RunToEarth
Well-Known Member
I just don't have time to brush mud off of every single horse's legs every single damned day of winter.
hosing horses legs off
- Thread starter Seahorse
- Start date
Skhosu
Well-Known Member
actually..the mud left on aggravates mud fever obviously. So yes. it does matter, and people should care.
People have different opinions on whetehr hosing off/leaving to dry is better for the horse. I personally hose off all mud, and have less issues with mud fever than when it is left off.
People have different opinions on whetehr hosing off/leaving to dry is better for the horse. I personally hose off all mud, and have less issues with mud fever than when it is left off.
kibob
Well-Known Member
I never used to hose legs off until I had a couple of liveries that did this religiously, I decided I must be a terrible owner and duly started to hose off. They all got mud fever
Halfpass
Well-Known Member
I can sypmathise with you here. My stables is next to a tap, a drain and our tea room.
Cups get washed at the tap with no bowl underneath and also the other tap is always frozen so feed bowls haynets etc get soaked or cleaned here too.
My poor baby this morning came out ofr her stable and went flying. Trouble is they then panic which makes it worse!!!!
I had to walk away this morning at the yard (same one as seahorse) before I really let rip at everyone. It really bugs me!!!
Cups get washed at the tap with no bowl underneath and also the other tap is always frozen so feed bowls haynets etc get soaked or cleaned here too.
My poor baby this morning came out ofr her stable and went flying. Trouble is they then panic which makes it worse!!!!
I had to walk away this morning at the yard (same one as seahorse) before I really let rip at everyone. It really bugs me!!!
dwi
Well-Known Member
my last yard, not only had two owners who hosed their horses legs every night (spot the horses that go mud fever) but also stood their horses outside in their TO rugs while they washed all the mud off their rugs. I'm sorry but thats taking it too far
Bossanova
Well-Known Member
This is why we have a hot tap and covered wash area. All our's legs are washed off when they come in from the fields, we very rarely have anything with mud-fever.
Halfpass
Well-Known Member
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but also stood their horses outside in their TO rugs while they washed all the mud off their rugs. I'm sorry but thats taking it too far
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Someone at my yard does this
I have never realiy worked out why!!
but also stood their horses outside in their TO rugs while they washed all the mud off their rugs. I'm sorry but thats taking it too far
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Someone at my yard does this
Halfpass
Well-Known Member
Yes but I'm sure you wouldn't get the water all over the yard to make an ice rink and an extremley dangerous place for all other horses?
Skhosu
Well-Known Member
HHow do you avoid this? Our water all runs down into a drain. We knoew where it gfets icy and avoid it.
bexandspooky
Well-Known Member
This post is making me chuckle!! Some people are so dense that they cannot think beyond saving themselves a few seconds morning or night! I am sure in most yards if you really want to hose your horses legs, it would be possible to unreel the hosepipe and take the horse somewhere that the water run off wouldnt be a problem - but people dont think like that - too much like hard work!!
I personally dont hose spookys legs, I manage the gateway to the field carefully and so far this year they have barely broken through the grass. I have run a strip of fencing a few feet back from the top of the field and change the entrance if it starts to get muddy, so need to worry at the moment!! (by the way, If it was muddy, I wouldn't hose - the one winter i did that - spooks had terrible mud fever until i let the mud dry on - that helped dry out the problem area and it cured itself in no time)
I personally dont hose spookys legs, I manage the gateway to the field carefully and so far this year they have barely broken through the grass. I have run a strip of fencing a few feet back from the top of the field and change the entrance if it starts to get muddy, so need to worry at the moment!! (by the way, If it was muddy, I wouldn't hose - the one winter i did that - spooks had terrible mud fever until i let the mud dry on - that helped dry out the problem area and it cured itself in no time)
lillie07
Well-Known Member
Washing legs off is personal preference- there is no right or wrong and it is the owners decision. I do however agree that it is silly and a bit selfish to leave the yard like an ice rink.
Baileys legs are hosed off every night along with the majority of others on the yard.. He has'nt got mud fever this year. At my old yard we were not allowed to use the hose- 90% of the horses had mud fever....
I could'nt not hose Baileys legs off anyway- I don't have all night to spend at the yard waiting for the mud to dry so I could brush it off to be able to put his boots on to ride.
Baileys legs are hosed off every night along with the majority of others on the yard.. He has'nt got mud fever this year. At my old yard we were not allowed to use the hose- 90% of the horses had mud fever....
I could'nt not hose Baileys legs off anyway- I don't have all night to spend at the yard waiting for the mud to dry so I could brush it off to be able to put his boots on to ride.
xfeex
Well-Known Member
There were so many on the old yard that did that! than they complain about mud rash???? Crazy!
kombikids
Well-Known Member
oh i am the pain novice owner - i hose my horses legs off in a special wash area (so no icy patches) i thought to help mud fever - is this not the case - what should i do? i only do hoof and slightly above over the heels as the field is v muddy and then dry quickly with a towel.I do it in her turnout rug too! she is warm tho and its not as though i do all over! So what should you do with a very muddy footed horse?
MotherOfChickens
MotherDucker
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oh i am the pain novice owner - i hose my horses legs off in a special wash area (so no icy patches) i thought to help mud fever - is this not the case - what should i do? i only do hoof and slightly above over the heels as the field is v muddy and then dry quickly with a towel.I do it in her turnout rug too! she is warm tho and its not as though i do all over! So what should you do with a very muddy footed horse?
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I think alot depends on how much feather your horse has. mine has none-he has 2 pink heels, is only washed off for the farrier and has never had any problems. has a deep straw bed to dry his legs in.
IME to simply hose them off in cold water doesnt lead to a problem if the legs are dried off with a decent bed (ie not mats or shavings) or using decent wraps but the minute you faff about scrubbing and affecting the skins integrity you can get a problem.
I specifically ask that my horse's legs are left alone however. leave wet mud to drt and brush off. sometime the old ways are the best
oh i am the pain novice owner - i hose my horses legs off in a special wash area (so no icy patches) i thought to help mud fever - is this not the case - what should i do? i only do hoof and slightly above over the heels as the field is v muddy and then dry quickly with a towel.I do it in her turnout rug too! she is warm tho and its not as though i do all over! So what should you do with a very muddy footed horse?
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I think alot depends on how much feather your horse has. mine has none-he has 2 pink heels, is only washed off for the farrier and has never had any problems. has a deep straw bed to dry his legs in.
IME to simply hose them off in cold water doesnt lead to a problem if the legs are dried off with a decent bed (ie not mats or shavings) or using decent wraps but the minute you faff about scrubbing and affecting the skins integrity you can get a problem.
I specifically ask that my horse's legs are left alone however. leave wet mud to drt and brush off. sometime the old ways are the best
carolmalin123
Well-Known Member
I think some people are just obsessed about removing all dirt from their horse every night and before riding! Who's got time for all that, I need to get my horse exercised so just a quick clean of the tack area is what mine gets most of the time. I agree though, hosing legs off every night is a sure way to giving your horse mud fever and giving someone else (or their horse) a nasty accident on the ice. Some people are just incredibly thick!
JM07
Well-Known Member
never hose..freezing or not.
see nothing beneficial in hosing whatsoever..
see nothing beneficial in hosing whatsoever..
Seahorse
Well-Known Member
I don't really want to start a debate about mud fever, my point was that by using the hose last thing at night when it's going to freeze therefore turning the yard into an ice rink the next day is not necessary and very selfish!
Edited to say I have both hosed and not hosed and my horse has never had really bad mud fever except one year when he was turned away and out 24/7 in a field with NO mud!!
Edited to say I have both hosed and not hosed and my horse has never had really bad mud fever except one year when he was turned away and out 24/7 in a field with NO mud!!
suef1
Active Member
It's all very well saying owners are selfish and vain if they hose legs but thats just not fair or true IMO. My horses legs are hosed everyday when she comes in, all trace of mud removed. Mud fever loves wet conditions so I can see no reason why you would leave your horse with legs covered in wet mud for hours until it dries, then brush it off?! My TB's legs are hosed when she comes in and are dry within 30 mins, much quicker than they would ever dry when they re covered in mud. They are dry when I get there after work an hour or so later and OK to put boots on. Suits us nd she never gets mud fever when others do
madhector
Well-Known Member
Mine always have their legs hosed off if they come in, and all mud removed. I never scrub their legs, and I have never (touch wood) had any problems with mud fever. Quite the opposite in fact. J came with awful mud fever all up his back legs, and a few weeks with me hosing and hibiscrubing it and it all cleared up. I have been hosing his everyday since the mud started this year and not a trace of mud fever.
RobinHood
Well-Known Member
YO keeps the hose attachment in her office to prevent people from using the hose. I don't wash or brush any of my horses' legs I just leave them muddy unless I need them clean for something and then I brush the dry mud off. They live out 24/7 in wet fields and none of them have ever had any mud fever.
Hullabaloo
Well-Known Member
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It's all very well saying owners are selfish and vain if they hose legs but thats just not fair or true IMO.
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I don't think anyone is suggesting owners who hose their horses legs are vain, but if someone hoses their horse's legs off on a freezing cold evening and leaves the water to freeze for me or my horse to slip up on, that is definately selfish. Mud fever, no matter how unpleasant is treatable, whereas a broken leg is not. If you have a safe area to use then it's up to you what you do, but not if you leave the yard a sheet of ice for everyone else.
At my last yard everyone was obsessed with hosing their horses legs no matter what the weather and mud fever was rife. Since I stopped hosing and left the mud to dry, I've had no problems with mud fever at all.
It's all very well saying owners are selfish and vain if they hose legs but thats just not fair or true IMO.
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I don't think anyone is suggesting owners who hose their horses legs are vain, but if someone hoses their horse's legs off on a freezing cold evening and leaves the water to freeze for me or my horse to slip up on, that is definately selfish. Mud fever, no matter how unpleasant is treatable, whereas a broken leg is not. If you have a safe area to use then it's up to you what you do, but not if you leave the yard a sheet of ice for everyone else.
At my last yard everyone was obsessed with hosing their horses legs no matter what the weather and mud fever was rife. Since I stopped hosing and left the mud to dry, I've had no problems with mud fever at all.
Hollycat
Well-Known Member
I thought mud fever was due to bacteria in the soil so nothing to do with leaving/washing legs. I had one horse who never had mud fever until she moved to one yard where she and every other horse there was stricken with it. Moved again and she never had it again.
Personally unless I am going to a show my horse stays pretty grubby. I check him over to make sure he has no lumps or bumps, but apart from where his tack goes he pretty much stays grubby most of the week until I have time at the weekend to give him a good brush. He is a great one for rolling but luckily he's a dirty grey colour anyway. He does a lot of lateral work but is unshod so I don't bother with boots so don't really brush his legs - just check them over. I prefer him to be a horse and muddy and happy but each to their own. I am very envious of all those people with immaculate clean horses.
Personally unless I am going to a show my horse stays pretty grubby. I check him over to make sure he has no lumps or bumps, but apart from where his tack goes he pretty much stays grubby most of the week until I have time at the weekend to give him a good brush. He is a great one for rolling but luckily he's a dirty grey colour anyway. He does a lot of lateral work but is unshod so I don't bother with boots so don't really brush his legs - just check them over. I prefer him to be a horse and muddy and happy but each to their own. I am very envious of all those people with immaculate clean horses.
Seahorse
Well-Known Member
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It's all very well saying owners are selfish and vain if they hose legs but thats just not fair or true IMO. My horses legs are hosed everyday when she comes in, all trace of mud removed. Mud fever loves wet conditions so I can see no reason why you would leave your horse with legs covered in wet mud for hours until it dries, then brush it off?! My TB's legs are hosed when she comes in and are dry within 30 mins, much quicker than they would ever dry when they re covered in mud. They are dry when I get there after work an hour or so later and OK to put boots on. Suits us nd she never gets mud fever when others do
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Like I said I'm not starting a debate about mud fever etc, but when it's going to freeze overnight hosing your horses legs off and letting water run all over the yard is damn irresponsible. Our yard is like an ice rink and Halfpass's horse slipped over on it yesterday
and it's only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt.
It's all very well saying owners are selfish and vain if they hose legs but thats just not fair or true IMO. My horses legs are hosed everyday when she comes in, all trace of mud removed. Mud fever loves wet conditions so I can see no reason why you would leave your horse with legs covered in wet mud for hours until it dries, then brush it off?! My TB's legs are hosed when she comes in and are dry within 30 mins, much quicker than they would ever dry when they re covered in mud. They are dry when I get there after work an hour or so later and OK to put boots on. Suits us nd she never gets mud fever when others do
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Like I said I'm not starting a debate about mud fever etc, but when it's going to freeze overnight hosing your horses legs off and letting water run all over the yard is damn irresponsible. Our yard is like an ice rink and Halfpass's horse slipped over on it yesterday