Mud Fever

[PotofEarlGrey]

Please give me your best tips for preventing mud fever.
I am moving my Connie mare to a new yard where she can have everyday turnout all winter. She had mud fever last winter and was only on turnout every other day.
All advice greatly received!

 

[webble]

Pig oil, patch test first but it is great stuff

 

[AmyMay]

Udder salve (not cream)

 

[PotofEarlGrey]

Pig oil, patch test first but it is great stuff

I have tried pig oil in the past, but tend to have trouble applying it-it just runs all over the floor!
Am I to try to work it into the feather, or just coat them?
Thanks

 

[PotofEarlGrey]

Udder salve (not cream)

I must look into this, thank you for the recommendation

 

[SEL]

I also found feeding a really good quality vitamin and mineral supplement helped plus copra seemed to help his skin too.

I never washed legs just used to have a deep absorbent bed to soak up wet off feathers. I found the NAF lotions for mud didn't irritate although I was applying every couple of days.

 

[PotofEarlGrey]

I also found feeding a really good quality vitamin and mineral supplement helped plus copra seemed to help his skin too.

I never washed legs just used to have a deep absorbent bed to soak up wet off feathers. I found the NAF lotions for mud didn't irritate although I was applying every couple of days.

That’s interesting.
Re the bed, we’re moving onto straw on our new yard, so I will definitely ensure that it’s a nice deep bed. Thanks

 

[SEL]

That’s interesting.
Re the bed, we’re moving onto straw on our new yard, so I will definitely ensure that it’s a nice deep bed. Thanks

It needs to dry the legs off naturally so you can brush any mud off the following day. I did see a fellow livery get stuck in with hibiscrub, clingfilm and all sorts one wet year - vet visit and a tonne of antibiotics needed within a fortnight.

I've seen mud boots work on one horse but he really just needed them for getting through a bog of a gateway - his field was ok. He kept them on all day and his owner had 2 sets so she could take them home to dry if they got wet.

 

[Ceriann]

Sudocrem on the back of heels has worked well with mine. I do like pig oil for lots of different presentations though including one with mites.

 

[TotalMadgeness]

I clip my horses' legs (one is a IDx the other a connie) and when I bring them in, the mud is hosed off and then the legs are dried thoroughly and vigorously with clean towels. I sometimes put quick dry leg wraps on afterwards (PE or Ruggles). But usually the towel dries them off. I apply muddy buddy powder before they go out the next day. They're in overnight in nice deep Bliss beds.

 

[Carrottom]

For horses stabled overnight I find the powders are effective and less messy, brush off any dry mud in the morning and rub on the powder before turnout. After a few days of application I find that less mud sticks so brushing off is easier.

 

[Northern Hare]

My horse was susceptible to MF and I was really worried when we moved to a yard where the mud was so deep in the winter, but he had no MF at all. At a different yard, where there was very little mud on well draining soil, he had the worst MF ever. The only thing that linked the yards where he had bad MF was that they were mixed farms with cattle - where they were currently rotated or had been in the past. That's just my experience, but it made me wonder if it had a long term affect on the soil.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Agree about putting them on a vitamin and mineral supplement one year I stopped it one of mine got mud fever.

 

[AnShanDan]

I have one mare that gets MF very easily, she had it when I bought her aged 7, she's 23 this year!

I find the worst times of year are not in the middle of winter when it's really cold, it is spring and autumn when it's damp but mild. Recently she's had a flare up because it's been very mild for October. One year she wintered out (she's TB) it was a really cold winter and very snowy at times, no mud fever at all.

Anyway, I have a multiple approach, for active scabby areas I get the scabs off by using sudocreme or similar, cling film and bandaging until they are soft enough to easily clean off. Then I have some of my own vet's ointment which has steriod, antifungal and antibiotic in a base. This only takes a couple of applications to make a massive difference.

To keep it away I do wash legs when she comes in, then I dry and apply baby oil and vinegar as recommended by the vet school. This keeps the skin supple and inhibits the bacterial growth before it can get into tiny lesions in the skin.

rainscald (ed.ac.uk)

 

[MarvelVillis]

I have to admit I am one of those that do wash legs off when they come in. I don't think they are getting much wetter hosing off than keeping the wet mud on. He's on a big straw bed which dries his legs overnight, I think the key is giving them chance to dry out. Never had mud fever doing this *touch wood*

 

[Squeak]

My experience with mudfever was that what worked for one horse or even one winter wouldn't necessarily work for all. I'm another that had massive problems at one yard and then none when I moved so I really hope you're the same.

I've used sudocreme, boots (personally liked the lemieuxs the best as they're breathable but did keep the legs pretty much clean and dry), washing or not washing, clipping feathers and not clipping feathers. In the end it was the not clipping feathers that helped the most as the mud and wet never got to the skin however I know that other horses can be the complete opposite.

In a nutshell don't be afraid to try a number of things or be disheartened if something doesn't work.

 

[Cowpony]

Muddy Buddy ointment slathered on the legs as a preventative works well, but probably more expensive than some of the suggestions above. It's a pain on white legs if you are competing though, because you end up having to wash their white bits to get the dirty gloop out, which is a bit self-defeating!

 

[bouncing_ball]

I have tried pig oil in the past, but tend to have trouble applying it-it just runs all over the floor!
Am I to try to work it into the feather, or just coat them?
Thanks

You ideally want it to get to the skin. Doesnt matter if on hair or not. I used to use a mug and a paintbrush, coat below knee, and rub in well with hands. Stand somewhere you can spill a little oil without staining (I used to tie to my lorry, as was on gravel). When finished I wipe oil off my hands onto hocks and bottom of tail. Apply every 7 days (every 5 if very wet).

 

[Ollys crew]

We use Gold label mud guard,and have a 5l tub still going 3 years later. I avoid washing legs, but let them dry in the stable then brush off and apply 2-3 times a week. When he had mud fever in the past, we used either sudocrem, or keratex powder, which seemed good.

 

[reynold]

Don't clip off the feathers at the back of the fetlock as they are nature's protection and help water to run past the heel area.

Hose the mud off when brought in but do not rub manually. Make sure all the mud below the knee/hock is hosed off.

Leave to dry naturally and most importantly of all do not brush the legs below the knee/hock during any grooming at any time during the year. All brushing does is to micro-irritate the skin and allow the mud fever causing bacteria to gain entry to the skin. Brushing also removes the natural grease in the coat which helps to protect against mud fever.

Do not use any creams, lotions or potions on the lower legs - ever - and do not manually dry the legs below the knee/hock with towels, etc.

I was taught this method by an old horseman of the pre WW2 era and have used it for over 45 years on a variety of horses and ponies, both native and TB type. I have never had any instances of mud fever since I used this method.

The only horse I've had that got mud fever was one I had before being told this method. He got mud fever badly and I was clipping feathers, brushing legs and putting on creams. Once I stopped doing those things he never got mud fever again in the 15 years I had him before he was pts.

 

[PotofEarlGrey]

I've seen mud boots work on one horse but he really just needed them for getting through a bog of a gateway - his field was ok. He kept them on all day and his owner had 2 sets so she could take them home to dry if they got wet.

I have some boots I can use. I must dig them out

 

[PotofEarlGrey]

In a nutshell don't be afraid to try a number of things or be disheartened if something doesn't work.

Thank you

 

[PotofEarlGrey]

You ideally want it to get to the skin. Doesnt matter if on hair or not. I used to use a mug and a paintbrush, coat below knee, and rub in well with hands. Stand somewhere you can spill a little oil without staining (I used to tie to my lorry, as was on gravel). When finished I wipe oil off my hands onto hocks and bottom of tail. Apply every 7 days (every 5 if very wet).

Thank you for this explanation

 

[PotofEarlGrey]

Don't clip off the feathers at the back of the fetlock as they are nature's protection and help water to run past the heel area.

Hose the mud off when brought in but do not rub manually. Make sure all the mud below the knee/hock is hosed off.

Leave to dry naturally and most importantly of all do not brush the legs below the knee/hock during any grooming at any time during the year. All brushing does is to micro-irritate the skin and allow the mud fever causing bacteria to gain entry to the skin. Brushing also removes the natural grease in the coat which helps to protect against mud fever.

Do not use any creams, lotions or potions on the lower legs - ever - and do not manually dry the legs below the knee/hock with towels, etc.

I was taught this method by an old horseman of the pre WW2 era and have used it for over 45 years on a variety of horses and ponies, both native and TB type. I have never had any instances of mud fever since I used this method.

The only horse I've had that got mud fever was one I had before being told this method. He got mud fever badly and I was clipping feathers, brushing legs and putting on creams. Once I stopped doing those things he never got mud fever again in the 15 years I had him before he was pts.

This is very interesting, and makes sense, but makes me feel nervous!!

 

[stangs]

Leave to dry naturally and most importantly of all do not brush the legs below the knee/hock during any grooming at any time during the year. All brushing does is to micro-irritate the skin and allow the mud fever causing bacteria to gain entry to the skin. Brushing also removes the natural grease in the coat which helps to protect against mud fever.

You've worried me now. Does this include combing through feathers to help prevent against mites?

 

[bouncing_ball]

Don't clip off the feathers at the back of the fetlock as they are nature's protection and help water to run past the heel area.

Hose the mud off when brought in but do not rub manually. Make sure all the mud below the knee/hock is hosed off.

Leave to dry naturally and most importantly of all do not brush the legs below the knee/hock during any grooming at any time during the year. All brushing does is to micro-irritate the skin and allow the mud fever causing bacteria to gain entry to the skin. Brushing also removes the natural grease in the coat which helps to protect against mud fever.

Do not use any creams, lotions or potions on the lower legs - ever - and do not manually dry the legs below the knee/hock with towels, etc.

I was taught this method by an old horseman of the pre WW2 era and have used it for over 45 years on a variety of horses and ponies, both native and TB type. I have never had any instances of mud fever since I used this method.

The only horse I've had that got mud fever was one I had before being told this method. He got mud fever badly and I was clipping feathers, brushing legs and putting on creams. Once I stopped doing those things he never got mud fever again in the 15 years I had him before he was pts.

that is fine if you dont need to use leg boots and dont use hoot boots that go above the hair line. If you do use either type of boot, IME you do need to at least wipe mud away with a dry towel and pat area dry before putting boots on.