Rescue Horse With Severe Rain Rot and other issues...

So, I am moving my horses from my current boarding facility because the owner is moving to a smaller place and can't take her boarders. Anyway, she has a couple of horses that were abandoned at the place by a deadbeat boarder several years ago. She kept feeding them, but did nothing else with them. There is a mare and a stud, they are mother and son. The stud isn't in too bad shape, but the poor mare needs some rehab. My boarding manager plans to give their former owner one last voicemail and then she is surrendering the horses to the county. So, since I need another horse like I need a hole in the head, I have brought up the idea of taking the mare when I move in a week or two.

She has what looks like rain rot or mudfever all up and down her back legs past her hocks. She has been standing in 6-12 inches of mud,water and poop all winter. She has huge scabs all over her legs, her legs are swollen, and she is reluctant to move forward, I assume because of the discomfort. To my knowledge she has never been out of her little pen in all the time I have boarded there, has not had her hooves trimmed, not been wormed, vaccinated, etc. I have my farrier coming out soon to work on her feet and hopefully give me some advice on her hoof soundness. I also want to get treating this rot asap. I had a mild case of greasy heel on one of my geldings this past winter, so I am familiar with fungal and bacterial skin conditions, I just wanted to post and see if anyone has experience in treating *severe* mud fever. If so, what's your story and how did you deal with it? Any particular brands of treatments, or home remedies that worked?

A couple years ? And BO was letting them live like that. Pretty sorry on their part as well.
Proper nutrition and a decent vitamin blend can do wonders, along with better living conditions. Other than that see what your farrier and vet have to say before spending money on treatments.

If it is rain rot, we would brush over the scabs and then put apple cider vinegar on the areas, it doesn't sting and it really helps, but I'm not sure that you are dealing with rain rot.

I am curious, as a responsible horse owner yourself, why now are you finally taking an interest in this mare? Why the heck didn't you or anyone do something a long time ago?
There is no way I would keep my horse at a a stable where the barn owner would take care of a horse like that, weather it is a deliquent boarders horse or not. And shame on everyone else that watched it happen for years.
I am appalled.

It absolutely is appalling. I've only been at the facility for about 6 months, so I heard the story but did not actually see the previous boarder. I asked several times if I could get the horse out and work with her, and the boarding manager always refused. She didn't want anyone taking the horse out or touching the horse for some crazy paranoid reason to do with liability and the boarder coming back to cause problems. Now that she is moving I have a chance to step in and see what I can do to help. So yes, thank you for pointing out that I am a complete scumbag for not doing something sooner, but the important issue at hand here is that I am trying to do something now and I am looking for advice moving forward, not looking back.

I can tell you what I did for rainrot, but it wasn't as severe as your case. My horse had it all on his fetlocks....large crusty areas, that would bleed when softened or picked off. I would, on a daily basis, scrub them with betadine surgical scrub and scrape off the scabs to allow air to penetrate. Then the horse would need to stay in a dry environment to let the areas dry up.

Your case is much more severe and there may be a secondary infection that has developed. I'd advise a vet call for possible antibiotics.

If they were with me they'd get a good soaking bath in chlorhexiderm shampoo, then probiotics, flax and a vit supplement high in A would be added to their diets. Lots of high quality hay would be available as well.
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Cherrie, your heart is in the right place, but legally you may not be able to take the mare. Are you prepared to let the previous owner have her back if she wants to bring the law into it?

Yes, the horses were abandoned, but unless the BO files the proper legal paperwork or has the county pick up these animals, she can't just give them away. Even if she files a Stableman's Lien the animals are required to be sold at public auction, not given away.

There's a whole lot more to do to cover your behind legally than just have the BO give you the mare. I do thank you for your concern about them, though. I hope things can be resolved in the best interest of the horses.

Thank you, that is very useful information. I am in California, do these laws vary from state to state? All that I am aware of is a clause in the boarding contract that states that the horse becomes the property of the boarding facility after 90 days of non-payment, I need to learn more about the state laws involved. Regardless, I hope that I can help the two horses get to a good home, or at least fix them up before they get surrendered.

If they are that bad off, the county may press charges against the current BO. You may want to stay clear until it is all sorted out.