Advice please: hairy leg management

[Lacuna]

I've now had Cap for nearly a month. I was going through his very hairy legs today and found a small sore on the back of one knee. Its scabby and scurfy inthe area and there seems to be a similar area on teh other front leg but without the sore patch. Someone has suggested mallenders and I've cleaned it with salt water and put on some sudocrem. No one on the year has hairy legged horses though and advice on management is needed.

He has tonnes of feather which seem otherwise clean. There seems to be a collection of small black flecks around the back of each fetlock though. Not sure whether this is mud or something to treat as the skin looks ok. Advice needed please!

 

[Merrymoles]

Sounds exactly like mallenders. Unfortunately there is no easy answer. My horse has them badly and hates his legs being touched because of it. The best thing I've ever found is StableLine sulphur and rosemary cream which is easy to apply and keeps the skin soft and supple.

I suspect the little black flecks are mud but keep an eye on them. Feathered horses are also prone to mites so you might need to look into that if he gets itchy.

I've always said that if TBs got mallenders, there would be a cure by now. As it is, there seems to have been little research into something which is a common problem and can obviously be very painful for certain horses.

 

[Spreebok]

Watch out for any stamping, scratching or itching of the feet, they're usually a good sign that you've got feathermites which hairy horses are rather prone to.

 

[FairyLights]

I think its a good idea to call the vet who can take skin scrapes and look at them under the microscope then prescribe appropriate medication.

 

[paddyrose]

Red Biddy udder salve is great stuff for mallanders. My cob has it on both his front legs and this is the only thing that gets rid of it. Apply every day and it softens the scabs so they can be rubbed off or trimmed with scissors. Its an ongoing thing though so you need to keep up the treatment. I clip his legs out all the time so it does make it easier to keep it under control. Only problem is the colour which on white legs makes them pink!

 

[Jo1987]

Plain pig oil keeps my hairy cob comfortable, I think different things work for different horses - a case of trial and error usually.

 

[Hoof_Prints]

Just stumbled across this thread and after asking and searching for ages I think I finally know that my ISH has "mallanders" I just kept getting told it was mudfever and treated it as such, but it never looked like mudfever which confused me. He is fully clipped inc legs, and will be all year round which keeps the scabs down, he natural has very thick but fairly short-mid length feather on his ISH frame. Off to do a mad google and research on it now, I'll let you know if I come up with anything useful !

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Mmmm, its an "old" problem which if you look in some of the old veterinary books, then sure enough you'll find it!

I've got a traddie cob and he's got it on the crease behind his knee.

I tend to take a pair of scissors to that area just so I can see what's going on there, and then apply Sudocrem so he doesn't get too sore. I've also used plain pig oil mixed up with some Tea Tree oil.

Before anyone suggests it on here, PLEASE please be very chary of using pig oil with sulphur as you can cause a very nasty red & sore reaction - its the sulphur included which is the problem. Some horses can tolerate it, others (like mine who has white hair and pink/sensitive skin) cannot.

Just flagging it up: not criticising anyone's management if they do use the stuff.

 

[jojo5]

Re the black flecks - these may be the minute rolls of skin which are the result of feather mite infection. All the above treatments are the kind of things that people try for this, or you can have periodic Dectomax injections which work systemically.

 

[Cobbytype]

Mmmm, its an "old" problem which if you look in some of the old veterinary books, then sure enough you'll find it!

I've got a traddie cob and he's got it on the crease behind his knee.

I tend to take a pair of scissors to that area just so I can see what's going on there, and then apply Sudocrem so he doesn't get too sore. I've also used plain pig oil mixed up with some Tea Tree oil.

Before anyone suggests it on here, PLEASE please be very chary of using pig oil with sulphur as you can cause a very nasty red & sore reaction - its the sulphur included which is the problem. Some horses can tolerate it, others (like mine who has white hair and pink/sensitive skin) cannot.

Just flagging it up: not criticising anyone's management if they do use the stuff.

Couldn't agree more - my poor cob was allergic to pig oil and sulphur and also to Sudocreme.

After years of trial and error, the only two products I could use on him were:

a) Flamazine cream (with added anti-biotic and steroid which the vet mixed for me), and
b) Eucerin lotion with 10% urea.

The Flamazine mix was used on the scabby bits when he had a flare up and the Eucerin was used to keep his skin lubricated, which in turn stopped the cracking and soreness at the back of his knees.

My vet recommended adding Ivermectin wormer to the Flamazine mixture every now and then, to keep parasites such as mites at bay. I'd mix 2 - 3 parts Flamazine to 1 part Ivermectin and apply it once every 2 - 4 weeks using disposable gloves. My boy was prone to getting ticks on his legs too and the potion would kill them off within 48 hours. None of the other horses in the adjacent paddocks got the ticks - the vet thought it was due to my boys skin being pink and compromised; making a nice tasty meal for the local tick population.

 

[Lacuna]

Thanks so much for the advice. Keeping an eye on him, but no obvious irritation in his feet yet. Good thoughts on pink skin as he has three ands half white legs.

Will get hold of some pig oil and udder cream as well.