HOLCHE
Well-Known Member
My horse has developed mud fever. The problem is she lives out 24/7. It is impossible to stable her as she hates being in and destroys the stable. Any suggestions on how to treat this?
Living out with mud fever
- Thread starter HOLCHE
- Start date
trendybraincell
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately prevention is better than cure. You really need dry clean conditions to clear up the initial problem, is there no way you could stable her over night just to clean up the legs?
HOLCHE
Well-Known Member
No this is a real problem she just chews or barges her way out of a stable. I'd be really concerned that she would injure herself as she really would do anything necessary to get out! She's only young and we've slowly been working at leaving her on her own for short periods. Hopefully this is something we can overcome given time. It makes no difference if her friends are nearby either. She just doesn't want to be in.
Magicmillbrook
Well-Known Member
It is doable, my mare is just about clear now. I put mine in the driest part of the fieled possible. I clipped away all the hair in the affected area only, looks weird but the hair will protect non mud fever areas. I then slapped loads of cream on and left her in her stable for a couple of hours to get the scabs soft, you can wrapp the leg in cling film to assist this - this may not be an option for you, but perhaps if you giver her something tasty she might tolerate it. Once the scabs were off I then washed it with hibbiscrub and coated it with flamazine, (cos we had some) but I think any anti biotic cream would work. I would suggest not using a greasy cream until you have it clear as it will get warm and damp underneath. Followinf this I cleaned the affected area every day with water and hibbicrub and dried it well with a piece of clean rough towel, this was enough to keep the scabs at bay, I then applied the flamazine.
After about two weeks I continued with flamazine daily but reduced the hibbiscrub (to get rid of scabs) to about 2 x a week. She now just has one tiny area at the very edge of the initial outbreak that we are still creaming daily and hibbiscrubbing. I guess if we could have her in and totaly dry it would have cleared up quicker but we have to balance this out with her arthritis and COPD! - Horses, who would have them!
After about two weeks I continued with flamazine daily but reduced the hibbiscrub (to get rid of scabs) to about 2 x a week. She now just has one tiny area at the very edge of the initial outbreak that we are still creaming daily and hibbiscrubbing. I guess if we could have her in and totaly dry it would have cleared up quicker but we have to balance this out with her arthritis and COPD! - Horses, who would have them!
Maesfen
Extremely Old Nag!
If she really will not tolerate being in so you can dry and is not lame, then you can leave it completely to heal on its own - which it will do without any interference from you at all but it just takes time (about 6 - 8 weeks before hair starts growing again). How do you think wild ponies cope?
If you have no choice but to leave horse out in wet conditions, then that is what I would do but you must provide a balanced diet with all the vits and minerals they need, plus plenty of good forage too which will help them fight it off quicker; if they're deprived of a good diet and feel the cold, then it will take much longer so that is essential. The more you mess with it in those conditions, the worse it will become and the longer it will take. I have to admit this is has been done for grass kept youngsters and brood mares, so not horses in work, that might make a difference to your riding if done like this. It goes without saying that you must ensure the tetanus protection is up to date (as it should be anyway!)
If you can't clean it off, dry it, treat it and keep dry as a normal stabled horse could be, then you are better leaving it than weakening the skin further by continual washing with Hibiscrub, it is too harsh for this situation in the opinion of my vets, they would prefer to use something like Trimed' or Noradine to fight it.
If you have no choice but to leave horse out in wet conditions, then that is what I would do but you must provide a balanced diet with all the vits and minerals they need, plus plenty of good forage too which will help them fight it off quicker; if they're deprived of a good diet and feel the cold, then it will take much longer so that is essential. The more you mess with it in those conditions, the worse it will become and the longer it will take. I have to admit this is has been done for grass kept youngsters and brood mares, so not horses in work, that might make a difference to your riding if done like this. It goes without saying that you must ensure the tetanus protection is up to date (as it should be anyway!)
If you can't clean it off, dry it, treat it and keep dry as a normal stabled horse could be, then you are better leaving it than weakening the skin further by continual washing with Hibiscrub, it is too harsh for this situation in the opinion of my vets, they would prefer to use something like Trimed' or Noradine to fight it.
Magicmillbrook
Well-Known Member
Hmm, now thats interesting, might be the hibbiscrub thats setting my excema off, I put it down to the cold and wet. I am going to try leaving off the hibbiscrub and just stick to flamazine to clear the last little bits - Thanks
Holly831
Well-Known Member
MMm my vet said the same! If I wanted to hibiscrub initially to make sure it was really well washed off and then dried (pref with a hairdrier - great fun that is!!) But better just to wash 2 x weekly and cream up - I use dermapred.