Mud fever in field kept horse

thanks for the posts, updates and advice

referring back to my original post - my horse hasn't had it in years
despite living out full time nowadays
he previously had it at another yard where he was stabled with rare turnout

he had to live in for a few days a few weeks back due to an injury
he had no problems when he came in, or while he lived in

I then turned him out for a couple of hours a day to check injury wouldn't flare up again

after 3 days he had mud fever on all 4 legs

a couple of days later, having been turned back out full time, it had cleared up on 3 of the legs with no specialist treatment

by the end of the week it had gone all together - living out full time

weird or what?
 
If it proves impossible for you to move your horse to another yard, would the landowner be prepared to move the hayfeeder (yes I know it would probably mean bringing a tractor on once) to a new position.

If they agree, and the new site is on unpoached ground, you have two options. One - the expensive one - is to put down land protection mats (I use Fieldguard and they are brilliant). It's not the right time of the year, and they ARE very expensive, but they do work.

The cheap option is, having moved the hayfeeder, to beg, borrow or buy every sizeable bit of old carpet you can, and lay that on the ground round the feeder. It's not ideal, but it does work quite well in the short term (looks crap but what the heck).

Why don't you give people on here an idea of where you are, and perhaps somebody might be able to help you out? good luck!
 
It can be sat in spores but it's more commonly simply because the wet and mud has made the skin raw and lets the bacteria in. Mud fever isn't a simple one cause condition. Several bacteria and fungal infections which can singly or multiply contribute towards it. Fungal tends to be smellier.
 
maccachic said:
Look at his diet In my experience if horses have a balanced diet mud fever doesn't seem to be a problem when the balance is out or they are not getting suffient minerals (copper seems to be one of them) it seems to affect them.

Mine are out 24/7 in muddy fields over winter and I haven't had mud fever in the last 15 years / 20 horses.

Have a look at aromesse aromaheel works wonders.
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Tnavas said:
^^^^^ This
Copper and Zinc play an enormous role in protectin skin from attacks by mudfever. It seems to be so on the increase.

Let horses have free access to a mineral block that contains copper and zinc and you are less likely to be deafling with mudfever.

I've also found that it's great for those horses that have pink nooses and lips - seems to protect them from sunburn too.

As maccachic says - she's had many horses over 15 years that have never suffered from mudfever - same here, I remember the riding school gate way - you had to wear long rubber riding boots to get into the paddock - gumboots would be sucked off - the horses would often hang a round in it when due to come in - yet they never got mudfever.
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This is true for a lot of horses, but not all. I've kept horses at the same land from being a child to an adult without mudfever, then age 35 got two that get it, one of whom is really prone...

OP I would look carefully at your arrangements, this whole situation could have gone quite nasty for the horse. You have a yard owner who doesn't bend much, a husband that would divorce you if you went every day, and a sharer who couldn't continue unless you stay at this yard. What would you do if something serious happened?
 
OP I've had a scim-read of stuff on here and someone's recommended pig oil and sulphur.

There's another thread running on here entitled "negative reactions to PO & S" or similar title and I'd urge you to have a look at it - if your horse has got badly inflamed and/or raw skin then this is the LAST thing you'd want to put on it!!!

Some horses can deal with it, but you'd need to be very very careful indeed applying it to mud fever. My boy came up very pink and sore when I used it for preventive purposes and this isn't an isolated case.

So do have a look at the other thread if tempted to apply it. And for mud fever I'd say a definate no-no anyway.

Don't know much about it, but at a local equine Christmas fair I picked up a leaflet about hoof-boots which have got colloidal silver in them. You do have to stable the horse and keep the area try, so not suitable for turning out in. I have a friend who recommends them very highly. Sorry don't have the website to hand, BUT may be worth a search??? Anyone else used these???
 
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Mine gets it and I hibiscrub and dry like you suggested. But I have him stabled overnight so he's not stood in it 24/7. Realistically your going to need a stable to get rid of it.
 
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