Advice for my littley for the winter

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Cedars

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Evening all,

Am aware this has been asked 100000 times but none quite answering my question so apologies and help would be really appreciated if possible.

My little one has lovely feathers (still a bit babyish but I hope they'll grow in to big lovely ones!!). She's going to be in at night but out during the day and our fields get really really gross and muddy. I want to a) protect them b) protect her from mud fever (but we're not prone to it) and c) keep them relatively clean.

I was going to hose her off every ngiht (just her feet obviosuly) but that depends on whether she'll let me near her with the hose so we'll have to see.

Would applying pig oil and sulphur be a good idea? What is it meant to do? Is there anything else I can do to protect her and keep her lovely? Also, can I put the pig oil through her mane and tail?
 
Sorry, no idea how good pig oil is, but I will bump thread up for you!

It's a good idea to get her used to a hose anyway, so start now gently hosing her hooves - just do front ones for now. Much easier to try before it gets miserable and when you have time and patience :)

Can you trim her feathers a little, just so they are not trapping loads of wet mud to her leg?
 
If she hasnt got mud fever the feathers will protect her, as will pig oil and sulphur, however if she ends up getting it its better to whip them off so you can treat properly. I am not sure I would hose off as this will soften the skin and cause chapping/make a cut more likely and let the bacteria into the skin. I normaly pick out hoovers and just scrape the worst off the hoof. If I am riding or going out I brush the mud off when its dry.
 
I agree with MaagicMillbrook. If your baby has no problems now, let him be. Don't hose is my advice - horse hair is designed to repel rain and mud, and hosing just negates that protection. One of my liveries had a feathered horse and she was forever clipping the feathers and hosing the legs and the poor horse got mud fever each winter. My horse has feathering (not massive but adequate) and as nature provided it for a reason I don't meddle with it.

Our horses live out for a lot of the year, and are always turned out by day, whatever the weather, and the one tip I would pass on is to baby oil the feathers if snow has fallen. It prevents snow 'icicles' forming on the feathers. (You can also baby oil the soles of the hooves at the same time, which will prevent balling). Hope this helps.
 
My section D has nice feathers, not gipsy cob thickness, just section D style. I never ever touch his feathers or feet all through the winter, except of course to check for injury etc. He's never (touches wood) had mud fever even though by god he's been muddy! I was told that if you regularly hose your horse's feet through the winter then you should dry them thoroughly too or you are asking for mud fever. The best way is to let the mud dry before brushing it gently off.
 
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