Is this mud fever?? Help?!!!

[WishfulThinker]

I posted before about Beau having lumpy fetlocks after I had clipped them, well today I was cleaning his legs after riding and felt a scabb feeling lump.

Could it be mud fever? I have never seen mud fever so don't actually know what to look for. The legs aren't hot, and he was perfectly happy for me to scrub them and then rub them dry. And there is no blood, just some dark coloured scabs.

He has always had these lines on the back of his heels, life folds of skin that produce hard skin. Also he had black skin in amongst the pink so its not to clear what is what. And there was no one up at the yard when I was there tonight as everyone goes home before I get there

I took some pics, only had my phone on me so sorry for quality.

If it is, what do I need to do???

 

[ThomasTank]

looks like it... someone said about pig oil and sulphur.. dont wash them.. try a barrier cream. someone on here will have much better advice who is in mud fever mode but there are lots of different ways of treating it.

 

[hunteress]

just get some udder cream and keep applying it wash with hibbi scrub she probably got a little bit of mud fever being pink skinned it dosn't look too bad in your pics the udder cream will form a barrier against the wet and what with the cold chapped especialy now you have clipped them I would have left mor hair on the heels.

 

[AmyMay]

Yep, classic. Some people wash their horses legs off when they come in - but in my experience this only makes it worse.

I prefer to use a good emolient - like udder salve (not cream) or just simply vasaline - on the heals and the back of the fetlocks, and baby oil up the legs.

Looks very sore poor old thing.

 

[joanne1920]

looks like my cobs, and he has the lines in his heels too, dont wash mud off at night and use heel to hoof as barrier in mornings, if after a week no better, try fungatrol or tea tree mist to combat fungal side, my boys still got scabs but looking much better, hope that helps

 

[icemaiden113]

Certainly looks like mud fever! Best thing to do is keep it dry and clean, good to see you got the hair out of the way! Only makes a breeding ground for infection. Wash with hibiscrub and bandage, best way to dry legs. And just try and keep it as clean and dry as you can, try zinc and caster oil cream works a treat. Oh and if you can a shot of pen-strep, will clear up infection in no time.

 

[amzy]

Just a thought, but my cob has scabs near the folds of his skin and the vet said it wasn't mud fever but a dermatitus condition. He gave me a cream to put on for 5 days and they cleared up but do keep coming back now and again. Having feather on or off doesn't make any difference and he gets them summer and winter. The vet said it was because the folds of skin get warm and moist a lot of the time.

 

[WishfulThinker]

I must point out that the pink bits are NOT raw, they are normal skin. His face is the same - pink skin behind the white hair, but with black skin patches through it.

I had a good root about and he wasnt bothered at all, just continued dopily eating his hay. There is no blood, but there is hard skin, which has actually gotten better since I clipped his legs out (the hair actually came off in like a blanket stuck together with greasy skin - it was rank!), a she had been doing XC training twice a week and was getting wet doing water jumps etc and I know she never used the bandages(even though she still hastn returned the damn stuff to me!)

The most I can do is dry the legs off as if I bandage them then they would only be on for 30 mins before I have to take them off again when I leave the stables, I dont turn them out you see so cant leave bandages on for the person who does to footer about with.

He has had these creases for years it seems, and he does have rather 'fatty' feeling heels compared to the other horses.

I didnt want to leave the sand on his legs last night so had to wash them, but unfortunately the only thing was bleach - which I did NOT use so dont worry!

Going to get some pigs fat, and try that as we used it on the horses at the stud I used to work at and it was fabulous! I might try an get some better pics, but asked someone to take a look at it for me.

The field isnt actually that muddy, and he is a mud phobic! BUT I am thinking this might have something to do with the BOG we got stuck in on sat as god knows what was in there, and as most of it had dried by the time we got back I just brushed it off, when I now guess I really shoul dhave washed them - oh heck!

 

[Tempi]

can i just add that you should really avoid clipping horses legs in the winter, especially if they are 'white' legs as clipped legs are more likely to get mudfever than unclipper, as are white legs.

 

[joanne1920]

my boy has the creases in his heels, like small rolls is the only way i can describe it! its not smooth from his ergot to his heels he has got 2 'rolls' on each of his front legs. the vet told me it was scar tissue from untreated mud fever as he's a gypsy pony and was tethered when i bought him with mud fever. im actually quite pleased if your horses heels are the same as i havent yet met anyone witha horse with them!

 

[icemaiden113]

Clipping the hair off horses legs that have mud fever is the bast thing you can do. I have 3 grey horses on my yard all are fully clipped including legs and they don't have mud fever!

 

[icemaiden113]

Get your point with teh bandages! But besides that sounds like you are looking after her legs well, our cob used to be the came with the folds of skin etc! Once you get all the hair out they are much better!
As for the bog, could be a poss, had a hunt horse 'bogged' last week and it actaully burn't the hair off!! Poor horse, getting better now tho!

 

[WishfulThinker]

AWW poor horse!! I never thought a bog could be that bad! But then in films u see people meltin gin them, so there must be some truth in them being bad!

Going to see how they are tomorrow. I had a tub of Sudocreme, which surprise surprise has disappeared!! SO looks like will be going to chemist at lunch time!

 

[Tempi]

i beg to differ, the vet at my yard (she writes for H&H) said to never clip a horses legs, especially if they are white, over the winter as it will leave the skin open to mud fever. A woman at my yard recently clipped out her coloured cobs legs, and needless to say he now has mudfever, same happened with my friend and her grade a.

 

[Chex]

Chex has thickened, rolled skin on his leg aswell. I think part of this was due to mites, and having mud fever. I can never get completely rid of it, he had deep folds and it just comes straight back, even in summer with no mud. I've just got new stuff to try (a free sample of Mud Fever Spray) so will see if that works. I've tried most things, best for him is to clip it short, wash with hibiscrub and apply cream, but only a couple of times a week. I certainly wouldn't say thats a bad case of mud fever if its only one small scab. Good luck clearing it up!

 

[Happy Bird]

I have been using muddy marvel barrier cream on my grey mare and it's been working a treat ! Our fields are like soup !

 

[Fantasy_World]

I have to say that clipping is the best thing to do when first treating mud fever especially if they have a lot of feather. Saying not to clip is daft really as you cannot clean the affected area properly especially if there is an additional dermatitis as well.
I agree that it is best not to clip a horse in winter as the feathers do give protection.
However until the problem is sorted be it mites, greasy heel or mud fever or other skin conditions then clipping and treating and then providing a barrier cream is best.
The following winter as an owner you will then know if your horse is prone to the condition and can take preventative measures without the need for clipping.
But I always say this if there is no need to clip an affected patch of skin then why do vets clip around a wound before treating.
So that the area can be cleaned thoroughly without the risk of floating hairs and dirt entering the 'clean' area and also the lack of hair allows more oxygen to flow around the wound and promote self healing.
It is the same with horses legs but obviously in an ideal world unless the horse is turned out 24-7 then the horse should be kept on dry bedding until it has healed. Then the horse can wear medicine boots upon turnout or a barrier cream to repel mud and water and stop the mud fever from occuring again.
I originally thought my daughter's cob had it when I bought him last September and treated him with the hibi scrub and sudocrem and kept him in for just over a week before turning out with a barrier cream.
However he did not have the pus like scabs or a fluid which I have seen described in texts.
I still don't know if he did have it or not. I was told by the stud I had him from that he had suffered with it the previous season and it had burned off his feathers.
However it has since looked more likely that he had had mites. Originally thought they were harvest mites as it was autumn time but have since concluded that they are more likely to be chorioptic mites instead as the stud he came from had sheep and cattle as well which can transmit them.
So they had him for 6 years and never treated him for them by the looks of it.
Have tried the frontline twice and it improved but need to do it again and this time be more ruthless with his legs but he is only a baby mentally as he was only broken in last summer I was told and it took us ages to get him to trust us with his feet as he would rear

Anyway will say no more as there is a thread already about mites which I may have a natter on to get some more advice.
Good luck with the mud fever and I hope you manage to sort it out

Cazx