Harnessing the power of natural ingredients, Keelin Redmond Hurd, DVM, has created a line of products to help even the most sensitive equine skin issues
By APRIL BILODEAU
Skin irritations can be some of the most difficult horse care issues that owners have to deal with. While allergies and bugs are some common culprits for the average equine, some horses just have the tendency to have more sensitive coats and skin than others.
Keelin Redmond Hurd, DVM, an Aiken, SC-based veterinarian, noticed that the amount of horses with skin issues in the more humid climate was significantly higher than other areas she previously lived, such as California and Kentucky.
“Skin is bad down here. I see all kinds of different issues,” Dr. Hurd tells The Plaid Horse. “People would bring out what I call ‘the box,’ which is a bunch of half empty bottles of things that weren’t working or burning their horses.”
At first, she was doing what most veterinarians do when they have a patient with tricky skin by compounding medications, adding antibiotics and steroids to certain creams, shampoos, and more.
“There are two problems with this,” says Dr. Hurd. “The law states we can only hand them to horses in our care, and the components are drugs, so they test positive in a variety of situations.”
With the prescribed medications presenting usage problems and the over-the-counter products being messy and ineffective, Dr. Hurd started doing her own research to find a solution for her patients.
“I started looking at some ridiculously old text books and talking to some older horsemen about what they learned from their mentors about skincare,” she adds.
In her research, Dr. Hurd discovered that equine skin products previously used sulfur, which was something that modern products weren’t listing as an ingredient.
Why Sulfur?
Dr. Hurd began tinkering with sulfur—a product anyone can buy on Amazon. So for a product so readily available, she wondered why it had stopped being an active ingredient in today’s products.
“The reason we got away from it is it’s almost too simple, as in, you put it on and it clears things up,” says Dr. Hurd. “It’s difficult to use, however, because it’s not water soluble. I had to take time to figure out how to get it on the horse.”
As the owner of an integrative veterinary practice, Avoca Equine, Dr. Hurd works to use all the tools that she can to better the horse.
“My hope is to use all of the natural options possible,” says Dr. Hurd.
Sulfur, being a natural product, fit right into her mission.
While she admits she did ruin some stoves doing her science experiments with sulfur, she also handled everything without gloves as she wanted to make While she admits she did ruin some stoves doing her science experiments with sulfur, she also handled everything without gloves as she wanted to make sure whatever she put on her patient’s skin, she could put on her own.
Dr. Hurd also extensively tested her sulfur-based products on humans before ever being used for animals. “You know how horse people are!” she says.
About 76 iterations later, Dr. Hurd found the combinations that worked best and in 2020, Medica Equine was born.
Medica Products
The veterinarian created three different products, a wash, a lotion, and a salve, each with a sulfur base and a specific focus for the horse.
The Treatment Wash is a competition safe formula that gently and effectively aids in the treatment of rain rot, ringworm, and leg scurf among among other skin diseases. The blend of sulfur and essential oils work together to kill fungus and bacteria. While most anti-fungal shampoos are harsh on skin, oft en causing worse infections or even burns, the Treatment Wash gently cleanses and treats skin issues.
“It won’t lather like a dish soap, but it does lather a bit,” says Dr. Hurd. “Leave it for 10 minutes and then rinse it off . No need to scrub or agitate it!”
The Lotion is the most unique of the three products as it is similar to the Treatment Wash, but is able to be used dry, so if you’re in colder weather, you can still get the same results from a sulfur product. The Lotion is a leave-in formula that helps all the same skin conditions as the Treatment Wash while leaving the skin smooth and conditioned.
“It’s water-based, not oil-based, so you don’t have to worry about putting it on tack, etc.,” says Dr. Hurd. “It’s also the best product for dogs!”
Lastly, the Salve is an ointment that aids in the treatment of scratches, dew poisoning, cracked heels, and other moist dermatitis. The Salve uses sulfur plus lavandin oil, which kills bacteria and fungus, as well as calendula oil, which acts as a natural anti-inflammatory.
“The calendula oil acts like a steroid and cuts inflammation and itch,” says Dr. Hurd. “Seriously, any redness will be gone by the morning!”
Not only are the results that Medica Equine clients have seen impressive, but the products are also affordable, costing no more than $36 a bottle.
To learn more about Medica Equine, or to buy a product of your own, click here.
