risk of mud fever due to first winter without feather?

my bfg

my bfg

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Due to infected horse fly bites this summer I've had to clip my girls feathers off to make her legs easier to keep clean. As its not growing back very quickly I'm worried its put her at risk of mud fever this winter. She lives out 24/7 and her (rented) field gets very muddy in places, even if I try to keep her off the worst bits she seems to head for any available patch of mud but in past winters its not caused any issues. Has anyone experienced mud fever when the only change is removing feather?
 
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While you can build up her immunity up by feeding foods that contain Copper and Zinc both help to strengthen the skin. Mine has a multi mineral block available 24/7 it contains both minerals. When she has this block I have no problem with Mudfever or Rain scald.

Have on hand through the winter a bottle of Nizoral shampoo and at any time you think she may be developing Mudfever wash we'll.

Physical protection you could use Liquid Paraffin (baby oil before its packaged) rub well into the skin.

You may even find it easier to prevent Mud fever with the short hair as air can get to the skin more easily.
 
Fantastic thank you for the tips, hoped it might help her legs to breath but was worried about the lack of "drainage points" thanks again
 
tankgirl1 said:
Our boy is prone to mud fever too. We have clipped his feathers - would hosing down as we bring him in, in the muddy weather help?
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It is best not to add more water to the problem. If you are bringing him in overnight just allow his legs to dry. Never brush wet mud, especially with a Dandy brush.
In the morning brush out dried mud, check skin and reapply Liquid Paraffin. In my younger days we used lard rubbed well into the hair. We warmed the lard to apply and the colder the weather the harder it set. Worked very well.
 
My old cob used to get mud fever so used 'udder cream' as a barrier. Cheap and easy to apply, and worked really well (you can get it from any agricutural /feed merchants).

I agree with not over washing - I only occasionally washed any build up off his legs, and then left legs to dry overnight before adding the next layer.

I also had good sucess with the Naf mudguard supplement, and on this combined with the udder cream, never had any problems.

He always had his legs clipped out as made the mud fever easier to spot, and the cream easier to apply.
 
Mud fever I believe is a bacteria in the ground, your soil will either have it or not. He yard I used to work on she had mud fever bad even natives got it. The worse case horse went to a new home and has never had it since even tho he no lives out on muddy fields
 
The only time I clipped a cobs feathers off he ended up with cracked heels :-( Will your horse be coming in at night? I'd hose clean and towel dry- hairdryer is better if you have the facilities -until the hair starts to regrow. Then use a barrier cream if needed.
 
Mud fever isn't specifically to do with mud. It is to do with constant dampness and the fact this makes the skin a less effective barrier to bacteria/fungus. So hosing off is probably not ideal if have a ned which is prone as it just means the skin is kept wetter and softer longer.

I believe lucherlu is right and that some peoples pasture is more problematic than other peoples.
 
Agree with Jessticke and Tnavas, do not hose off when they come in, you do not want to add any extra water, it is the constant wet that is the issue. Also agree with lucherlu, as to whether or not your pasture has the bacteria present. On our yard, my old boy got mud fever in one field but when moved further down the hill onto a different field, no mud fever.

My boys feathers are so thick, they basically stop all mud / damp from ever reaching his skin, so for my boy, feathers on definitely helped prevent mud fever, so not always the case that feathers off is better.
 
No feathers should make any mud fever easier to deal with as well :)

Don't use a dandy brush below the knee as the bristles can open pores which can allow the bacteria in. Avoid washing if possible, and if you have to hose off make sure you towel dry :)
 
For hosing off it does depend what soil you have- our thick heavy clay stays on their legs so thick it doesn't dry over night where if we get that off the legs will dry for a bit.
 
Balanced diet is the key. Mine live out 24/7 and I have kept horses in boggy fields over the winter at some places and never any mudfever / rain scald. Any horses I have brought with the conditions have cleared up quickly once on a balanced diet and have not re-occured.
 
maccachic said:
Balanced diet is the key. Mine live out 24/7 and I have kept horses in boggy fields over the winter at some places and never any mudfever / rain scald. Any horses I have brought with the conditions have cleared up quickly once on a balanced diet and have not re-occured.
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Definitely. Supply the right minerals and your horse will have the inbuilt ability to resist Mudfever, Rainscald and Greasy heel.

Lurcherlou - Mudfever is affected by bacteria but is essentially a fungus that initially attacks the skin - this then breaks the skin surface and allows the bacteria Dermatophalous to infect the skin. This is why the purpose made anti fungal shampoos work so well. Nizoral contains Ketaconisol which targets fungus infections and to date one of the best treatments I've found

Dermatophalous is present in all soils everywhere but it is the in-balance of other minerals in the horses diet that make the horse susceptible
 
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