We used to call it the “creeping crud”–a colorful, youthful label applicable to any gross-out skin disease the horse happened to have (and not to be confused with the cold-and-flu-like symptoms in humans that earned the same appellation). Besides the crud, there were also those weird little bumps that could show up now and then on the horse–not quite as disgusting, but unpleasant nevertheless.

Chances are if you own a horse long enough, your animal is apt to develop a skin disorder. Veterinarians Rosario Cerundolo, Cert. VD, Dipl. ECVD, MRCVS, RCVS, a specialist in veterinary dermatology and assistant professor of veterinary dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania; and Daniela Bedenice, VetMed, clinical instructor and clinician at Tufts University; discuss the most common (and thus most likely) skin diseases your horse might encounter