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Archive Case #216: Equine Pastern Dermatitis

Horse veterinary case - Easy - October 5, 2026

Clinical Clues

  1. Bracken, a cob, resents his hind legs being brushed after a wet spell. This case asks for the skin syndrome, not its underlying cause.
  2. Parting the lower-leg hair reveals redness and crusts behind both hind pasterns.
  3. The affected skin is tender and oozing, with small fissures around the heel region.
  4. The lesions centre on the skin rather than the frog or sole of the hoof.
  5. Examination documents an inflammatory pastern reaction pattern; no particular infectious or parasitic cause has yet been established.
  6. This multifactorial pastern-skin syndrome is commonly called “scratches” or “mud fever”.

Diagnosis

Equine Pastern Dermatitis

The distribution and skin changes fit equine pastern dermatitis. This names a syndrome, not a single organism. The wet-weather history does not establish causation; contributing conditions and possible secondary infection still require investigation. Remember: Recognising a skin pattern is the start of finding its cause—not the end.

Learning review

Review the case evidence

Use the paired clues to explain how the evidence in this horse case supports the provided diagnosis, Equine Pastern Dermatitis, then compare your reasoning with the case explanation.

Evidence checkpoints

Clues 1-2

  1. Clue 1: Bracken, a cob, resents his hind legs being brushed after a wet spell. This case asks for the skin syndrome, not its underlying cause.
  2. Clue 2: Parting the lower-leg hair reveals redness and crusts behind both hind pasterns.

Clues 3-4

  1. Clue 3: The affected skin is tender and oozing, with small fissures around the heel region.
  2. Clue 4: The lesions centre on the skin rather than the frog or sole of the hoof.

Clues 5-6

  1. Clue 5: Examination documents an inflammatory pastern reaction pattern; no particular infectious or parasitic cause has yet been established.
  2. Clue 6: This multifactorial pastern-skin syndrome is commonly called “scratches” or “mud fever”.

Self-review prompts

  1. After clues 1-2, what evidence from this horse case shaped your initial interpretation?
  2. When you compare clues 3-4 with clues 1-2, what changed in your reasoning about Equine Pastern Dermatitis?
  3. How do clues 5-6 align with the case explanation for Equine Pastern Dermatitis?

Educational Use

Vetdle archive cases are educational veterinary games for diagnostic reasoning practice. They do not provide veterinary advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional medical guidance.