Feathers - Help please

piebaldsparkle

piebaldsparkle

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Right my mare is prone to mud fever and having always clipped her legs, I and now toying with the idea of letting her feathers grow (I'm assuming she'll grow lovely feathers, but don't really know as I have always kept them clipped).

What do I need to do with the feathers? Have heard 'Pig Oil' mentioned a few times on here. Obviously if she gets mud fever I suppect I will have to clip her legs out again.

P.S. She is the horse in my siggy - Do you think see will look O.K. hairy??
 
yeah i have heard pig oil is used, i just use baby oil in my girls feathers, i keep mine with feathers as she looks pretty but most of all i am sure it protects her legs from mud fever, she has not suffered from it, this is not the case for every horse but for her its worked well keeping feathers and putting baby oil on in winter to act as a barrier
i think she would look lovely with feathers, but i warn you, i am rather biased about feathers, whatever works best for your girl really
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Mine has hairy legs and the only time he had mud fever is when he had them clipped and washed.(it was yard policy to wash the mud off from the field before putting horse into stable needless to say, I didnt stay long). He even had it on his belly.
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Feathers are a natural barrier against mud fever.
I dont EVER wash my horses legs in the winter, we ride out with wed mud slopping around, but I am not proud.
Give it a go, hpefully, he will have a mud fever free winter.
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I agree. I have 2 hairies with full feather. In 8 yrs I've never had any mudfever. I never touch their feathers....They live out 24/7 in all conditions.
 
I have a hairy, I clipped his feathers 3 years ago and he suffered with MF really badly, since letting them grow back he (touch wood) has not suffered since.

I dont do anything special, just leave them alone

he lives out 24/7 no matter the weather
 
QR - Thanks all I'm going to give it a go and see what happens. I have never been that keen on feathers, (but I'm sure they will grow on me!!!) and if it's better for Sparks then that's the way it will have to be. Here's hoping that her feathers grow fast (her legs look terrible at the moment as neither one nor the other), and she has a mudfever free winter.
 
Pig oil and sulphur is the best for feathers, and really helps keep mud fever away too, just mix it to a gloopy thick mix and brush it on and rub in, beware though the sulphur turns white gold a strange colour, but it does return... phew my husband had a ring made for my 40th in june, had some explaining to do for a while whe it went a funny colour.
 
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