Mud on Hooves Under Feathers???

chickeninabun

chickeninabun

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My hairy is living out at the moment. I have been pig oiling & sulphuring her legs, but I brought her in tonight and her feathers are dreadlocking themselves up with mud and she had clumps of mud stuck to her hooves under the feathers!
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Now I know we're not supposed to wash these hairies legs during winter (as per Theresa_F, and Bex1984 said she never washes Murphey's feather during winter) so what do you do with these clumps of mud??
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I just scraped them off with the back of a comb, but it's really depressing and winter is only just here!
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I'm even contempating clipping all the feather off
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. At least then I wouldn't have to fight muddy dreadlocks and I'm really struggling to get the pig oil & sulphur right into the skin as there is soooo much hair! I love my beast being hairy, but it's getting me down already!
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I put Keratex mud shield powder on my boy to protect against mud fever. I am also going to start using Nettex seven day mud away once I get to pay-day to prevent the "dreadlocking" caused by mud.
Wait until all the mud is dry and brush it out.
Please don't clip off their feathers! Firstly because I lurve feathers, and secondly because although it may not look great, it does help protect against mud fever.
 
Clip out legs totally so that you can see exactly what is happening underneath.
I have seen so many nightmares with "hairy marys". Mites, really serious mud fever, et al. Forget the look and think of the horse instead.
 
I am a little concerned about what is lurking under the feathers. I know she has rather rough, folded skin under there and sometimes think i should take it all off just to see what I am dealing with! It's so hard trying to even see skin never mind scabs and other nasties!!
 
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MrWoof - If mud fever is present then I am the first to get out the clippers and get rid of the feathers, but feathers actually help prevent mud fever.

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Really??!!
Well - if you refuse to clip - then HIBI Scrub.
As I said, think of the horse and not the look.
 
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I am a little concerned about what is lurking under the feathers. I know she has rather rough, folded skin under there and sometimes think i should take it all off just to see what I am dealing with! It's so hard trying to even see skin never mind scabs and other nasties!!

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Exactly.
 
Yup, really. I thought it was common knowledge! Supposedly it is because the rain runs off them, and takes the mud with it.
My boy is feathered, and has some mud on his feathers, but I make a point of regually checking them, looking right through to the skin in several places on all hooves to check for mites and scabs. Underneath the top layer, it is always dry and clean, with no mud, and *touchwood* never any scabs or mites either. I also treat with appropriate barriers to avoid these things.
I don't know if the "horse not the look" comment is aimed at me or not. I agree with the centiment, absolutely, but it seems you are advocating taking all feathers off 'just in case', So long as you treat them appropriatly there is no reason to clip them off, 'just in case'. They are there for a reason, and so long as they are doing no harm, leave 'em on I say. As I have already said, if I believe there is a valid reason to take them off (eg mites, current mud fever, or recurrent mud fever) then I am the first one to the clippers.
 
I coat in pig oil and flowers of sulphar at beg of winter then j ust brush top layer when riding. I check them for mud fever etc but never had it on any. I did however have mud fever prob with my shire first winter I had her. Her old owner had kept washing her legs- vet said all natural barriers had been removed.
 
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MrWoof - If mud fever is present then I am the first to get out the clippers and get rid of the feathers, but feathers actually help prevent mud fever.

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Really??!!
Well - if you refuse to clip - then HIBI Scrub.
As I said, think of the horse and not the look.

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I think you do one or the other. Obsessively keep clean, hibi scrub daily and put a barrier cream on when out, or go with nature and leave well alone (and I mean completely alone!!) to let the feathers do their job.

Personally I go with nature - easier, and I've found it works best - although, trust me, the horse does not look pretty in mid winter!!

chickeninabun - PM'd you
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I have PM'd you about this problem.

As to the person who states you must clip to maintain a healthy horses - get your facts right before you start putting posts like that up.

If you look after the horse from the start correctly it is very easy to have full hair and none of the skin problems - I can say this with 100% surety on the four very heavy haired horses I have had - why because there have been times over the years they required x rays or treatment that required legs clipped out and no a sign of a scab, sore etc.

The only time I recommend clipping and keeping that way for hairy horses is if they have been left untreated and developed thick skin and folds - these leg are better kept clipped as the folds and thick skin are difficult to deal with with hair.

If you don't know how to look after hairy legs correctly, and as said, it is easy to do and not expensive, then please do get information on how to do so. Once you have the knack, 10 mins a week is no time to check legs and apply sulphur or P&S every other week is again only 10 mins.
 
Okay, just wondering, what pig oil and sulphur is said to do/ prevent and how? It it against the mites or mud fever or both/neither?

If MrWoof isn't trolling I am very suprised that they speak with a lot of conviction but not much knowledge. I don't hacve much experience with seriously hardcore feathers, but what I do know is there are two schools of thought on it. If I had a hairy their feathers would certainly be staying on and minimal disruption occuring. If that didn't work I'd try whipping them off and going all-in, but horses for courses and all that
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