Preventing mud fever

[Bobthecob15]

I'm confused with what is best for preventing mud fever (other than not turning them out!). Ours is on livery and the mud is awful at the gate area but he doesn't spend long round there it seems (the worst of it is fenced off) just has to walk through it twice a day. No evidence of it yet but I'm worried as I've had horses before with it.

At the moment he comes in and has been having legs hosed on some days...not dried though BUT he has a straw bed which I think helps dry them. Am I better off asking for them not to be hosed? We don't go up every day so I can't wash and dry/brush off mud every day, just the days we go up. He has over-reach boots on fronts as he is good and knocking shoes off...not sure if the boots are a good idea or not re mud fever. Roll on spring! Thanks

 

[Fanatical]

TBH I think it's down to the composition of the soil and in some cases, the individual horse.

I don't think there is a definitive answer. If he hasn't got it yet, this far through winter, I'd keep doing what you're doing.

 

[PurBee]

Do a search on this forum for ‘mud fever’ - there’s lots of threads with many great suggestions. Its an often discussed subject ?

My personal experience with it is, when i didnt have my horses on a mineral/vitamin ‘forage balancer’ supplement in spring/summer while grazing land where mud exposure was daily, they experienced reddening skin of heels, some thinning of hair on heels (acidic soil/bog burn some call it).
It would have progressed to scabs if i had not diligently daily, brought them in at night, hosed, dried off etc.

Then i put them on a forage balancer supplement all year round. Rarely is grazed-down grassland soil balanced in minerals.
I gave extra zinc.copper.mag too, as i have high iron soil.

Never had an issue with foot skin problems since giving mins/vits. All land/horses are different of course, but the extra mins/vits are good for immune system response, skin healing, hair growth etc, so despite environment not changing, and daily exposure to mud, they no longer had issues with sore skin on feet.

 

[teddy_]

Hosing and not drying off doesn't do their legs any favours in terms of mud fever, as it keeps the environment wet for longer.

I would let the mud dry and then brush it off when you can, if drying is not an option.

However, as mentioned above, it is down to the soil and horse 100%.

 

[Lacuna]

I was wondering about whether mud fever would be an issue for us this year having moved to Pembs where the soil is very heavy clay and we're in a river valley.

But so far so good. Ponies are living out with full feathery legs and I've been leaving them alone completely. They appear to be doing what they are designed for and keeping the mud/ damp off their skin.

 

[I'm Dun]

Do a search on this forum for ‘mud fever’ - there’s lots of threads with many great suggestions. Its an often discussed subject ?

My personal experience with it is, when i didnt have my horses on a mineral/vitamin ‘forage balancer’ supplement in spring/summer while grazing land where mud exposure was daily, they experienced reddening skin of heels, some thinning of hair on heels (acidic soil/bog burn some call it).
It would have progressed to scabs if i had not diligently daily, brought them in at night, hosed, dried off etc.

Then i put them on a forage balancer supplement all year round. Rarely is grazed-down grassland soil balanced in minerals.
I gave extra zinc.copper.mag too, as i have high iron soil.

Never had an issue with foot skin problems since giving mins/vits. All land/horses are different of course, but the extra mins/vits are good for immune system response, skin healing, hair growth etc, so despite environment not changing, and daily exposure to mud, they no longer had issues with sore skin on feet.

This. I've not had a horse with mud fever since I started feeding low sugar and starch feeds combined with a no iron, high copper and zinc balancer

 

[humblepie]

I’ve used Keratex mud shield powder on to dry legs. Worked really well with a horse about 25 years ago and they still make it.

 

[Polos Mum]

Mud fever is a really bad name for it as it's not caused really by mud at all.

It's most commonly a bacterial infection with bacteria that live in the soil. So horse can have mud fever on one yard and not at another if the soil isn't contaminated - equally a horse that's never had it before can get it at a new yard where the soil has a heavy bacterial load.

Bacteria like warm wet conditions (like under feathers on a horses skin) leaving boots on keeps warmer and damper so makes things worse usually.

Overall horses immune system health has a big impact so a slightly off horse will be susceptible to infection that a top form horse would not be.

Feathers can do a great job of keeping the wet away from the skin - you break this if you use a hosepipe - I personally would rename it washing off fever - as more issues from washing off than mud !

If you don't have a problem - your routine probably works for your horse - them walking through a muddy gateway is pretty unlikely to cause a problem.

Personally I wouldn't hose him off - the straw will dry the mud on the outside and you reduce the risk of soaking the dampness through to the skin.
If you want to be cautious pig oil on feathers can help

 

[HorseMaid]

From personal experience - don't hose or wash legs ever if you can get away with it, just let it dry. I can't remember when I last washed my horses legs, I never even brush them! Keep a bit of feather on. Feed a good balancer and linseed so they are healthy from within, I swear the linseed helps by giving them a glossy coat.

Edited to add we also feed a low sugar, high fibre diet.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Thanks so much everyone great advice as always ?

 

[Horses_Rule]

Ditto above don’t want unless you absolutely have to! If you do I’ve always found towel drying the legs as well as you can makes the biggest difference! My old lady used to get it in the winter with her pink skin legs and I used to hose, towel dry and then she had some thermatex type leg wraps for night time and that routine worked a treat! No creams or potions needed!

 

[hobo]

Mud fever is a really bad name for it as it's not caused really by mud at all.

It's most commonly a bacterial infection with bacteria that live in the soil. So horse can have mud fever on one yard and not at another if the soil isn't contaminated - equally a horse that's never had it before can get it at a new yard where the soil has a heavy bacterial load.

Bacteria like warm wet conditions (like under feathers on a horses skin) leaving boots on keeps warmer and damper so makes things worse usually.

Overall horses immune system health has a big impact so a slightly off horse will be susceptible to infection that a top form horse would not be.

Feathers can do a great job of keeping the wet away from the skin - you break this if you use a hosepipe - I personally would rename it washing off fever - as more issues from washing off than mud !

If you don't have a problem - your routine probably works for your horse - them walking through a muddy gateway is pretty unlikely to cause a problem.

Personally I wouldn't hose him off - the straw will dry the mud on the outside and you reduce the risk of soaking the dampness through to the skin.
If you want to be cautious pig oil on feathers can help

Beautifully explained. My poor girl has had it for the first time this year. In the end once we had got on top of the infection she has been on a months course of steriod's which has just about got it right again so it was her immune system that was the biggest problem. As vet said ' mud fever ' is just a term used like if it was on the body it would be called rain scald.

 

[tallyho!]

Mud fever is a really bad name for it as it's not caused really by mud at all.

It's most commonly a bacterial infection with bacteria that live in the soil. So horse can have mud fever on one yard and not at another if the soil isn't contaminated - equally a horse that's never had it before can get it at a new yard where the soil has a heavy bacterial load.

Bacteria like warm wet conditions (like under feathers on a horses skin) leaving boots on keeps warmer and damper so makes things worse usually.

Overall horses immune system health has a big impact so a slightly off horse will be susceptible to infection that a top form horse would not be.

Feathers can do a great job of keeping the wet away from the skin - you break this if you use a hosepipe - I personally would rename it washing off fever - as more issues from washing off than mud !

If you don't have a problem - your routine probably works for your horse - them walking through a muddy gateway is pretty unlikely to cause a problem.

Personally I wouldn't hose him off - the straw will dry the mud on the outside and you reduce the risk of soaking the dampness through to the skin.
If you want to be cautious pig oil on feathers can help

Sometimes it is also fungus, not bacteria or even both!

If antibac is not doing anything, try antifungal like thrush cream.

I'm a firm believer that skin defence comes from the inside so feed for good skin as above!