Hosing legs - yay or nay.. please dont post if you have nothing nice to say!!

[woodlandswow]

As title and why? following on from other thread.
I hose and towel dry thouroughly every other night..
interested to see who does..

and please i know i am asking a lot but no slaging matches....

 

[madgeymoo]

we hose every night when been in field and it wet and muddy =D

 

[rhino]

Hmm, ginger horse is normally clipped out fully (including legs) and is hosed/dried and thermatex wraps put on. Since I started this routine he has never had mud fever. Before, when he had hairy legs and they weren't hosed he was a nightmare for it! Goes against what the 'traditionalists' say but it certainly works for mine

He's injured this year so unclipped/only turned out in the school. It will be interesting to see if I can keep him mud fever free when he is turned out soon

 

[Jazzy B]

nay, pony was on part livery and the YO used to do it when she brought her in the only year my pony ever got mud fever.

 

[galaxy]

No. I always let it dry and brush it off

I would only consider it if the legs were absolutely soaking wet and the skin would be wet underneath, then I would put thermatex leg wraps on to get them dry as quick as possible.

Soaking the skin every night will only weaken it which increases the chances of infection and mud fever.

 

[L&M]

No I don't - but then we are lucky to have very well draining fields so never really come in with muddy legs.

Yours in smugness.......!

 

[LeneHorse]

Ok I'll be brave - Yes I hose most nights unless it's icy. We have very muddy fields and their legs get absolutely covered. I don't think you can check properly for cuts etc unless you get the mud off. Her legs dry off overnight in the stable and I apply keratex powder in the morning before turning out. Touch wood we have never had a problem with mud fever.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

Leave the mud to dry and brush off when neccesary. The feathered one has pig oil to protect his feathers while the TB X's have Ketatex mud shield powder so mud is never a problem even though they live out 24/7.

 

[maresmaid]

I used to hose my previous horse, towel dry, and thermatex leg wraps - she still got mud rash. So I tried not hosing and brushing off - still got mud rash! In the end I stuck with the hosing as it seemed slightly better. My present horse didn't seem to have many mud rash problems last winter (my first winter with her). i just let them dry naturally in the stable overnight and brushed off with a cactus cloth in the morning when dry. This winter I have done the same, exept for one day when I bought her in with very muddy legs one afternoon, and wanted to ride, so I hosed the legs off, and dried them, and the next day she flared up with a nasty attack of mud rash. I have come to the conclusion that there is no real right way and you just have to do what seems to work best for the individual horse. - Roll on spring!

 

[Sprout]

I voted No - our fields are not very muddy, horses are brought in at night, mud dries naturally and is then brushed off.

 

[muddygreymare]

I leave it and brush off the next morning when it's dry. She doesn't usually get her legs too muddy anyway as her field is quite good and doesnt have that much mud.

 

[flying solo]

I dont but then my two are still living out with only the occasional night in. My boy came in last year as his legs were really bad with mud fever so had to boot him up to keep him clean and dry. Touch wood, this year so far so good

 

[horsedreams]

yes all legs hosed off when they've been in the mud

towel dried off then thermatex leg wraps put on

thankfully none have never had a problem with mud fever

 

[Bosworth]

No I never wash off the legs, I leave muddy and let it dry to brush off when I am riding. I have found that washing seems to increase mud fever so without washing I seem to have escaped this year.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Yup I pig oil my horses leg but I still hose off the muck sitting on top of the oil

 

[be positive]

Hose off every night unless it is freezing, have several to do so they only get a cursory towel dry and put into deep straw beds. One had a touch of mud fever early on, he was new this year and has not been turned out in the winter for the last few years so I think he was just a bit soft, he is fine now and gets hosed but wears wraps to help prevent it coming back.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

No I don't - but then we are lucky to have very well draining fields so never really come in with muddy legs.

Yours in smugness.......!

Same here too (ok, 1 field is a bit of a mud-pit, but I still dont wash off) I just brush off in the morning.
One has very feathery feathers too.

Heck, I dont even pick feet out every day!

 

[nikicb]

No, they never really get that muddy as our fields are well draining. Brush any dry mud off, leave any wet mud to dry until next grooming. Never had mud fever. The only time I wash their hooves when I get them in at night is if the farrier is coming the next morning - he always appreciates it.

 

[black_horse]

we do but only because of the history of the skin on dee's legs. I wont go into it here but i would rather not risk upsetting the skin.

 

[LaurenB]

I made a mistake with my old tbx, every winter I'd always hose and one year I didn't and just did so when I was riding, she ended up with awful mud fever and a felt like such a bad owner! Not made the mistake since and she never got it again

 

[flower08]

No I don't - but then we are lucky to have very well draining fields so never really come in with muddy legs.

same as above

 

[MissMistletoe]

Only hose for when hooves to be trimmed. Horses live out 24/7.

My feelings are that constant wetting of the skin weakens the skin barrier allowing bugs to pass through easier.

ALso think that soil type and leg feathers plays a big part in the susceptibility of mud fever.

Eg. My horse had MF without fail every winter at old farm. On clay soil, feathers left on

New farm: sand soil, feathers trimmed off, not a sign of MF since.

Wonder whether heavy clay soil harbours bacteria and the feathers provide the warm environment they thrive in to set up a happy camp all winter!

 

[indie999]

I voted NO but was suprised as I thought most would. Reason is he lives out and I know when the ground is wet hooves do swell etc. In summer his hooves can crack if dry. Also if its cold I think the extra wetness will cause sore skin and wash oils out of his skin. Especially if it freezes.

Mine rolls in mud to keep warm as the wind dries the mud and forms a wind shield(same in summer for flies) His own personal face pack, all over!

Thats my theory anyway!

 

[Tnavas]

Leave mud on to dry then brush off with Body Brush assisted by a handfull of hay.

If very cold would bandage over with stable bandages to dry.

 

[woodlandswow]

we have a companion who stays out and he has big feathers left on (for a shettie!) we are on clay and felt underneath feathers the other day and they were basically dry!
my horsie tho has practically no feathers and i find the clay is sometimes stil wet in the morning, hence the wash and towel dry

 

[Kaylum]

Dont as the mud comes off when walking in the stable anyway. Also a lot of people confuse mud fever with leg mites and arent treating them the right way.

 

[TGM]

I leave the mud on and brush off when dry as I believe washing and rubbing legs dry is more likely to drive the bacteria into the skin. Have been at yards where they hosed every day but had terrible mud fever problems.

 

[Arizahn]

Mine tends to come in with mud up to her knees, so yes I hose. I also use anti mud barrier cream but it does nothing so think I may change brand...
She had mud fever when I bought her but it has cleared up
Think it depends on the soil type and weather, as well as the horse.

 

[FinkleyAlex]

I personally don't, but used to hose my boss' horses' legs and both they and mine never had problems either way. I must admit I do wince when I see people hosing their horses legs on really cold nights, when its only a few degrees.

 

[angelish]

i don't hose the welsh one as he doesn't really get that muddy and he's not had mud fever yet so feel if its working well like this ill stick to it ,he does compete once a month and they get a good wash with hibiscrub then

my colored horse gets terrible mud fever
weather i hosed or not it made no difference ,so he now wears boots in the field and there is no need to hose unless he looses one ,i also moved him to a less muddy field and he has wintered out this year with not a problem