What on Earth is wrong with this horse?!

There was a good article on scratches in one of my magazines, Lola's leg looks a lot like it.

Lyme disease is associated with lameness and behavioral changes (most common symptoms). The horse gets Lyme disease through the bite of a tick, which are usually spotted during grooming. These ticks are most likely to feed on horses in late fall and early spring. The horse may also be generally stiff, but I don't know if your horse is. The majority of these symptoms seem to fit your horse from the information I've gotten from this thread. Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics in a few different ways and the horse typically starts responding to the treatment within 2-5 days.

Hope this helps! I wish the best of luck to you and your girl!!

Thanks everyone! I will suggest lyme disease to my trainer and she what she says.

She will not need to be isolated if she has it will she?

At least if she has that she will get better quick enough.

Not always. Treating lyme can be a long road.

I would not jump on the lyme thing. It could be lyme, it could be lots of things.

It seems like the best thing to do is find a GOOD vet and work through this and determine what is going on.

^ This...

I agree. I would definitely work with a vet.

You said something about having the vet out tomorrow, weather the same vet or a different vet I would make a list. Make a list of all the things you have noticed and want answers about and write a list of specific questions you have for the vet, this will help youremember everything you wanted to ask when the vet is there. I know I always space 50% of my questions when the vet is acctually there then remember them once the vet has left.

Personaly looks like mudfever or cellulitis to me.

The bacteria has gotten under her skin and is now causeing the hair loss.

Get the vet!

I'm fairly confident in telling you it is scratches, a.k.a. Mud fever (greased heel). My horse has a case of this right now. It is caused by bacteria that enters skin that is broken down from too much moisture/mud. Usually the bacteria is Staph.

Symptoms are: Rough, scaly skin. Scabby areas, patches of hair loss. Swelling in the lower leg/pastern area. Heat around the pasterns and lower legs. Can cause lameness.

Treatment: Wash the lower legs once daily and allow to dry completely. Ideally, apply medicated shampoo or spray. I'm not sure what you have over there to treat bacterial infections. Over here we have a variety of products at the feed stores.

Prevention: Brush mud off or wash horse's legs daily and allow the skin to have a period of dryness.

I got her a medicated shampoo yesterday. It is for bacteria and fungus so it should help. I asked the person who I bought it off could what she has cause lameness and she said yes. Then I asked my trainer and she said no!

So can it? I think maybe it could..It could have cause the swelling and heat and obviously it in uncomfortable. And since she does not get any worse if she is worked or outside it would not be muscles, bones or tendons would it?

I put her in an area of the field that has no mud..Hopefully she stays in there because she likes to break out =/