Mallanders is a condition in horses that cannot be cured, only managed. In trying to treat Fatty I wondered can seaweed help mallanders.
Mallanders and Sallanders are uncomfortable skin conditions in horses. It’s a little like eczema in humans and causes broken, scabby, and flaky skin. There’s no known cure, management is the only option. An approach that includes treating the horse from within, and externally, is generally assumed to be the best method.
What helps one horse may lead to a flare up in another. Read on to find out how Fatty fared with a combination of seaweed and filtabac.
Do All Horses Get Mallanders
Mallanders and Sallanders is the common name for hyperkeratosis which is basically an overproduction of keratin1.
Although it can be found in any breed, cobs and other heavily feathered horses and ponies are most often affected.
Mallanders v’s Sallanders
Mallanders is found on the front legs behind the knee, whereas Sallanders is found on the back legs at the hocks. That this is where the problem is located makes treatment more difficult. Each time your horse moves, the skin in these areas is stretched and then contracts. This can lead to existing scabs cracking and causing further bleeding and even more scabs. These scabs can also form over and around the hair which is pulled during movement causing further discomfort.
Should I Buy A Horse With Mallanders
Horses with mallanders should not be discounted if they fulfil all the other points you are looking for in a horse or pony. If you have the time, energy, and funds to treat the condition, then a horse with mallanders/sallanders is just as worthy as one without.
Just be honest with yourself as to whether you’re able and willing to treat the condition (often daily) to ensure your horse remains happy and healthy.
What Causes Mallanders In Horses
Whilst we know mallanders is caused by the over production of keratin, we don’t as yet understand why our horses bodies over-produce in the first place. This means that we only have the possibility of treating the problem rather than curing.
Many people link foodstuffs to exacerbating the condition, and there are many products that are said to need to be removed from your horse’s diet:
- Biotin
- Mollasses
- Alfalfa
- Additional sugars
Some people swear by feeding specific feeds or formulas, a turnip per day for example. Mallanders Treatment For Horses2 gives some more information, but this article is specifically looking at a seaweed and filtabac trial, so here goes:
So I could take pictures for comparison and properly see how the seaweed and filtabac were working I clipped off the feather around the affected areas.
Why Use Seaweed?
Seaweed contains multiple trace elements that can be beneficial to your horse. Amongst others, seaweed can provide3:
- Iodine
- Magnesium
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin E
- Calcium
It is important to ensure that you give the correct type of seaweed to your horse, as some types are toxically high in iodine. If you own a mare that is in foal, or has a foal at foot, be careful adding seaweed to her diet, and consult a veterinarian before doing so.
Adding seaweed in a controlled manner can help improve your horse’s coat, hooves, and improve thyroid function.
EMS & Seaweed
Seaweed contains iodine which has been shown to act upon the thyroid in horses. Seaweed also promotes digestive function. Therefore, feeding seaweed to your EMS suffering equine may well improve their health and help to keep them at a healthy weight.
Filtabac
This, in my mind, is simply a miracle cream. Filtabac is both a sunblock, that can last 24+ hours when applied correctly, but is also an antibacterial cream. It doesn’t run in the heat as some creams do, and provides a barrier against flies and midges when applied to small cuts and grazes.
I used filtabac to cover the area of mallanders in order to provide the antibacterial properties straight to the affected area, but also to cover the pink skin from the sun, and protect the sores from flies.
Beginning
The picture unfortunately doesn’t give the whole picture. Whilst it doesn’t look too awful (in comparison to some horses I’ve seen) the scabs and breaking skin are something that I’d like to keep on top of, even if it’s not possible to completely cure her.
1 Month of treatment
To follow is a picture of Fatty’s mallanders after a month on seaweed and application of filtabac.
Conclusion
I’ve been adding seaweed to Fatty’s diet for a month now, and applying filtabac cream every few days. In my opinion, I believe that this combination has proved successful for Fatty. The area seems less sore, and her off fore is virtually mallanders-free.
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