Any suggestions, Sores on cob legs / turnout boots/ mud / 24/7

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Horsekaren

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My boys legs are having a bit of a flare up. He has a few sores and irritated skin on his back legs (above his ergots and towards his hocks)
He also has a flare up on one of his front legs (this is more the heel area *note he does have a grape sized nodule in his heel which we think it an old scar possibly CPL)
Ive clipped his legs when needed, his legs will be clipped again this week as the feather is not allowing me get to the sores) His feather is about 2inch long but very coarse as they were clipped off a few months ago. i have been using flamazine but its not really doing anything.

Its like a hyperkeritis / possibly cpl flare up. I am aware of the fb groups for these issues.

Ive so far tried-
Flamazine
filtabac
honey heel
Luicillin
washing / not washing
cetraben
Farriers M and S cream
head and shoulders
sebolic shampoo
mite treatments from vets



Vet is back this week to have another look.

He is retired and lives out (this cannot change/ He has neurological issues so he is enjoying his retirement at grass)

Coming into winter i am now worrying about wet and mud, i really want some type of turnout wrap that doesnt sit on the skin as tightly as chaps. I basically want a turnout rug for his legs to provide a bit of protection. I like the look off the Woofwear mud fever boots but being a 15'3 chunky cob they just ARE NOT going to fit. Ive come across trophy tails feather boots (he wont have feather) but they look like they might be able to create a micro climate around his legs whilst they clear up. The only thing i dont like is the elastic as i imagine this will cause issues.

Can anyone suggest something that would do the job. They have to be big enough for cobs, not sit on the sores and not rub as ideally he will have them on 24/7 with regular checks. they also cant interfere with his nodule in his heel which is another reason i dont think the Woofwear design would work.

Waterproof Feather Boots set of 2 Fronts - Chocolate Brown (trophytails.co.uk) -

any thoughts?
and any other suggestions welcome

Please no suggestions to stable is this is not an option :)
 
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Horsekaren

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@Gloi I have wonder gel in my army of potions but i haven't opened yet as i feel like im getting lost trying to many different things to no success. i did read good things about it which is why i picked it up but then i read good things about every potion out there :'D

@Squeak, id thought this would be best but with his feather at this length i can see the sores look worse and i cant get to them without the fur being in the way. Ive always tried to keep his feather on in winter but if i leave it i think his skin would become completely raw :(
 
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Annagain

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What's his diet like? I only ask as it sounds like the affected area is in an area that wouldn't be particularly exposed to mud, being slightly higher up his legs (and I doubt you have much mud yet, even with this rain in the last few days?) My old share horse has terrible problems with his back legs around the hock area and slightly lower if he has any sugar in his diet. Even a carrot can set him off. It often flares up during autumn as there's a flush of sugary grass. Has he had anything new in his diet that could trigger a reaction, or moved to fresh grazing? No cream or potion made any difference to M (other than soothing the sores as they would often end up bleeding) cutting out as much sugar as we could was the only way to stop it.
 
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L&M

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Agree with trying to treat from within.

I don't know if Naf still do it, but they did a herbal mud fever supplement that worked wonders for my old cob who was very prone to mud fever and associated conditions - he never had it again once on the naf supplement.
 
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Pearlsacarolsinger

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Antw23uk said:
I think you need to work from the inside out and find out the cause. My friend had amazing results with her cob using hair analysis and homeopathic remedies. I will PM you the link to her article and the contact for the person she used. Might be worth a read?
Click to expand...


This! My cob had a very few grassnuts mixed in with her Agrobs Wiesencobs to help to keep her out of her friend's bucket. Her legs flared up in sores within 3 days. I stopped the grassnuts, sprayed her legs with tea-tree oil spray and everything was cleared up in less than a week, with the hair growing back.
 
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Horsekaren

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He doesn't get any hard feed or hay he is just on grass... about 15 acres with 4 other horses. They dont rotate and there is plenty of it. I do give him treats (usually thunderbrooks hay cobs) but if i run out he does sometimes get the tasty treats you seen by the tills in tack shops. Im wondering if the grass is what's doing it (after all it has been a absolutely crazy summer for grass) once the temperature drops i might see an improvement.

he is basically living as wild as possible so i dont really want to introduce hard feed, especially as he is about to enter into winter slimming season.

he isnt itching and stomping but it seems the sores just keep coming and they wont heal, and the idea of mud is really worrying me!
 
ester

ester

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We always seem to get a flare up of scabbiness this time of year. For us def best to clip and treat (sudocreme+ sulphur powder is my choice of attack).

Can you get a silver whinny to fit?
 
JackFrost

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Might be worth testing for cushings, as one of the signs can be a less effective immune system so you get things like this. I never found flamazine worked but had good results with medical grade manuka honey. Like others have said, I would try to find the cause and discuss with vet for tests to check underlying issues, especially as he is older.
 
meleeka

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It’s mite season so I wouldn’t rule that out. I have one that’s just started, she doesn’t stamp but does occasionally bite her fetlocks.

When she had really bad scabs last year I scrubbed with an antibacterial shampoo daily, dried thoroughly with paper towels and then blue spray. (She had an abscess at the saw time so vet didn’t want to prescribe antibiotics) Once her legs were clipped it was easier to apply cream to protect from the mud. I used Hoof to Heel.
 
SEL

SEL

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I'm treating both my feathery one for mites with dog tick pipettes - they are getting sores in odd places from rubbing on the shelter.

I did have to use antibiotics last year for one of them when his legs flared up. Ideally I'd have his feathers off and plaster his legs in udder cream but clippers are the work of the devil.

I love pretty feathers but they are a PITA to manage so you have my sympathy
 
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Athos The Saint

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I struggled for two years with similar issues with my cobs legs. I tried all the same lotions and creams that you have and several more that the vet prescribed, with no success. Someone on here mentioned using baby lotion (in the pink bottle). He didn’t object to it being applied even where the skin had cracked and bled and within 10 days scabs had dropped off and the skin had healed, even his Mallenders practically disappeared. I now just apply it at the first sign of trouble.
 
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Fransurrey

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Can't add to the advice already given, except to recommend hair dye applicators to penetrate feather for applying 'stuff'. Was recently given that tip and it's a game changer for applying feather oil or shampoo! I use one to apply benzyl benzoate to the sweet itch horse, too.
 
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bouncing_ball

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Horsekaren

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looks a useful tip but dont think that will work when he has sores. i dont think pouring oil onto his sores at the moment will do any good. I'll keep in mind as a preventative in future :)
 
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