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TRIED-AND-TRUE REMEDY FOR SCRATCHES

Mention that your horse has scratches and chances are you’ll be inundated with suggestions for homemade remedies from barn friends and internet strangers, with each concoction “guaranteed” to clear up the condition quickly. For your horse’s sake, resist the urge to try something you haven’t heard of before. This is a case where tried-and-true remedies usually work best.

Scratches, also known as pastern dermatitis, occurs when bacteria invade small cracks in the horse’s skin. Once infection takes hold, the tiny cuts begin to ooze and