Aural Plaques

That white, scaly, crusty stuff in your horse’s ears…what is it, and how can you get rid of it?

Aural plaques are fairly common, affecting almost a quarter of all horses. The scaly growths may be caused by the papilloma virus, and bother some horses more than others. Owners may find that horses with heavy growths become head-shy, resisting bridling or having their ears handled.

Research conducted at the University of Minnesota found that repeated applications of imiqimod (sold as the human-use drug Aldara) resolved the growths in all treated horses, though complete healing took as long as eight months in some horses.