Understanding Dermatographia in Horses: Identification, Prevention, and Treatment

Hi there!  Today I’m going to talk to you about dermatographia. In this video you’re going to

⭐ Learn how to spot dermatographia,

Learn how it differs from clipper lines,

⭐ Discover how you can prevent and treat it. 

 

Our model in this video is 🥭 Mango 🥭 and he’s a perfect example for us to look at today. 

 

Sometimes when we are clipping horses the skin can raise up and form a bump. These can be mistaken for clipper lines but it’s actually something very different. Dermatographia occurs when even lightly scratching the skin can cause raised inflamed lines or welts. This doesn’t mean that you’ve been heavy-handed clipping, it may be that your horse has this reaction and is super sensitive. Over the years I have noticed it happens most commonly in chestnut horses and pink skinned horses. It’s usually caused by the end tooth of the blade. 

 

Now this isn’t a reflection on the quality of the blade, the blades are perfectly fine, it can happen from the lightest feather touch. It is however more likely to happen the heavier handed you are as well so it really is good practice to be as light-handed as possible when clipping. Dermatographia is thought to be a histamine response. Now let’s have a closer look and see how dermatographia lines differ from these subtle clipper blade pattern lines. 

 

The clipper blade pattern line is much smaller, certainly not raised and will clip out. Dermatographia is known to go down on its own however I always hot wash horses after I’ve clipped them and more often than not this is enough to bring down the histamine response and get rid of the lines. If you love this video and want to join our mailing list for more freebie tips simply comment ME and you will receive a link straight to your inbox to sign up.

➡️ Want more freebie tips on horse clipping? Head over HERE to download your free ‘Checklist For Successful Clipping’ today.

  

PS: Reading subtle cue’s when it comes to clipping horses is something that I cover in module 2 of our Budding Horse Barber Course 

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