Boots/bandages + mud question

C

Carojay

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 November 2012
Messages
71
Visit site
Hiya, I haven’t been on here for a while but I was hoping you could give me some advice!
I have a Welsh section D who lives out 24/7, so as you can imagine he is very muddy at the moment! I usually put brushing boots on him for exercise, but as it has been so muddy I have not been doing this as I don’t want them to rub. I don’t want to wash his legs all the time either, as I know this can lead to mud fever, it also seems pretty pointless as he’s just going back in the field again afterwards! I brush off as much as the dry mud as possible but usually when he comes in it is wet.
He does not often knock himself, but when I lunge him with his boots on, I have heard them brushing. Also we do a lot of pole work in our schooling (the only way I can get him going forwards at the moment – stubborn Welshie!) so I suppose there is more chance of a few knocks there too.
I should mention Jay is my first horse so I don’t have a lot of experience to fall back on (hence asking some perhaps silly questions here!). Would using bandages be better? Or would they be just as likely to rub or even lead to mud fever?
Or do you think it is better just to leave boots off while he is so muddy?
Any advice much appreciated!

 
I would not advise bandaging for exercise, particularly if you are not already expert at this.

The only thing you could consider is putting stable bandages / wraps on for a couple of hours which might dry the mud, but that assumes he is brought in early, and then you need to dry them for the next day.

Personally I would not be lunging if he is brushing, particularly if he is shod behind. Not sure why you are lunging, a lot of people do it because other people do it, but that is not a good reason. Lunging is a skill which is best done with good reason. If he is out 24/7 he should not be too fizzy. I have seen people whizzing their horse round in order to remove energy, but I don't rate this idea at all.

Not sure why he should be knocking poles and hurting himself, he needs to learn to balance and not to rush, and part of this is learning to respect the poles.

It might be a good idea to get a good instructor out to assess you and the horse, and make a little plan for improving fitness. Some horses have to be booted up due to conformation, but most should be able to work without them if they are reasonably fit. When fitter, they will be a better ride, and better balanced.
 
Last edited:
Thanks MrsD123.

I don't lunge him every day, and when I do, TBH its usually when my instructor is there with me. However, I have other problems with him (vet, instructor and myself all involved) as he is very very stubborn and I can't really get him going forward, sometimes lunging before schooling helps with this - it seems to wake him up a bit, he seems to like the security of the lunge.

He doesn't always knock the poles, it is just that as we started doing more pole work it was then that my instructor suggested boots (also after we were doing more lunging).

Stable bandages could work. I usually have plenty of time before riding so could do this. Thanks!
 
I would leave bootless. Use some overreache boots, as I find that tends to be the more common injury from lunging and polework.

Washing off the legs will not give the horse mud fever - this is caused by a particular bacteria in the mud that gets into the skin and then causes havoc. If he hasn't got mud fever, and never has in his current yard, then I work on the assumption that he will be fine. This isn't always the case though. But like you say, pointless washing off to then go back out as that could cause issue with cracked heels long term.
 
Working on MrsD123's suggestion of stable bandages, it might be worth looking into stable chaps as these are velcro'd, you can't do them up too tight on unevenly and they are very quick at drying off legs :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top