Mud fever - preventatives....

[truffles]

Anyone have anything to PREVENT mudfever which they swear by?

Have a nasty feeling, with all this nasty mud and hairy legged horsey that trouble could be brewing! Nothing so far, but believe preventing is better than a cure.

Any reccomendations - preferably with Lanolin in it?

Thanks.

 

[Theresa_F]

Do you have a true hairy legged horse - ie dales, gypsy cob, clydie?

If you do, then try this - has worked on all my hairies for several years.

About October coat legs from knee/hock to end of hair in pig oil and sulphur - also gets rid of mites and other nasties.

Do not wash out legs until April or when fields dry up. If you do need white legs, then wash and dry thoroughly and oil up again before turn out.

Reapply oil and sulphur every 7 - 10 days and let the oil build up. Legs do look grubby, but part the hair and underneath will be dry and white.

Most I do in winter is to use a little cold water and brush to scrub hooves and the very end of the feather if really clogged up with clay - avoid getting anything but top hair wet.

I do when applying oil, go over legs to check for any problems but leave them alone between times.

A friend used pig oil and sulphur on her arab's leg and dried off heels as no feather and she for firs time in years did not have mud fever.

You can also coat heels in sudocream - I like to use 1 tablespoon of sudocream, 1 teaspoon of sulphur and 5 drops of teatree oil to prevent and cure mud fever/grease.

 

[Llwyncwn]

Where would you get pig oil and sulphur from ?

 

[truffles]

ahh no she is not really a TRUE hairy - just got a cobby build! Proof!

These are her leggies - they are a little more hairier now - but should be back to that much hair soon, when we clip her.

Wow thanks so much - tons of suggestions there, mucho gracias!

 

[Oaksflight]

Hey Liz, hope you and Chloe are ok. You can simple use something like vaseline which repels the water, cheap and it works! x

 

[dozzie]

I have used loads of different things but found dermatex really god. its a powder. you rub it well in to the lower leg and it repels the water. Then the leg dries and you have to pick of scabs and add more powder. It is just really good as you never add more moisture to the leg. Its quite expensive but does work.

 

[Evadiva1514]

have a look on this site:

http://www.mudfever.net/

My yearling had a nasty bout of mud fever a month or so ago and it cleared it up very quickly and effectively. One of my other geldings gets very depressed when he has an occasional bout of Mud fever when his heels get all hot and itchy and one application of this spray sees him right.. Would highly reccommend it, reasonable price, easy to apply and very speedy results!!

 

[_daisy_]

i use Keratex mud shield powder and feed Mud Gard powder - seems to work for her

 

[truffles]

[ QUOTE ]
Hey Liz, hope you and Chloe are ok. You can simple use something like vaseline which repels the water, cheap and it works! x

[/ QUOTE ]

Hey you!

get yer butt on msn sometime hun...xxx

Vaseline! NEVER thought of that! haha - cheers!

 

[truffles]

[ QUOTE ]
i use Keratex mud shield powder and feed Mud Gard powder - seems to work for her

[/ QUOTE ]

Ooh gosh there is a feeding one? Will look into that thanks!

 

[truffles]

[ QUOTE ]
I have used loads of different things but found dermatex really god. its a powder. you rub it well in to the lower leg and it repels the water. Then the leg dries and you have to pick of scabs and add more powder. It is just really good as you never add more moisture to the leg. Its quite expensive but does work.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats a good idea, but what do you mean scabs? if it is a preventative power than surely there won't really be any scabs?

Thanks for the suggestion - will find out more

 

[truffles]

[ QUOTE ]
have a look on this site:

http://www.mudfever.net/

My yearling had a nasty bout of mud fever a month or so ago and it cleared it up very quickly and effectively. One of my other geldings gets very depressed when he has an occasional bout of Mud fever when his heels get all hot and itchy and one application of this spray sees him right.. Would highly reccommend it, reasonable price, easy to apply and very speedy results!!

[/ QUOTE ]

wow, thanks so much everyone for the suggestions! Wasn't expecting to get all this hehe, cheers - thanks benjis_girl, will DEFFO investigate that!

 

[Theresa_F]

Even with postage, I have found Heavy Horse Supplies to be the cheapest - but there are not many people near me that supply pig oil and sulphur and by the time I have driven to them, it is not that much more to pay postage.

http://www.heavyhorsesupplies.co.uk/index.html

Tom Brewster is very helpful and it arrives quickly.

I get 10 litres and 3 kgs which works out just right for mixing up and this does my two boys who have a lot of feather, being done every 10 days for about 2 1/2 months in winter - cost with postage is £48 - for a horse with less hair, it would last a lot longer but my chaps' feather really soak up the oil.

 

[filly190]

I use the mud fever turn out socks that are breathable. They are wonderful, keep the horses legs dry and clean and could'nt be without them for one particular horse.

I have tried all sorts of other things, but it just keeps coming back. I have used these boots/socks for the last three winters and pop them in the washing machine every weekend. Intially when they first came out, they were rather expensive, but I believe they have come down in price now

 

[_daisy_]

here you go:
http://www.naf-uk.com/mudgard.html
http://www.naf-uk.com/downloads/mudgard.pdf

 

[dixie]

I used the NAF supplement called Mud Guard (?) I think. It's quite strong smelling. I think it worked but it may have been a coincidence.

 

[pottamus]

Already been mentioned...but don't under any circumstances keep washing their legs all the time. Let the mud dry and brush it off. Constantly hosing is the best way of softening skin and letting bacteria in...leave well alone.
Even when my boy gets all his feathers muddy...I let them dry and then the mud crumbles off when rubbed with fingers. But then we are a bit 'au natrel'!!!!

 

[Marbs]

Tried everything (at great expense!) when I had my cob but the only thing that worked for treatment and then prevention was a cream called Mudguard. Was mostly sulphur and tea tree. Wasn't too pricey and was really effective.

 

[Theresa_F]

Sounds rather like the cream I mix up - sulphur, teatree and sudocream - damm thought I had invented it.

 

[Marbs]

Lol! Does sound exactly the same. I was toying with making some then found you could buy it...perfect for the inventively challenged

 

[truffles]

[ QUOTE ]
Tried everything (at great expense!) when I had my cob but the only thing that worked for treatment and then prevention was a cream called Mudguard. Was mostly sulphur and tea tree. Wasn't too pricey and was really effective.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sounds really perfect - needs to be cheap as chips.

 

[truffles]

[ QUOTE ]
I use the mud fever turn out socks that are breathable. They are wonderful, keep the horses legs dry and clean and could'nt be without them for one particular horse.

I have tried all sorts of other things, but it just keeps coming back. I have used these boots/socks for the last three winters and pop them in the washing machine every weekend. Intially when they first came out, they were rather expensive, but I believe they have come down in price now

[/ QUOTE ]

Oooh now that is interesting - thanks, will look into that.

 

[truffles]

[ QUOTE ]
Already been mentioned...but don't under any circumstances keep washing their legs all the time. Let the mud dry and brush it off. Constantly hosing is the best way of softening skin and letting bacteria in...leave well alone.
Even when my boy gets all his feathers muddy...I let them dry and then the mud crumbles off when rubbed with fingers. But then we are a bit 'au natrel'!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks - I don't usually wash them - is once a week okay, if I dry them do you think?

ta again.

 

[charlottenicol]

Started this on my CLydesdale last year, made a huge difference, have also started on hariy cob we have on loan with a friend, legs quite bad, shaving has been mentioned my I have begged them to let me try the oil and sulphur, after 3 applications he is getting better, still a bit itchy but nothing like before. I get my supplies from my local farm supplyer store (Harbro), they always have the oil in stock but the sulphur has to be ordered and cantake a while so as soon as I start a new tub the order goes in. Its a messy job and mind any gold jewlery as can go a funny colour (does return back to gold) but well worth the effort.