Ideas - how to dry feathers!

[bex1984]

Grrrr....Bl**dy weather!

Ponio's skin on his white socks was all pink and inflammed last night from being so wet over the last week - the bottom of his legs must have been wet for 5 days solid

Washed them off properly, hibiscrubbed them and left him in overnight to give them a chance to dry and recover a bit. Went to turn him out this morning and inspected them - much less sore and inflammed but they were still a bit wet!!!!

So, he'd been stabled for 12 hours and his feathers and the skin underneath were still a bit damp!! Not so much of a problem this time of year but what on earth am I going to do in winter?!

How do other people with hairy horses with loads of feather keep/get their horses legs dry? I'm thinking of using a hairdryer?!

 

[Christmas_Kate]

use stable bandages with straw underneath or a very deep bed. or you could just take his feathers off? Or put turnout boots on him?

 

[fairhill]

The thermatex leg wraps are very good at drying out hairy legs.

 

[bex1984]

Pony has a serious amount of feathers - think small shire horse...would the thermatex wraps work on feathers like that?

 

[fairhill]

Don't know to be honest. Chloe is half shire, so we have the same problem. I brought her in the other morning and her legs were still wet when she went back out in the evening. We've been chopping her feathers for the last few winters, but they're being grown now.
I borrowed a friend's set last winter to try them on for size, and they did make a difference in the hour they were on her, but that was with the clipped legs, so only about 2" of feather.

 

[XmisshorsestyleX]

I havent found a solution yet, but then my horse lives out 24/7. I dont think your really going to find a boot/wrap that will cover the feathers completely..

I heard from an insider that there may be some feather bags on the way.. so fingers crossed!

Tilly has developed slight mud fever aswell, the vet suggested chopping the feathers off to treat it properly...

So if anyone had any advice on treating mudfever with tonnes of feather feel free to PM me!!

 

[bex1984]

and PM me too (or post here!), as I have a feeling I'm going to be struggling with the evil MF too!

 

[spaniel]

PLEEEEEEASE dont use a hairdryer!!!!!!

Horses with tons of feather have excellent natural protection from the wet and the mud. The outsides of the feathers may well look like they have been doing a hippo impression but its extremely rare that the mud can penetrate through to the softer hair and the flesh underneath.

The trick is to allow the feathers to become greasy so lay off the combing and washing as much as possible.

Using a hair dryer will open up the pores on the skin and make a very easy entry route for the bacteria that cause mudfever.

 

[jumpthemoon]

In this weather you are probably best off getting them dry by leaving in overnight, brushing the mud out then slapping on a load of protective gunk, like protocon, if the mud is getting through. Once you've done this just leave them - don't hose them off or anything, until the ground dries up a bit.

(Or clip them all off.... ***evil chuckle***)

 

[XmisshorsestyleX]

[ QUOTE ]
and PM me too (or post here!), as I have a feeling I'm going to be struggling with the evil MF too!

[/ QUOTE ]

PM Theresa_F shes amazing for giving advice about Hairies, im planning on treating the mudfever with Sulphur & Sudocream. Once the inflammation goes down, slap on some pig oil & sulphur to dry feather and leave on..
Anyway pm Theresa_F she knows about all the benefits by using this technique!

 

[bex1984]

Spaniel - I did think he would have stayed dry and protected so have not been hosing his legs off - I only hosed them off yesterday because they've been solid with mud for a week and I wanted to check for mud fever - and they were really sore so it has been getting through

 

[bex1984]

[ QUOTE ]
(Or clip them all off.... ***evil chuckle***)

[/ QUOTE ]

NO!!! He'd look a bit weird without them I think...

 

[ColouredFan]

Could you trim up the underneath close to the skin so the skin can dry out but leaving the outer feathering so that they still look natural? not sure if this is possible or not none of mine have feathers!

 

[LauraBR]

If he already has nasty mud fever I think I would be inclined to clip the feathers off to let the air get to the skin. It's warm and hair covering the sores is only going to create a perfect environment for the bacteria to multiply I would have thought?

I find thermatex wraps (stuck straight over muddy legs) the best for prevention and have had good results with Equine Americas Fungatrol (? Fungasomething anyway) for treating it.

Was saying to someone just yesterday that we should probably be on MF/Thrush watch... perfect conditions for them both sadly.

 

[GinaGem]

We used a hair dryer on our cob a few times in the winter as we were selling him and just couldn't get the feathers dry in a reasonable time. We just used it on cool after towel drying and it did help. He didnt have mud fever though (his feathers worked really well) and we mostly left them alone all other times so i agree you could make things worse with too much blow drying/washing

 

[bex1984]

lzt - no Mud Fever as such, no scabs or anything like that, and no broken skin at the moment. Skin was just very sensitive last night and I kept him in to help stop it turning into mud fever and let the skin recover. The skin right under his heel where the majority of his feathers are is fine, it was on the front where the hair is finer.

I don't plan to wash his legs at all in the winter but do want to get them dry overnight.

YM has brought him in at 2pm today so the mud has a chance to dry and I can brush it off - need to get it off to see how the skin is underneath.

 

[Happytohack]

What bedding is he on - a good deep bed is the best way to dry the feathers off. I have 3 with feathers and we never wash them, they come in and dry off overnight. One had a slight touch of mud fever last winter and I used a product from www.mudfever.net which was great as you don't have to wash the skin.

 

[bex1984]

he's on - and was on last night - a deep straw bed (don't have the option of shavings)

 

[virtual]

Did you dry them as much as possible with a towel before putting him away? This can give them a head start.

 

[harmony_]

dont clip them offf!!!!
ive just ordered a pair of turnout boots with come in XL hehe.

my tb has MF in JULY!
i hate this bl**dy weather too!

 

[chestnut cob]

Personally I keep the feathers clipped off all year round!! Much easier!

 

[XmisshorsestyleX]

It may be easier, but its not natural...

 

[conniegirl]

ive used a hairdryer on one of mine, granted it was because they hadnt dried in time for me to clip them off (friend gave me a short loan of her clippers as she was going to do her herse afterwards). POn stayed in that evening, went to a show the next day then got turned out.

I would think you could use a hairdryer if you gave ample time for the skin to cool before putting him out.

 

[Law]

Another vote for Thermatex leg wraps

I use them on mine when I've bathed him for a show and they dry his legs in 30 mins amazingly!

 

[bex1984]

I really, really, really don't want to have to take his feathers off - they're part of what makes him him!!!

YM brought him in at 2pm yesterday, I got there at 5pm and the mud on his legs was still wet. Hosed them off, hibiscrubbed them and had a good look, defo better than they were the day before - still a bit pink but not nearly so sore. Also poked about under his heels - completely dry under there so the feathers are doing their job.

Really don't know what I'm going to do in the winter though. If I used a hairdryer I'd be using it in the evening, and then leaving him in overnight so would I still have problems due to the pores being open?

 

[Pidge]

sis has a very hairy Sunny and she has bought the thermatex leg wraps to dry his legs off either after washing in the summer or in the winter as he gets mud dreadlocks. She loves them and they work really well in drying the legs off and Sunny is very feathery. If you get the ones without the cordora (sp?) outer then you can leave them on overnight if needed.
http://www.thermatex.co.uk/proddesc.php?id=82

 

[bex1984]

Thanks Pidge - have seen pics of Sunny and he has similar amount of feathers to my ponio so if they work on him they may well work on mine

 

[Pidge]

no probs

sis tends to shampoo occasionally in the summer and in the winter hoses off 2 - 3 times a week depending on how bad his 'dreadlocks' are and how muddy the field is. she does this and puts the wraps on, feeds, brings bed down etc and then takes the wraps off. got one of those coat hanger things to dry the wraps on. takes the majority of the wet off his feathers. Please don't take the feathers off if you can help it as touch wood the mud never gets anywhere near Sunny's skin due to the amount of feather he has.
Sis raves about them

 

[Theresa_F]

Have pm'd you but for those with haires - get out the oil and sulphur - it is like winter conditions where I am so have been oiling up every couple of weeks to protect the legs for past six weeks

.

Normally I am just using sulphur at this time of year and not starting with oil again until mid September.

Finally don't wash out too often - causes more harm than good - when it is wet and muddy oiling and leaving is the best way to stop problems.

Mine have brown oily stockings, but Chancer's legs will be white and show pristine with about 45 mins hard work next week.