So…mud fever is a combination of bacteria and fungal infections. So treatment and prevention are two very different processes. For the infection to take a hold there must first be a hole in the body’s primary defence mechanism…the skin and hair in furry animals. No lesions, no infections! So to prevent lesions (any kind of wound, scratch, or rub) occurring first give the body the most excellent nutrition it needs to build great skin and fur. If your horse is nutritionally wanting in the building blocks of proteins vitamins and minerals then of course he is unable to grow a resilient outer covering. So, the basics of a great diet…plenty of forage to feed that gut microbial population and a high quality balanced supplement with proper amounts of copper and zinc, and to this I would add MSM, (keratin is held together with disulphide bonds, so not enough sulphur means poor quality keratin). Next up is keeping the skin from getting soft in the wet. Adding wet by hosing makes no sense unless the leg is dried off completely and thoroughly afterwards (I doubt this happens). The hair on the leg is beautifully arranged to guide the rainwater down and away. It is probable that the hairier ponies actually have a dry layer at the base of the hair most of the time in winter. Hosing simply forces water into the dry layer
. Brushing the dry mud off is also a big fat no. Those scrubby dandy brushes on delicate skin are going to cause those lesions in the skin that you are seeking to avoid. Use your fingers, or a dry towel to remove any dry mud if you need to. Bacteria and fungus like warm, dark and damp conditions to thrive, so if you have mudfever starting clipping (use scissors) the hair around the area will allow the light and air into heal. Once your horse has had mudfever the bacteria/ fungus can hang around in the skin making waiting for an opportunity to cause further infection. Any potions or lotions you use must be both antibacterial and antifungal. Using a quality skin oil (leovet is good) can help if it’s not over used, you don’t want to soften the skin, but a thin protective layer could help the less hairy horses in really wet conditions.