Heavy Clay/Feathers

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mtj

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How does this combination work in muddy winter fields? Horse would be stabled at night on cardboard which is very absorbent.

The clay won't brush out when dry, so do you thoroughly wash the legs everyday?

Thanks
 
Ditto the pig oil or something similar (I also use baby oil or vegetable oil) - clean the legs, cover in pig oil and sulphur - pig oil will stop the clay clinging to the feather and sulphur has antibacterial properties and will prevent mud fever.
 
You have a few choices:

a) Wash every 4 days (dont do every day as you will wash the natural oils out of the hair/skin
b) Clip off Nov/Dec time and allow to regrow ready for the Spring
c) Use pig oil to help repell the mud (baby oil works just as well
d) do both a) and c) above.

I'd probably clip off, if you're using cardboard bedding this is just going to add to the chaos and get stuck in all the feathers. JB gets big clumps of clay on his back feathers and I ended up washing him in the shower room every four days with hot water to melt it all out - was a total pain....

Up to you really, depending on how much time you have :)
 
My mare is allergic to pig oil and it made her hair fall out. We are on awful clay, so this year I put field chaps on her. Worked a treat. She only got mud on the very ends of the hair.
 
I have two very hairy horses - clydesdale and gypsy cob, which are kept on heavy Essex clay.

These horses are kept in show condition - full quality feather, and are out in the field every other day in winter, and by January it is very muddy.

I use a lot of pig oil and sulphur, and also top up with extra oil. On the days they stay in, the mud dries out and slips off the hair and within 24 hours they have fairly white legs with little mud left on the hair.

If it should not come off, I just apply a little water and a brush to the ends of the hair, and you can also crumble it off with your fingers.

In winter, I just oil up and forget the legs unless I am going to a show.

If you want a huge note on keeping hairy horses legs in good health and show condition, PM me an email address and I will send it to you.

If you want a horse with white legs, then clip it off and wash it out every day, or never turn out in mud - personally I would rather have muddy hairy legs any day given the choice as they soon clean up.

Washing too much in winter with heavy feather does more harm than good.
 
Thanks for all the replies.

This has given me lots to think about.

I do turn out everyday, and give up on the concept of white legs in winter. Nevertheless, I do not want to subject a horse to mud fever.
 
Just because they my have a lot of feather and muddy/clay mud conditions doesn't automatically mean mud fever will strike. Some horses are more prone to it for some reason not just hairies.

I use pig oil in winter as I don't want to have to keep washing legs etc and the clay doesn't stick so much making my life easier when we are wallowing in inches of the ruddy stuff :p
 
I have spent years on heavy clay soil and with the use of P&S never had any of mine have MF. The hair protects the heels and as long as you don't keep washing so the skin gets wet, and oil up you should find this gives plenty of protection against MF.

What some people think is MF is actually mite damage.
 
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