Mud fever confusion, please help

[JulesRules]

Hi everyone,

I know there are already some threads about this, but I would be really grateful if those who have experience of mud fever can help me out with some advise and tried and tested methods as I'm feeling a bit confused

Background - my girl usually lives out 24/7 until the end of October. She is liveried at a yard with nice sandy well draining soil and very little mud and is coloured so has white legs. I have owned her only about 12 months and we didn't have any issues with mud fever last year and I never experienced it with my previous horse.

I went to pick out her feet about 3 weeks ago and found that scabs had formed on one heel. Being a bit unsure as to what to do I slathered some pink medicated barrier gunk on the scabs and turned her back out and went home to google mud fever.

So since then I have tried various things, each for about 5 days, but nothing seems to be working and now I am getting very frustrated and poor Smudgie is getting very fed up of me messing about with her feet. Am I being too impatient?

I have tried keeping her in, turning her out, using medicated barrier gunk, special sulphur based barrier powder, and I am now trying sudocrem which I thought might help to soothe her poor sore foot. I have also been told to remove the scabs, leave the scabs, keep it dry, keep it moist, use barrier cream, let the air get at it.........

In case you hadn't noticed I'm confused!

Thanks in advance for any help....

Jules

 

[Polotash]

You'll probably get lots of conflicting advice on here too!

This is what I do...

1. Before mud fever sets in slather heals in Zinc and Caster Oil cream once a week, plus baby oil all over legs from knees and hocks down. You can start this now, the Zinc in the cream is good for the sore bits, and the scabs lift off of their own accord with the cream - I never pick at them. You'll need to use every couple of days since she's started already.
2. I never wash and dry their legs, if they come in with wet legs they dry quicker without being soaked by a bucket/ hose of water IMO (the skin is often dry even if the hair is wet, esp if you have feathery legs). Making the legs wet allows the fungus that causes MF in more easily I understood.
3. Feed Allicin powder. It's the active ingredient in garlic and is even used to kill MRSA in hospitals. You can also get a spray version to spray onto the affected area. Both are hard to come by but VERY effective (and not stupidly expensive).

We stopped one of our livery ponies getting mud fever at all with this routine and she'd been plaugued by it her whole life.

 

[claribella]

Stupid mud fever!! My girl has never had it but weve just moved and shes just started to get what I suspect is a tiny bit! I will watch this thread with interest to see what is suggested. Ive just been picking off the scabs, hibi-scrubbing and then creaming with dermolene. Im swapping to zinc and castor oil though since everyone says that works. I dont really want to bring her in as shes not a 'in' type of girl. The one thing that I do do which I didnt start early enough this year (which clearly I should have) is feed graphites. Its suppose to be good for it apparantly.

 

[JulesRules]

Thanks Polotash,

I'll carry on with the sudocrem then as that is zinc based and might start trying crushed garlic in her dinner and if that doesn't work try and get hold of the powder.

I just want to sort it before it sets in

Jules

 

[Polotash]

Thanks Polotash,

I'll carry on with the sudocrem then as that is zinc based and might start trying crushed garlic in her dinner and if that doesn't work try and get hold of the powder.

I just want to sort it before it sets in

Jules

Garlic doesn't work, the concentrations of allicin in garlic are tiny, it does have to be the real deal! You can get allicin capsules in Boots btw, they have a veggie coating.

 

[Diddleydoo]

I think the problem with mud rash and the reason for the conflicting advice is that it does seem to be as individual as the horse.

On my yard we have several who suffer with it and all of us find different things work for our horses.

Here's what works for mine.

I always rinse the mud off when she comes in. Once or twice a week I hibiscrub and towel dry her legs. I always ues pig oil before she goes out and after she has been hibiscrubed and dried. I feed micronised Linseed and brewers yeast.

I really hope you can find what works for you and your horse.

Don't be disheartened there will be some combination of the advice you get on here that will work for you both