Summer mud fever??

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soloequestrian

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One of my horses regularly gets mud fever on his white sock (his three chestnut legs don't seem to suffer anywhere near as much). The past two summers, the mud fever has got worse when it's hot, dry weather (like we've just had) and better when it's damp. This obviously isn't typical of mud fever and I wondered if anyone else has had this happen? I'm just treating with sudocrem and hibiscrub as I do winter mud fever, but perhaps I should be doing something different? The scabs are in the typical mud fever place ie around the back of his pastern joint, so I'm fairly sure it's not sunburn.
 
My horse suffered from something very similar a couple of years ago in the end i had the vet out and he confirmed it was photosensitivity i healed it in a very similar way to healing mud fever bought in slapped sudocream on covered with clingfilm and bandaged over the top then left for 24 hours by which time the scabs have all disintigrated then wash legs and put betatine ( vet prescribed mine but have since bought from the chemist it is an iodine based antiseptic cream) on any patches that still look red. Since then we have had better grazing and i have bought in through the day ( to stop her getting too fat!) and have never had the problem again.
 
I think you will find that it is an area that gets easily sunburnt, and once the skin is comprimised, then infection gets in. Whether it is mudfever or something else, if you can stop the sun then I would say that it would get better pretty quickly.
 
My youngsters also get this on their white socks and only in the summer. I had a lot of success using a product called Aromaheel which you just smear on over the scabs for a few days and then they just rub off. I keep on covering with the Aromaheel until hair grows back.
 
Thanks for this, I really hadn't considered photosensitivity (probably being in Scotland, never get that much sun.....). I've been drowning it in Sudocrem and seems to be improving.
 
even a little sun can cause photosensativity what is that the sun is burning the green stuff that your horse is eating. Personally have some bloods done to make sure her liver is working probally!x
 
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