Habronemiasis — summer sores — causes chronic, intensely itchy skin lesions in horses that cause significant suffering and can be difficult to treat.
Habronemiasis causes genuine suffering through the combination of intensely itchy lesions and the traumatic self-injury that pruritus drives. Horses unable to escape the discomfort repeatedly traumatize affected areas, creating larger, more infected wounds that perpetuate the cycle. The condition is preventable through systematic fly control and wound management, and treatable with ivermectin plus wound care. Welfare-centered management recognizes that chronic, untreated habronemiasis represents significant preventable suffering — early recognition and prompt treatment prevent the escalating welfare harm of advanced cases.