What could this be on my horses leg?

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rach260

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I WILL be getting the vet out as soon as I can.
I want to know if there is anything I can do or if anyone knows whats is wrong before they come out. He is recovering from mites & mud fever (thanks for that previous owners), this has happened on the back of his knee. I will be getting his legs clipped as soon as I can, no one on the yard here has clippers so have to wait until we get back home for them to get done.

EDIT *NEW LINKS*
http://www.flickr.com/photos/64095560@N03/5837471222/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/64095560@N03/5836924757/in/photostream

He is completely unbothered by it and i not lame at all.

+ going home on Friday, so probably get legs clipped Saturday & vet out Monday.
suspect it is the mud fever rather than the mites (for the mites he's had several injections & a spray to get ride of them and he's not itch at all anymore), the place where this is is where a load of his hair fell out and the skin when all crusty & hard. Vet originally to me to just leave it and it would heal on its own (just to keep it dry). & obviously it hasn't gotten any better :(
I did cut some of the hair away today, but he's very fidgety around his legs (he didn't like the spray from the vet that had to go on his legs, so now his difficult around them)
 
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They are salanders. Some cobby horses get them on the back legs too called Malanders. It's a case of managing them in a similar way to mud fever. They get them in the creases of a joint.

Pig oil and Sulphur is a good preventitve and cure. Mix together to get a sort of milkshake consistency and apply to cleaned salader. Get it sorted now, 'cos it'll be harder to clear in the winter.
 
Salendars! Aloe Vera gel, a good sized blob and gently rub it in until the skin is smooth, spend 10 minutes rubbing it in and adding more, all the scabby bits will come off and you'll be able to keep on top of it
 
weird all the links worked for me

Medical Definition of Malanders

1. A scurfy eruption in the bend of the knee of the fore leg of a horse. See Sallenders. Alternative forms: mallenders. Origin: F. Malandres, fr. L. Malandria blisters or pustules on the neck, especially in horses. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998)


MALLENDERS AND SALLENDERS

Are forms of psoriasis (scaly itch), which see. They
are situated on the flexures of the knee and hock, that
is, mallenders appear on the back of the knee, sallenders
on the front of the hock. At first they are only scurfy
patches, but exhibiting considerable irritability. If neg*
lected, they degenerate into troublesome sores, with foul
discharges.



Remedy.—Soft soap and water, mild oils and bran
poultices remove scales. Boro-glycerine or zinc oxide oint*
ment. Mercuric nitrate or iodine ointments for thicken*
ing and infiltration. Tar oils for chronic cases. Half a
dose of physic ; salines; laxative diet. Iron tonics and
arsenic for feeble.
 
Malanders, the bane of every hairy horses' owner. Don't let it dry out, the skin will crack and be very painful. Hibiscrub is quite harsh and drying. Use salt water to clean and sudocreme on top. If it becomes worse and looks very sloughy and hot, he may need antibiotics, but usually, they heal with a bit of sudocreme.
On going care; check all legs on a regular basis, apply pig oil or baby oil or Avon Skin So Soft dry oil spray to the whole feather. The hair at the back of the knees should be combed to get rid of new scabs a couple of times a week or so, even when the skin is intact. Check heels also with your fingers to ensure the skin is healthy. They are prone to nasty bites which are hidden by hair, because the legs provide a nice warm, moist environment that bugs love. However, mites don't like oil, so it does act as a deterent as well as keeping the skin behind the knee supple.
Washing feather is best done infrequently to maintain natural oils and in winter, leave the legs alone, except for reapplying oil. Although the legs are dripping with mud, the skin should remain dry underneath.
 
Hmmmmm going against other comments - I would get the vet out to have a look. When my girl arrived she had something very similar (and in fact blinkin well still does) - first vet said malanders, nothing improved it, second vet said it is a chronic skin infection that has been left untreated by her previous owners so now using fuciderm on the bits on her heels to treat it (nearly healed) and using aqueous cream to keep the back of her legs supple and then will move on to treat that with the fuciderm. I may well be wrong but might be worth getting the vet out for a check anyway.......
 
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