loong either. Was thinking that a cloth that had been rung out with Virkon on it would be ok for the tack and then as normal to clean it after.

Glad that i didnt waste my time with detol now, cos have been in even more of a pickle! lol :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top