Does anyone have experience of keeping a horse with mud fever on wood pellet bedding?

[phizzogs]

As above really,, I have a horse that has always had a slight bit of mud fever and it's never really caused a problem.
This year however it is much worse than it has ever been, and I am wondering if my bedding is not helping, as I have been damping down my pellets when putting them in? Do you think this could have any effect or just the exceptional wet weather we have had this summer?
Thank you

 

[NiceChristmasBaubles]

Is there any reason you dampen them? Other than when I start a bed I just put mine in dry. Maybe try them dry for a while and see if that works. They are super absorbent, so would have thought they would be better than a lot of bedding.

 

[phizzogs]

well I only topped it up for the first time this weekend, so will now try only put dry in, thank u

 

[Milkmaid]

I know that there has been an awful lot of mud fever about this summer, I think it's just been a bad year for it. I know peeps who've been plagued and they are on straw or shavings. I doubt very much the pellets would make it worse.

 

[ElleD]

Think it's just a bad mud fever year. My guys are bedded on pellets and its not worsened their mud fever

 

[Theresa_F]

I think it is a terrible year for MF. I have not had any of my horses have it for 10 years, but this year Farra got it, despite having oiled feather, her heels got chapped.

Vet said that he has had horses with very bad MF over the summer and also those that have never had it.

My bed is damped down to have the pellets swell, but it is normally dry within a few hours and stays dry more so than any other bedding I have used. I think some people have found they dry out the feet so would have though this would not make MF worse but if anything help it.

 

[_GG_]

I can't see a properly maintained wood pellet bed doing anything other than be beneficial for mud fever.

Yes, it is good to water the initial bed to break it down, but it should be dry bot long after it has been spread and levelled. After that, I would only ever add whole pellets and work them into the bed. Don't be too careful when taking out the wet either. I take out the wet twice a week as I have a very wet mare, but it is still only half a wheelbarrow if I leave it a whole week. I poo pick, lift all the bed against the walls and then scrape all of the dry off the top of the small wet patch. I then use a shovel to take it out as it is just comes up in slabs. I never brush out the little bits of wet left on the floor, I just mix them in with the bed when I lay it back down and I add the new pellets whole, mixing them in too.

The bed is always dry and fluffy and my mares feet are always in really good health. It drys them out when it's been horrible in the field and it is also worth remembering that wood has natural antibacterial properties, so I think it could be just the ticket for mud fever.