Mud Fever - to hose or not to hose??

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kit279

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I am currently at loggerheads with my OH about the best way to cope with mud fever. Please help me resolve this issue?!!

Both horses intermittently have mud fever on their white legs. Their field is very wet and muddy - we are on clay so not a lot can be done about it
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but they are now coming in at night to dry off. When they come in, their legs are muddy. I do not hose the chestnut - I let the mud dry on him and brush it off in the morning before they go out. OH hoses grey horse's legs religiously then dries them with straw.

When they do have mud fever, I poultice them over night to soften the scabs, pick them off, clean with Hibiscrub then dry thoroughly and plaster them with Sudocreme. This seems to keep it at bay mostly.. They do not wear turn out chaps as they rub and get mud inside them.

I'd like to know what everyone else does and how succesful it is as we are really not agreeing at the mo! Thank you!
 
My self.. i dont hose the legs, and i only brush the mud off if necessary as it acts as a natural waterproof layer.
Also i find that pig oil and sulphur helps some horses. not all.

Lou X
 
I put seven days mud away on healthy legs, but when they get mud fever I wash the legs with Hibiscrub, dry with a towel, remove scabs that come off easily and put Povidone based cream on, seems to get rid of mud fever within 10 days max
 
I never hose or scrub legs. Leave them to dry overnight, brush clean in morning. Apply thick layer of sudocrem. if they are scabby I apply sudocrem daily. After about 5 days the scabs fall off themselves leaving pink healthy skin underneath.
I've never understood the theory behind picking scabs. As far as my logic sees it by picking a scab off & reopening a wound you are just inviting more bacteria in!!!
Sudocrem seems to work absolute wonders. Worked an absolute treat on all those with mud fever on our yard.

I personally think that constant hosing & cleaning & picking is the worst way of dealing with mud fever.
 
I generally try to avoid hosing, though usually have to hose the feet below the coronary band so I can pick them out. I might then turn the hose down to a very light spray on the pastern, but I never pressure hose legs like everyone else on the yard seems to do
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I think it helps that my horse is on a deep litter Aubiose bed as I have noticed it sticks to wet pasterns and wicks the moisture away.

The mud on the pastern just slides off as I use MABS spray, which has worked in previous years to keep mud fever away, and the advantage of it is it penetrates any scabs if you get them, so you don't have to pick them off.

http://www.mudfever.net/
 
I leave the mud to dry on one of mine, then brush off.

With the other one, he got terrible MF last year by doing this so I had to start hosing off his legs and slapping sudocrem on before turning out in socks. It stopped the MF last year.

It really does depend on if you have bacteria in your soil. The year before I had zero problems and they were up to their knees in mud, but I moved yards and the soil is very different.
 
My understanding is that the bacteria likes wet conditions, so I personally wash my horses legs and feet off when she comes in, that way her legs dry much quicker because they are clean. If you leave the mud on, the legs take longer to dry because the mud keeps them wet for longer.

I have a TB so she does not have hairy legs/heels, also my fields are never really bad, although they are clay.
 
Amy May - chestnut, always hosed her legs. Never any problem.

Freddy - dark bay - ditto

Thumper - grey - had quite bad mud fever last year - nothing at all this year and I never, EVER hose his legs. Seems to be working so far.

I've always been told not to hose. And essentially the lighter the coat, the more sensative the skin, the more prone to MF. And hosing just makes it worse.
 
Depends how wet/muddy they are and whether they've been in the manege. If the mud is very wet or I've schooled, it gets hosed off as sand is abrasive. I then put Thermatex wraps on to dry them and apply Keratex powder before turnout. The wraps go on whether they are hosed or not, the best way to dry the legs imo. This has always worked well previously, got caught out this year having moved yards and got complacent, my own stupid fault!
 
I just sponge down infected area with hibiscrub then dry as much as I can with a towel then let the air finish it off. Then I smother plenty of sudocrem on. I don't do the legs every day and it is clearing up.
 
My chestnut horse suffered last year badly, although I never hosed his legs but this year I posted a note on here asking for a supplement that would help with mud fever and 3 people recommended NAF and i've used that and touch wood this year he hasn't had it.
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We do the same as Custardsmum. Never hose legs off and put Thermatex leg wraps on overnight. In the morning just turn out without any lotions or potions on. Lots of horses at our yard get mud fever but touch wood ours never have with this regime. We are the only ones who don't hose legs off...
 
I DO NOT HOSE LEGS, many vets have advised not to do this. I done this the first year I had V & she got the worse mud rash I have ever seen. My aunt then informed me i should not have been hosing her legs but like so many others i just followed the crowd!!! Needless to say we have not hosed since & have never had mud rash as bad again, have the occasional scab but nothing major.

I do like you do, though like others use pig oil as a barrier & if we do get it i descab with Muddy Marvel Descab.

Sudocreme is great for everything, i love it!!!
 
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