Muddy Feathers

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Bessieboo

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Hi Everyone

My little hairy pony has beautiful full feathers. Now the weather is a little better the yard where I keep her have started to turn some of the horses out. They asked me if I wanted her turning out or not as some owners have asked for their horses to be kept in so that they do not get covered in mud. I said to turn her out and when I went to see her last night her legs and feathers where completely covered in mud.

Now I just want a bit re-aasurance that it is ok for me to continue to have her turned out. Am I correct in thinking that her feathers will protect her legs from the mud and possible mud fever?

It's my first winter with her and I just don't want to get it wrong.

Thanks in advance for any advice you give me.

Bessieboo x
 
I would recommend pig oil. the mud seems to slide off and it protects from the hair breaking. its available on ebay. Keep them beautiful feathers nice and full!
 
she should be fine, feathers are designed to protect the horse. What you will need to do is just closely monitor her legs to make sure she doesnt get mud fever - its more common in horses with white legs but any can get it. My horses feathers are so dense I bet no water gets through!
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Hairy Ronnie came to me with his feathers trimmed off and this is my first winter with him too (he arrived december 12th).

He has quite delicate pink skin around his legs and has suffered from mud fever in the past. I'm currently in the process of growing back his feathers and yesterday ordered some pig oil and sulphur pre mixed off ebay, might be worth a search.

The pig oil forms a protective layer to the skin and hair and mud slips right off and keeps them clean, the sulphur also conditions the feathers and apparently can also act as a mite repellent or at least as some sort of medical properties - someone else will properly explain that one.

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Cover the feather (never feathers) in pig oil and sulphur - patch test first. Apply frequently. She will be muddy, but part the hair and underneath will be dry and white.

Don't wash down the legs - causes more problems that cures in hairy horses as they take hours to dry.

If she stays in overnight, and has plenty of oil on, come morning the mud will slip off and you will have clean legs.

If you want the huge PM I do on keeping hairies with healthy legs and show condition hair, send me a PM and I will send it to you.
 
We use pig oil and sulphur on our horses who live out 24/7 and it's been brilliant. No mud fever in sight - touch wood - and the horses legs are relatively clean all the time because of it. Theresa_F's PM is excellent and was instrumental in us deciding to go this route. Am so glad that we did, it really has worked a treat for us.
 
I dont put anything on my boys heavy feathers and he never gets mud fever.
Just leave everything alone until the warm weather arrives.
I dont even groom the mud off just pick out feet before and after hack.
If I part the hair around the fetlocks and heels everything is clean, white, dry and very greasy and skin looks lovely.
Nature designed the feathers to do that job, so if you can just leave the whole area alone.
 
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