Skin is more than a barrier - it’s an active detox organ. It works hand-in-hand with the liver, kidneys, and lymphatic system, - collectively the body's very sophisticated natural detoxification and elimination system - and if any one of those is overburdened, the skin will usually show it.

Here’s a surprising stat:  around 25% of the body’s waste products are excreted through the skin. That’s a huge load - and it means skin isn’t just a reflection of internal health - it’s a working part of it.

That said, the skin would also be nothing without a healthy gut microbiome, which creates a healthy functioning immunity. Skin needs a healthy digestive function to assimilate the nutrients it relies on, then a healthy blood supply to deliver them. That strong immunity will then protect it from external disruptors, and a balanced nervous system will keep it calm and non-acidic.

But to do that job well, it needs support:

A healthy gut microbiome (which underpins immunity and digestion)

Proper nutrient absorption (so the right vitamins and minerals reach the skin)

A balanced nervous system (as chronic stress makes skin more acidic and reactive)

The skin’s main role is clear - it provides a wall between the body's internal organs and the outside world. Allen Sherman even wrote a song about it -

"You gotta have skin

All you really need is skin

Skin's the thing that if you got it outside,

It helps keep your insides in"

Well said! But it’s not just a physical barrier - a big part of its function is invisible, because skin also has it's own microbiome upon which it completely depends. Just like the gut, the skin has its own population of good and bad bacteria, and it's these microorganisms that form an extra layer of protection for our horses, especially when it comes to fighting bad bacteria who want nothing more than to set up home and spread infection - think rain scald or wet mud fever.

But there's also another problem: many of those products we use topically - creams, sprays, repellents - can do more harm than good, especially when they’re synthetic. And nothing harms more quietly than…

Here’s a simple truth: whatever we put on our horse’s skin gets absorbed and enters the bloodstream. 

Even small amounts of toxic ingredients - SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate), parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances - can build up in the system over time, contributing to hormone disruption, endocrine imbalance, and detox overload. It’s why reading skin product labels matters so much.

In our human world, if we believed the dermatology and cosmetic industries we'd all be slathering on numerous products to 'fix' our skin - no surprise, these industries conveniently have a vast array of creams, lotions, and potions to sell us!⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣

But look closer, and you'll find that the cosmetic world is a wholesale dumping ground for chemicals - everything from lead and mercury compounds to formaldehyde, aluminium, and artificial foaming agents used in shampoos, with many of these same chemicals finding their way into equine skin care products too.

But topical antibiotics and steriod creams? Just like the gut, the skin's own biome is a delicate community of friendly microbes that help:

• repair wounds
• combat allergens
• protect against pathogens
• even slow the ageing (oxidative) process

But just as oral antibiotics can wipe out the gut microbiome, topical antibiotics destroy the skin biome, killing good and bad bacteria alike, and disrupting the fragile balance that protects your horse’s barrier.

And the real problem? The damage may be long-lasting.

A 2017 study by Dr. Elizabeth Grice (University of Pennsylvania, 2017) showed "increased susceptibility to colonisation by pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus." While antiseptics caused only minor changes, the antibiotics produced more profound and longer-lasting shifts.

Equally, summaries noted that broad-spectrum use of topical antibiotics lead to "long-term perturbation of the skin microbiome, akin to using a “bazooka to kill a mosquito,” and "potentially causing permanent imbalance," and recommending that "precision (and restraint) is essential to avoid long-term damage to the skin’s community.”

In short? A weakened barrier, more prone to infection, puts extra strain on the liver, disrupts hormones, and adds to your horse’s already overworked detox burden.

The takeaway? Topical antibiotics might offer a short-term fix, but come with long-term consequences. Best avoided wherever possible.

Natural alternatives to topical antibiotic creams

We're all aware these days that through overuse of antibiotics, we’ve developed antibiotic-resistant bugs. And these multi drug-resistant organisms (MDROs) are becoming resistant to topical antibiotics as well.

Since as far back as 2011 it's known that ointments such as Neosporin and Polysporin, or any containing the ingredients neomycin, polymyxinB or bacitracin, may be a factor in a severe MRSA strain called USA300, which is not only resistant to any antibiotic, but also creates deep, supporated, pus-filled sores. 

It’s a very dangerous infection that can spread to blood, lungs and other organs. It also blocks the body’s ability to make its killer army of white blood cells (lymphocytes) that fight infection.

Equally, the pharma companies are no longer developing new antibiotics so there's really nothing out there to protect against these antibiotic-resistant bugs. When our TB mare, Carmen, developed joint sepsis back in 2014, our vet was honest enough to tell me that her prescribed antibiotics only had a 5% chance of working - yes you read that right; just 5% percent. 

I was basically leaving her recovery to a mere 5% chance, and one that would also destroy her vital gut microbiome in the process, just when she needed the strongest immunity she could muster. Not on my watch, I thought, and formulated what became our BioCARE blend.

No question - it’s time to think differently. Whether you’re dealing with minor cuts, scrapes, or skin flare-ups, there are excellent natural alternatives that won’t disrupt the skin biome, and won’t harm your horse if licked off.

Antimicrobial

🌿 Garlic - allicin, the compound responsible for garlic’s aroma, is a potent natural antimicrobial. Crush 1–2 raw cloves, let sit for a few minutes to release the allicin, then finely chop and mix with a couple tablespoons of virgin olive oil. Shake well and apply with a cotton ball. Refrigerate, and make a fresh batch daily. Remains effective for 8–12 hours.

🌿 Manuka honey – this amazing ingredient has proven antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties - even against MRSA. I’ve seen huge gaping wounds recover beautifully with Manuka at the horse charity I support in Egypt. Also worth researching for sarcoid support.

Wound support

🌿 Calendula – known for its soothing and regenerative properties, calendula can be used in creams or teas to clean wounds, soothe hotspots, and ease insect bites. Dab on with a cotton ball several times daily.

🌿 Yarrow – a powerful antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory herb (its Latin name Achillea refers to Achilles using it for his wounded soldiers). Use as a tea or diluted tincture on wounds 2–3x per day.

Inflammation

🌿 Plantain – found just about everywhere! It’s brilliant for bites, stings, and quick wounds. Pick a leaf, rub between your fingers, and apply the juice directly. Top Tip: Stops bleeding fast (even works on over-clipped dog nails!).

🌿 Aloe Vera Gel – especially when blended with essential or macerated oils. Naturally soothing, calming and regenerative.

Detox and infection fighters

🌿 Clays – Bentonite, Montmorillonite, Illite, Redmond... clay draws out infection, dries wounds, and calms hotspots. Sprinkle dry onto cleaned skin (never internally) - mix with powdered yarrow, plantain, or echinacea for extra punch.

🌿 Sugar – yes, really. Granulated sugar draws out infection and inhibits bacterial growth - studies show it can even stop MRSA growth. Sprinkle onto wounds and bandage over if needed.

Overall skin support

🌿Full-spectrum hemp salve – reported to help everything from minor sores to tumours. Look for “full-spectrum” on the label for the full range of plant constituents.

If your horse has recurring skin problems, it's almost never just skin-deep. Three key factors are usually at play:

Nutrient input – what goes into the body determines whether the detox pathways work efficiently.

Stress – chronic stress floods the system with the acidic survival stress hormones - cortisol and adrenaline. These flood the body, with acid, so we don't taste nice if we're being pursued by a sabre-toothed tiger. Agreed this is ancient DNA stuff dating back to when we all lived in caves, but this survival process is still hardwired into us mammals today. By contrast, when the nervous system is in a parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) state, dopamine and serotonin are released - both alkaline, both supportive of skin vitality.

Toxin overload – chemically laden topical products add to the toxic burden the detox organs are already struggling to manage.

Topical oils - why they backfire

The problem with many non-organic topical creams, especially oils and shine sprays, is that they:

• Block sweat pores, preventing natural detox via sweat
• Contain synthetic chemicals, many of which are unlabelled (one perfume was shown to contain 21 unlisted potential carcinogens!)
• Stress the liver, as the body tries to metabolise their residues

With the skin being the most visible - and biggest - organ of the body, understandably it's all too easy to slap on a cream or oil to make it shine, or smear on a topical antibiotic to make it better, or puncture it with injectable steroids in the hope that this will fix a skin 'problem'.

But while it may shine on the surface, underneath the body is working overtime to push back against the overload. Over time, that battle can show up as recurring “mystery” skin issues, behavioural changes, or poor healing capacity.

The lymphatic link - when skin reflects systemic stress

Reminder - the skin is responsible for eliminating around a quarter of the body’s waste products, so if the skin's not happy, the rest of the body's natural balance will be stressed. If your horse’s skin is flaring up, it's a whole-body signal. And at the heart of it all? The lymphatic system.

The skin (alongside the lungs and the brain) relies entirely upon the lymphatic system to drain toxins and congestion away via lymph (the clear fluid), so if the lymphatics are overburdened and clogged up, the skin will be too. 

Think of the lymphatics as the body’s dr ainage canal, collecting the waste, filtering it through lymph nodes, then passing it to the bloodstream, where:

• The kidneys filter and excrete water-soluble toxins via urine
• The liver metabolises fat-soluble toxins and sends them to the gut for elimination in solid waste

This is a finite act of synergy between the lymph, blood, liver, and kidneys, and without them able to work together in harmony, the skin's going to have a real problem. 

If any part of this chain is sluggish, the skin is forced to step in as an emergency detox route -  which leads to inflammation, sensitivity, or excessive sweating and itching.

Key takeaway

For skin to stay healthy, the detox organs must function smoothly, with topical skin-blocking oils or creams sabotaging that process. Pore-blocking ingredients literally suffocate your horse’s ability to sweat out toxins.

Show me a horse carer who isn't obsessed with our UK weather. We're lucky - we can dress for the weather, turn the heating up or down, or head to the beach on a hot day. But our horses? They rely entirely on their internal thermostat - a brilliant, self-regulating system that adjusts their body temperature through coat changes.

And while this in-built thermoregulation is pretty amazing, the last few years have tested it. From 2017’s Beast from the East dumping 7-foot snowdrifts… to 2023’s biblical rain… to 2024 being the mildest winter on record - the weather has become increasingly unpredictable. Some years, winter drags into early summer with persistent cold, even after the horses have shed their coats. Other years, we swing from 30+°C to near-autumn temperatures in a matter of days - horses that were sweating in the scorching heat just the day before may now find themselves shivering.

Their adaptive self-thermoregulatory system simply isn't able to respond as swiftly as we can to abrupt changes in environmental conditions, confusing their internal rhythm - and when it’s coat change season, the impact runs deeper than we think.

What’s really going on?

Twice a year - spring and autumn -   your horse goes through a complete coat turnover. But this isn’t just about hair falling out and growing back. It’s a full metabolic detox process, and one that puts a big load on the body.

Here’s what’s happening under the skin:

• Old hair proteins are broken down → the liver has to process and neutralise that waste
• New hair proteins are created → which ramps up protein demand in the diet
• The kidneys step in to eliminate excess urea (the nitrogenous waste from protein breakdown)
• The lymphatic system often gets overwhelmed with residual protein toxins

In short? This is a massive workload for the liver, kidneys, and lymph - the three detox superheroes we collectively call the 3-Amigos.

Your horse may seem:

• Tired, grumpy, or low on energy
• Slow to shed or grow coat
• Itchy, inflamed, or generally ‘off’
• Prone to flare-ups like thrush, abscesses, or hoof tenderness

The coat change is driven by seasonal hormonal shifts, tightly linked to metabolism, and as such, it's much more demanding than we often realise. Horses can find the whole process itchy, irritating, and tiring - all signs of the extra strain their system is under.

The hidden impact of the seasons

Even while we’re still basking in the summer sunshine and topping up the tan, your horse’s coat change is already underway.

By August, many horses take on a duller, matte look - an early sign that their system is switching into winter mode, closely followed by their short summer hair shedding along their spine. Their protein requirements increase to build that dense winter layer, meaning now’s the time to think about upping protein levels with clean forage sources like sainfoin, and support with omega-3s to ensure a healthy, thick winter coat.

Come winter, horses tend to be less active. They stay warm by eating hay, converting its energy into heat. In spring, their thermostat shifts again - producing less internal heat and ramping up their ability to sweat. That shift also marks another wave of detox pressure.

In short, coat changes aren’t just about hair - they’re deeply tied to metabolic load, gut health, and nutrient status.

Why detox support is so important

During coat change, the liver and kidneys are flooded with extra work - processing old hair proteins, creating new ones, excreting waste, and managing internal heat.

To make things harder, forage changes at this time too  as grass nutrients deplete and hay is reintroduced. That dietary shift adds another metabolic demand, often causing the lymphatic system to slow down or stagnate. What owners now think are new fat pads showing up on their horse’s shoulders or chest, are actually sluggish lymph pads, loaded with protein toxins that haven’t yet cleared.

Other tell-tale signs:

• A rough, dry or scruffy coat
• Patchy shedding or slow spring regrowth
• Sore hooves, soft soles, flare, or white line
• Low mood or drop in energy
• Sudden itchiness or poor skin

What can help?

• LKLCARE – gentle daily support for liver, kidneys and lymph
• WildFed – natural diversity and prebiotic fibre to balance seasonal forage
• OptimaCARE – a full-body detox to address root causes in chronic or complex cases
• Sulphur and zinc – both essential for keratin production and protein metabolism during coat change
• Micronised linseed – high in omega-3 EFAs to keep skin calm and hydrated

Equally, if you’re seeing a mixture of coat issues, detox signs, hoof sensitivity, fat pads, or immune struggles - check out our KPU page. Your horse may be dealing with a deeper metabolic imbalance.

Sulphur deficiency – the often-missed link

Sulphur doesn’t get the spotlight much, but it’s absolutely vital for:

• Keratin – the building block of hair, hooves and skin
• Collagen – connective tissue and skin integrity
• Liver detoxification – especially during coat change

It’s not easy to pick up on blood tests, but you can usually see the signs:

• Flaky skin
• Patchy mane or tail growth
• Mud fever or greasy heel flare-ups
• Delayed shedding or trouble building winter coat
• Soft soles, poor hoof horn, thin walls
• Respiratory issues that linger (now linked to low sulphur status)

We recommend MSM (methylsulfonylmethane - our bioavailable sulphur source that also supports joint comfort and hoof strength.

Bonus tip: If your horse has a known zinc deficiency, they likely have a sulphur deficiency as well. 

Bottom line?

The winter coat has a very clear energy-saving function, giving horses their thick winter protection until the nights finally start to warm up again. But this isn’t just about hair. Your horse’s coat change is a metabolic and detox event. It’s tough on the inside, even if the outside looks manageable.

So, support the detox pathways. Keep protein clean. Watch for subtle signs. And be especially kind to our older equines as they’ll hold onto their winter coat for longer as we head into spring - they often need more help to adapt. Support older horses during both coat changes with gentle liver and kidney herbs, along with sulphur to help with coat turnover and keratin production. too. The two go hand in hand - especially during periods of increased protein demand like coat change.

Let’s dive into the real-world conditions that crop up time and again in our equine clients. From itchiness to infections, most of these trace back to a gut-liver-kidney imbalance - with the skin acting as the visible warning light on the dashboard.

Itchy skin / sweet itch

Of all skin conditions, sweet itch is one of the most distressing - for both horse and owner. Once dismissed as a simple allergic reaction to Culicoides midge bites, recent research (2021), along with clinical insights from Dr Christina Fritz, points to a far deeper root cause: chronic gut imbalance.

The core issue lies in a severely disturbed microbiome, often present from birth. This dysbiosis triggers inflammation in the gut wall lining - home to roughly 80% of the immune system - which sparks an ongoing hyper-immune response. Over time, this can tip into autoimmunity, making the horse hypersensitive to the midge’s saliva. The resulting allergic cascade brings a massive rise in internal toxin load, with the skin bearing the brunt.

This is where the gut-liver-kidney detox axis comes in - a core theme in equine health, especially in KPU (Cryptopyrroluria) cases. When detoxification pathways are already compromised, as they so often are in sweet itch-prone horses, the body struggles to eliminate the excess toxins stirred up by this immune overreaction. The skin, being one of the body's key exit routes, is left to do the heavy lifting - and it shows.

What happens next?

• Inflammation triggers a hypersensitive immune response
• The liver and kidneys can't keep up with the detox demand
• The body uses the skin as an emergency elimination organ
• Cue: extreme itchiness

But here's the kicker - some horses inexplicably itch even in winter, with no insects in sight. That’s a sign their detox load is so high, the skin is being used as a full-time excretory pathway. Equally, blood tests won’t usually show early kidney stress - renal markers only rise once 70% of function is lost, hence why early signs like itchiness are vital signals.

What to do:

• Stabilise the skin biome – stop using harsh shampoos, topical antibiotics/steroids, and petrochemical creams.
• Feed a clean, forage-based diet – feed adlib stemmy hay, avoiding haylage, alfalfa, and over-processed bulk-filler feeds.
• Support the detox pathways: if it's sweet itch, explore KPU – new research links sweet itch to this complex detox disorder. If it's winter itching, we recommend a 1-month course of OptimaCARE, alongside a 1-month course of Spirulina to help de-acidify the hindgut (especially after haylage) and bind toxins.
• Consider linseed – Canadian research shows it helps reduce itching from midge bites.

And for the record, KPU is also the root cause of mallenders and dry mud fever; all typical of when the gut:liver:kidneys:lymph detox pathway aren’t functioning normally anymore.

Hives (urticaria)

Hives are small, raised, often itchy swellings - sometimes called nettle rash - and can appear anywhere, though the neck and back are common spots. Allergic reactions

There are differing schools of thought as to what causes hives – they’re generally thought of as an autoimmune allergic reaction and are the least severe type of an anaphylactic reaction, but the source can be elusive:

• Bedding, pollen, insects
• New feeds or medications
• Topical creams or sprays
• Environmental stress (e.g. heat, cold, pressure, exercise)

They often pass quickly - generally developing within 20 minutes of being exposed to the allergen (antigen) and (usually) disappear within 24 hours. but if they spread to the airways, they can become dangerous. Always monitor closely.

Tips for hives

The best way to deal with hives is, of course, to eliminate the source of the problem, but sometimes it's not that easy. Knowing generally the kind of things that might cause hives, my first suggestion would be to look over a horse’s recent regime, to see what may have changed...

• Check for recent changes - meds, sprays, forage, stabling.
• Think about environmental factors - sudden weather shifts, altered exercise routines, nearby crop-spraying, or new stressors.
• Consider immune overload as a possible root cause.

If you can figure it out, eliminate. If not, go for an immunity reset to clear out potential toxins from the liver, kidneys and lymphatics - but overall we should be mindful of the fact that hives are, in essence, an autoimmune syndrome, so it's worth considering a full-body detox strategy to stabilise the body.

• Feed LKLCARE to support the detox organs
• For recurring hives, explore our OptimaCARE protocol
• See our Autoimmune blogs for deeper insight

Cellulitis/wet mud fever

NB. Mud fever tends to show up in two forms - ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ - with the difference lying in the root cause: wet mud fever is driven by opportunistic surface bacteria, while dry mud fever is part of the Mallenders cycle, typically rooted in internal imbalances, showing up more as crusty, scurfy skin (see below).

Topical bacterial skin infections tend to show up on the lower limbs - heels, pasterns, fetlocks - and are not just a wet-weather issue -  this syndrome can be just as bad during the summer months. Straw beds can also scratch pasterns sensitive to the sharp, chopped edges, which can also be covered with various bacteria.

Thought to be caused by Dermatophilus congolensis, an opportunistic bacteria that exploits cracks or compromised skin, symptoms include:

• Breaks in the skin, causing the skin to swell, crack and weep
• Hairloss and hard scabs forming
• If not caught in time it spreads and spreads

Poor immunity and mineral imbalances (especially copper and zinc) make these issues worse.

Tips

• As with hives, consider a full-body reset with our OptimaCARE if the gut's struggling, o go straight in with a 1-month course of our LKLCARE, which focuses on those vital immunity detoxification organs - the liver, kidneys and lymphatics.
• Feed forage-balanced minerals (see EquiVita or VitaComplete)

Case in point: our Murf used to get mud fever every winter until we added forage-balanced minerals and cleaned up his gut. He hasn’t had a single outbreak in well over a decade.

Mallenders / sallenders

Mallenders (and sallenders) isn’t just a stubborn skin issue – it’s a sign of a deeper detox imbalance in your horse’s system. And recent research from 2020/21 now connects it to KPU (Cryptopyrroluria) – a chronic detoxification disorder that begins in the gut and affects the liver, kidneys, and in the case of mallenders - the skin.

Key mallenders takeaways

• It's not caused by mites – it’s a detox overload issue.
• Common in our feathered breeds due to genetics and metabolism.
• Linked to KPU (gut–liver imbalance).
• Long-term support = natural diet, gut reset, liver care.

🌿 See our Mallenders/Sallenders page   for the full picture - including why it’s not about mites, but about detox overload and gut dysfunction, and importantly, how to support a mallenders' horse.

Did you know the sheath is part of the integumentary system -  aka the skin?

If you’ve ever noticed crusty build-up or a strong odour from your gelding’s sheath, you’re seeing smegma, which is made up of:

• Dead skin cells
• Sebum (skin oil)
• Urine residues
• (And for stallions, semen residue too)

While stallions naturally clear out smegma via their natural 'job', geldings don't have the same opportunities to naturally clean themselves, so the question arises - should we be cleaning it?

The research says: maybe not.

A study from Delaware Valley College, Pennsylvania, found that washing increased  bacterial growth  - even with gentle baby shampoo. Water alone caused the least disruption, while the untreated control group had the healthiest balance.

The takeaway? Less is more when it comes to sheath care - over-cleaning strips away natural protection.

What to watch for:

• Discomfort or difficulty urinating
• Swelling or odour
• Behavioural changes (e.g. irritability, tail swishing)