soxsmummy
Well-Known Member
2 of my 5 horses have mud fever
whats the best way to treat and prevent
whats the best way to treat and prevent
mud fever
- Thread starter soxsmummy
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Storminateacup
Well-Known Member
Never groom below the knees in winter, if you must then very soft bristle brush so as not to break/scratch the skin - even slightly, or just hose and dry if you have to get mud off to go somewhere.
Don't trim hairy heels in winter especially finer horses that just have the little tuft over the ergot area, it acts as a water run off.
I have always done this with all my horses past and present, never had a horse with mud fever, no matter how mucky the fields.
I reckon prevention is better than cure every time.
Don't trim hairy heels in winter especially finer horses that just have the little tuft over the ergot area, it acts as a water run off.
I have always done this with all my horses past and present, never had a horse with mud fever, no matter how mucky the fields.
I reckon prevention is better than cure every time.
somethingorother
Well-Known Member
Prevent is to use a special mud fever lotion or vaseline, if not already a problem then don't over wash legs (as in other 3 horses who don't have it) but brush mud off when dry. A nice thick straw bed helps to dry muddy legs the best.
Treatment i have found to work best is wash with hibiscrub every day with warm water and disposable cloths (to minimise re-infection) and rub at any loose scabs to remove them but don't pick until they bleed. Then either leave to dry naturally or towel dry but wash towels each time. Then smother in sudocrem which soothes. Try to keep legs dry so stabling for a couple of days may be an option, but i have still got rid of it whilst turning out as long as clean and then smothered in something waterproof like vaseline before going out, just takes a bit longer.
I've read that you can put on baby oil etc and wrap in cling film for a while to soften scabs enough to remove them all but never needed to try as the above treatment has always worked on pretty bad cases within a week or two. I like it because it is pretty mild compared to a lot of suggested treatments and pretty cheap too.
Also clip any feather off already affected legs, but leave on any which have not yet shown signs.
Hope that helps, i spent years and years treating mud fever on a very prone riding school horse, as the owners didn't bother to try and prevent it even though they knew it was coming. At one point when i wasn't around and they tried to winter him out with no leg care he got so infected he had to be carried in from the field and had to have antibiotics for weeks. So don't ignore it!
Treatment i have found to work best is wash with hibiscrub every day with warm water and disposable cloths (to minimise re-infection) and rub at any loose scabs to remove them but don't pick until they bleed. Then either leave to dry naturally or towel dry but wash towels each time. Then smother in sudocrem which soothes. Try to keep legs dry so stabling for a couple of days may be an option, but i have still got rid of it whilst turning out as long as clean and then smothered in something waterproof like vaseline before going out, just takes a bit longer.
I've read that you can put on baby oil etc and wrap in cling film for a while to soften scabs enough to remove them all but never needed to try as the above treatment has always worked on pretty bad cases within a week or two. I like it because it is pretty mild compared to a lot of suggested treatments and pretty cheap too.
Also clip any feather off already affected legs, but leave on any which have not yet shown signs.
Hope that helps, i spent years and years treating mud fever on a very prone riding school horse, as the owners didn't bother to try and prevent it even though they knew it was coming. At one point when i wasn't around and they tried to winter him out with no leg care he got so infected he had to be carried in from the field and had to have antibiotics for weeks. So don't ignore it!
somethingorother
Well-Known Member
ah yes, as storminateacup stated, if it's not already a problem then less is more! Leave the legs hairy and oily.
But once it sets in it's a nightmare to keep away again so look after legs properly
But once it sets in it's a nightmare to keep away again so look after legs properly
soxsmummy
Well-Known Member
i have been hibiscrubbing and putting flamazine cream on it for last week but not getting much better
think i will get vet tomorro
thankies
think i will get vet tomorro
thankies
Box_Of_Frogs
Well-Known Member
As storminateacup. Sunny has cob feathers but not serious stuff eg as in gipsy cobs. Didn't touch below his "knees" all winter and never (desperately touches wood) had a sign of mudfever. And he's 23 so no spring chicken.
elizabethshaw
Well-Known Member
we've just tried a mix of 50% zinc and castor oil cream, 50% benzyl benzoate, which was recommended by a friend. It works a treat. (and it's inexpensive)
kellyeaton
Well-Known Member
give a good wash in hibi scrub dry well then apply flamazine dry and keep the area clean and dry and to help in ternally you could feed him either aloe vera juice or homepathic calndella tablets!
BFG
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
i have been hibiscrubbing and putting flamazine cream on it for last week but not getting much better
think i will get vet tomorro
thankies
[/ QUOTE ]
This a little left field but it works, honey onto brown paper then put on the leg and bandage on leave over night and the scabs will fall off in the morning then re-apply till it is all cleared up.
There is something in the honey that helps the scabs soften and i know it sounds wired but it really worked on a friends horse which suffers with bad mud fever.
Also once it is clear use cooking lard to cover the legs before turnout it is water repellant and cheaper that any other horsey barrier product.
i have been hibiscrubbing and putting flamazine cream on it for last week but not getting much better
think i will get vet tomorro
thankies
[/ QUOTE ]
This a little left field but it works, honey onto brown paper then put on the leg and bandage on leave over night and the scabs will fall off in the morning then re-apply till it is all cleared up.
There is something in the honey that helps the scabs soften and i know it sounds wired but it really worked on a friends horse which suffers with bad mud fever.
Also once it is clear use cooking lard to cover the legs before turnout it is water repellant and cheaper that any other horsey barrier product.
Annagain
Well-Known Member
I used something called "Protection plus" which is a greasy cream which feels similar to vaseline but it's pink. It was brilliant at gettting the scabs off - just smother it on leave for a bit (I would put it on when the horse came in after washing the legs off and drying them and leave it overnight) and when you wipe it away with a soft dry cloth, the scabs just come away with it. I originally bought it for my horse's sweet itch but it was so good at taking those scabs off I thought I'd try it on another horse's mud fever. The only thing with it is it had citronella in it (to keep flies away for sweet itch sufferes) so I don't know if it's still available in a slightly different form. Everybody on my yard used to text me though saying my horse was covered in blood as the pink cream on white legs made it look like he was bleeding!