Photosensitisation and scaring in horses!

[LynnRon]

Looking for some help, I had a mare come down with photosensitisation 3 years ago worst case my vet has ever seen cattle/horse, current vets and referral vets were very surprised she made it as she was to unwell to travel south and was booked in to be PTS. Coloured mare so all the white peeled completely over her body. Has been at full health for just over two years and has given me a beautiful foal which she carried herself fine ect just like any other mare.

My issue is I unbelievably miss riding my mare....shes 14 this year and is physically and mental completely healthy with blood tests done yearly to make sure liver and kidneys are functioning correctly.

Originally when the mare was finally well 90% of the hair grew back fine but there is bald patches either side of her spine where the saddle would sit and a spot on either side of her neck. Originally I was hoping to bring her back into work just so I could do local things and riding club (being aware of sun ect as no hair easily burnt skin) but I noticed the saddle(fitted and lamb skin pad) was not rubbing her back as such but there was slightly more reddish tinge to her skin assuming pressure, but there is 0 hair between the pad and the skin so assuming it was because of that.

3 years on now....I want to ride my horse desperately ?? I do potter around randomly (handful of times in 3 years) and it causes her no pain issues or redness she just so happy to be out! (She was ridden a lot and jumping well before it happened)

my question is does anyone have previous experience or suggestions of what I could do? Do I just bite the bullet and try and see if the skin toughens up? Is there something else I can put on? Anyone’s experience or knowledge would be appreciated!

she lives in a rug more or less 365 days a year due to avoiding the sun which. She’s no hoys winner but a nice average mare with some jumping talent, she really was the best of fun for me! I do plan to take another foal out of her for myself but she just is one of those that if she’s not busy she makes herself busy...?

Thanks!
Picture of said mare 2 years ago ready for going to the stallion.

 

[PurBee]

welcome to the forum!

Sorry to hear about your mare - i don’t have any suggestions about saddle pads to make her more comfortable, hopefully others will chime in with suggestions.
A large thick one as you describe sounds best. I would imagine her skin would get redder there after being ridden as the heat/pressure/exercise all combine to create redness. More blood flow to the area + heat will do that. Providing the skin surface isnt chapped/cracked/thin/rashes developing after short ridden work and just a colour change, i would think that is natural to occur. We mostly dont see the change in skin colour after exercise due to them normally being covered in hair!
I’d ask your vet about the redness, send them a picture right after exercise, ask if that looks normal or inflamed.

Will the hair ever grow back? Have patches of hair re-grown in other places?

Prevention is better than cure, and i wanted to just mention that perennial ryegrass and clover can cause photosensitisation in *some* horses aswell as some other (less common) field plants like johns wort, trefoil.
I researched this a while back when my (grey) gelding had some skin issues, linked to an immune response, and was trying to find cause of the trigger.
So you could avoid all ryegrass/clover if she’s on mixed hay/pasture grass and see if that helps her heal quicker. Ryegrass especially seems to be in many horse forages now.

Here’s a link to research plants that cause photosensitisation in horses:

https://www.google.com/search?q=pho...hUKEwiKgOGZop3wAhXAVBUIHVcxAGcQ4dUDCA0&uact=5

Being rugged 24/7 wont help her skin/hair follicles to re-generate, although of course youre rugging her to prevent UV exposure, which is needed.
Can she be turned out at night and brought into shelter during the day? That would mean she wouldnt need to be rugged 24/7 and allow oxygen to her skin.

Aloe vera is excellent skin healing gel but unfortunately shouldnt be exposed to UV either, as it can create a worsening reaction. Not sure if youve been using aloe vera without knowing this? It’s good to use for minor cuts/scabs etc but not for large area applications in turned-out horses, due to it reacting with U.V. Light.

Fingers crossed your mare continues to recover ?

 

[LynnRon]

I have

welcome to the forum!

Sorry to hear about your mare - i don’t have any suggestions about saddle pads to make her more comfortable, hopefully others will chime in with suggestions.
A large thick one as you describe sounds best. I would imagine her skin would get redder there after being ridden as the heat/pressure/exercise all combine to create redness. More blood flow to the area + heat will do that. Providing the skin surface isnt chapped/cracked/thin/rashes developing after short ridden work and just a colour change, i would think that is natural to occur. We mostly dont see the change in skin colour after exercise due to them normally being covered in hair!
I’d ask your vet about the redness, send them a picture right after exercise, ask if that looks normal or inflamed.

Will the hair ever grow back? Have patches of hair re-grown in other places?

Prevention is better than cure, and i wanted to just mention that perennial ryegrass and clover can cause photosensitisation in *some* horses aswell as some other (less common) field plants like johns wort, trefoil.
I researched this a while back when my (grey) gelding had some skin issues, linked to an immune response, and was trying to find cause of the trigger.
So you could avoid all ryegrass/clover if she’s on mixed hay/pasture grass and see if that helps her heal quicker. Ryegrass especially seems to be in many horse forages now.

Here’s a link to research plants that cause photosensitisation in horses:

https://www.google.com/search?q=photosensitivity+horse+ryegrass&client=safari&sxsrf=ALeKk00oEYKFqLiCH27oFMP02CdEWky9HA:1619486729330&ei=CWiHYMrXE8Cp1fAP1-KAuAY&oq=photosensitivity+horse+ryegrass&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAM6BwgAEEcQsAM6BggAEBYQHjoECCMQJzoCCAA6BwgAEIcCEBQ6CAguEMcBEK8BOgUIABDJAzoFCAAQkgM6BQgAEJECOgUIABCxAzoICAAQsQMQgwE6BwguELEDEEM6BAgAEEM6BwgAELEDEEM6CggAELEDEIMBEEM6BAguEEM6CwguELEDEMcBEK8BOgcIIxDqAhAnOggILhCxAxCDAToFCC4QsQM6CAgAEBYQChAeOgUIIRCgAToHCCEQChCgAToECCEQFVCw6eQBWOja5QFgnt_lAWgCcAB4AYABoAOIAd8pkgEJMjkuMjAuNC0xmAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdperABCsgBCMABAQ&sclient=gws-wiz&ved=0ahUKEwiKgOGZop3wAhXAVBUIHVcxAGcQ4dUDCA0&uact=5

Being rugged 24/7 wont help her skin/hair follicles to re-generate, although of course youre rugging her to prevent UV exposure, which is needed.
Can she be turned out at night and brought into shelter during the day? That would mean she wouldnt need to be rugged 24/7 and allow oxygen to her skin.

Aloe vera is excellent skin healing gel but unfortunately shouldnt be exposed to UV either, as it can create a worsening reaction. Not sure if youve been using aloe vera without knowing this? It’s good to use for minor cuts/scabs etc but not for large area applications in turned-out horses, due to it reacting with U.V. Light.

Fingers crossed your mare continues to recover ?

thanks for the reply!

Unfortunately my vets were so real help for moving forward into her ridden career which is the main reason I thought to leave her and take a foal as time is a great healer.

she has fully recovered from the photosensitisation that’s not the issue as such, I’ve no issues with anything flaring up, she tends to be in through the day out at night through the winter but she’s to clever for her own good and due to the boredom...( she can open stable and barn doors even moves herself fields...)? the hair follicles were damaged due to the bad peeling(which only happened due to the pink skin, it was completely peeled to red flesh), the bald patches are 4 quite large area so quite a struggle unfortunately.

Sorry to hear about your gelding! Hope he’s doing a better!
Thanks x

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I also have a horse who suffered once with terrible photosensitisation and it was honestly one of my worst horse experiences ever and he only has three socks a a stripe. I cannot imagine how awful it must have been with a horse with that much white skin. I am so glad that your mare recovered, it sounds like it was touch and go at one point.

I would definitely try riding her and I think your idea of a wool numnah is right. I think I would start with short rides and build up slowly. Then you can see how she is coping and back off if needed. Hopefully though by going super slowly, her skin will have time to adjust.

 

[LynnRon]

I also have a horse who suffered once with terrible photosensitisation and it was honestly one of my worst horse experiences ever and he only has three socks a a stripe. I cannot imagine how awful it must have been with a horse with that much white skin. I am so glad that your mare recovered, it sounds like it was touch and go at one point.

I would definitely try riding her and I think your idea of a wool numnah is right. I think I would start with short rides and build up slowly. Then you can see how she is coping and back off if needed. Hopefully though by going super slowly, her skin will have time to adjust.

Was your horse left with scars ...mine was horrible in 24 hours she went from my full time work competition horse to lying lifeless on the stable floor everything swollen and the skin bursting. She had over 70% liver failure and was referred south but not fit to travel, I was heartbroken and sold everything up and didn’t ride in well over a year.... vets were so surprised she survived... they said the only thing that they have ever seen be so fast or bad was ragwort poisoning but they didn’t see one survive.?and then she had 6 long months in a stable with her body as open flesh as it was regrowing, im very thankful I’ve still got her as she’s my forever horse ?

Thanks for your reply much appreciated and I hope your horse recovered well too!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Yes, he recovered really well and looking at him now you'd never know he had an issue as the fur all grew back. I was advised by the Vet to keep on top of the buttercups in the fields and also to not feed him alfalfa. The vet described it as leukocytoclastic vasculitis. I don't know if this is the same as what your mare had? His black skin was completely unaffected.

 

[PurBee]

Yes, he recovered really well and looking at him now you'd never know he had an issue as the fur all grew back. I was advised by the Vet to keep on top of the buttercups in the fields and also to not feed him alfalfa. The vet described it as leukocytoclastic vasculitis. I don't know if this is the same as what your mare had? His black skin was completely unaffected.

Buttercup leaves (lots of them maybe 10%) in haylage brought huge circular ring hives out in my gelding - the hives then started weeping a clear/yellowish sticky serum, then the fur fell off 2 weeks later. Most affected front legs/breast/neck/front of horse to mid barrel. The fur grew back as soon as the old fell off. Really worrying and scary, as these events occur quickly. The older mare eating same forage for 24hrs unaffected - she’s black - he’s grey.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Some do seem to be more sensitive than others. I essentially treat mine all the same (turned out together, fed from the same bags of feed) and only the gelding had this issue. While my grey (born chestnut) has no pink skin - which of course could explain why she was unaffected - my other mare is chestnut with white markings/pink skin just like my gelding. He had issues, she didn't.

It did happen fast. I just found he had sore, scabby heels one morning. It was right in the dent at the back where the bottom of the pastern meets the heel bulbs and I am sure it wasn't there the previous evening. Then it just got worse and worse so fast. He still hasn't forgiven the vet who treated his legs (maybe not helped by the fact that she called him chubby recently ), so it must have been so, so painful.