Is this mud fever?

[pistolpete]

Highland pony never been an itchy boy but has started bubbling round his pasterns. I had a feel about and there’s some lines of rock hard scabs. I’ve put some tea tree gel on it and he enjoyed the attention very much. Do everything loose in the field so can’t have been too sore or he’d have left! Anything else I should be doing?

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Sounds like it but being a highland it could also be mallanders if he's feathery.
It's a bacterial skin infection so treat accordingly I'd say. Try and keep it dry, keep an eye on it for worsening or if it doesn't recover, don't wash too much (there are some good antibac powders you can put on it) and be careful you don't fiddle with it too much or his grace may run out and it's then difficult to treat! I believe advice is also to remove scabs unless in fetlock deep mud for example, but not 1000% sure on that one as advice changes so may be worth a google.

 

[pistolpete]

Sounds like it but being a highland it could also be mallanders if he's feathery.
It's a bacterial skin infection so treat accordingly I'd say. Try and keep it dry, keep an eye on it for worsening or if it doesn't recover, don't wash too much (there are some good antibac powders you can put on it) and be careful you don't fiddle with it too much or his grace may run out and it's then difficult to treat! I believe advice is also to remove scabs unless in fetlock deep mud for example, but not 1000% sure on that one as advice changes so may be worth a google.

Thank you. It’s bone dry rock hard ground at the moment. He’s got silky fine feathers. It’s only under the fetlock not up his leg at all.

 

[Highmileagecob]

My cob gets this, and then starts scraping his legs on any available surface. In his case, it is feather mites. I scrub his legs with Selsun 2.5% shampoo and rinse well. You may need to do it three times at five day intervals. It will dissolve the scabs and lift them off the skin, and kill any mites that are present. The repeat washing clears any hatching eggs.

 

[Pinkvboots]

Won't be mud fever could be what has already been suggested or a photosensitivity to something buttercup can cause it.

 

[pistolpete]

Won't be mud fever could be what has already been suggested or a photosensitivity to something buttercup can cause it.

Ah thank you. No buttercups but lots of new weeds this year along with the ragwort infestation we’ve just about cleared.

 

[JenJ]

Highland pony never been an itchy boy but has started bubbling round his pasterns. I had a feel about and there’s some lines of rock hard scabs. I’ve put some tea tree gel on it and he enjoyed the attention very much. Do everything loose in the field so can’t have been too sore or he’d have left! Anything else I should be doing?

Are they white? If so could it be a reaction to the UV in sunlight?

My old mare had this, and I just treated as I would mud fever - silver cream or manuka honey seemed to work best with her, but from googling, it seems that it's a bit trial and error in terms of what treatment works for each horse! We have a horse at the yard that had quite a strong reaction earlier this year, he was on box rest and steroids for a while, and is now turned out overnight only with turnout boots covering all white bits.

 

[Midlifecrisis]

Mites can cause the symptoms you ve described

 

[pistolpete]

Are they white? If so could it be a reaction to the UV in sunlight?

My old mare had this, and I just treated as I would mud fever - silver cream or manuka honey seemed to work best with her, but from googling, it seems that it's a bit trial and error in terms of what treatment works for each horse! We have a horse at the yard that had quite a strong reaction earlier this year, he was on box rest and steroids for a while, and is now turned out overnight only with turnout boots covering all white bits.

No, black fur/hair.

 

[pistolpete]

It’s in lines. Like a scar. Weird.

 

[w1bbler]

Cpl?

 

[mini-eventer]

It’s in lines. Like a scar. Weird.

Mine has the same, in lines on the back of his pastern behind, he is chestnut with dark skin there, no white. Field is dry.

I'm treating vaguely as mudfever but not 100% convinced. It seams to be getting better slowly.

If it was photosensitivity how would you treat it? Just keep out of the sun?

 

[pistolpete]

Mine has the same, in lines on the back of his pastern behind, he is chestnut with dark skin there, no white. Field is dry.

I'm treating vaguely as mudfever but not 100% convinced. It seams to be getting better slowly.

If it was photosensitivity how would you treat it? Just keep out of the sun?

Isn’t it weird? Deffo not likely to be sun. Deffo not pink skin on mine. Scabs come away but they’re not the tiny paint brush ones like rain scald. It’s itchy and only at the back of the fetlock/pastern.

 

[pistolpete]

Well it’s not mites I don’t think. I’ve been slathering on udder cream like there’s no tomorrow and the scabs are lifting hooray!