This winters bane of my life...MUD FEVER!!

warmbloodcrazy

warmbloodcrazy

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Hi all,

I just wondered how everyones been dealing with Mud fever this winter? Our field is like a mud bath by the gate quite literally.. its just so wet all the time!! We need some sunshine!

I have been keeping my boy in most days when its really bad...smothering him in pig oil.. muddy marvel and suda when he has gone out!! But he still has it.. as quickly as i clear it up.. its back again!! :( I've actually been glad of the frosty mornings when the fields beena bit hard as at least the muds at bay for a little until it thaws!

Just wanted a rant really and to also find out how everyone else has been coping with it? On the grape vine.. i think everyones been fighting it this winter!
 
I think part of the problem you might have is that as well as muddy fields, you are keeping his legs moist with an over application of ointments.

Just a thought...........
 
Sounds like you need to find another field or just keep him in until the field improves. Horses were not designed to be knee deep in mud. I know this is anathema to most people but if he gets a hour's good exercise each day he will be fine.
 
Agree with amymay. My mare has had it for the first time this Winter as she's living out. Try washing his legs off with tea tree shampoo which is gentle, avoid Hibiscrub as is too harsh, thorough dry legs then try Muddy Buddy Powder. Sudocrem seals in the bacteria which cause this painful condition and so they multiply, hence the return of the problem. I top up the powder every few days, depends on the weather really, and I avoid washing her legs atall. This leaves them to create their own natural oils to protect.

This has worked for me and we have been mud fever free now for some time. Its sometimes a case of trial and error as to what works.
 
Thanks all,

I can't always exercise him in the week as i am at work and its not quite light enough each end of the day to exercise him sufficiently. Hence why i have kept him in when i can but i like him to be out as much as possible, he doesn't do well standing in for too long and if i can't exercise him enough i don't think its fair. The field isn't entirely muddy just round the gate so near the end of the day he'll stand in it waiting to come in.

I haven't just soaked his legs in creams.. perhaps my post was vague.. i was just explaining i have tried most remedies/methods including them. From hosing and drying them off every day on bringing him in and applying no barriers...to His legs being hosed and dried and then i was applying pig oil/muddy marvel on them in the morning before he was turned out and then leaving the mud on his legs as directed on the tub for a few days before washing (with tea tree/hibi scrub tried both) drying and reapplying, as it said hosing wasnt necessary if applied once to twice a week.. I have also kept him in in the dry and applied suda which does clear it up a treat but i can't have him in all winter 24 7 so inevitably when i turn him out again it rears its ugly head!

I was just having a rant really and seeing how everyone else had found it this year...roll on summer. I can't wait for him to be in the summer field inthe next couple of months!
 
I think the more you mess with it the worse it can become. Having been around horses who spend every winter on nearly 24 hour turnout the more you can leave it alone the less severe it will be. Mine no doubt has a few scabs under all the mud, but I know the more I wash it and try and treat it the more the hair will all come off and the more exposed he will be to the mud. As soon as it looks like spring/summer I will make a really good go of cleaning him up and treating it over a short period.

Not suggesting you leave it though if its bad! At my local riding yard they have had a lot of horses coming down with really bad secondary infections and I think this is the first year they've had it happen.

In my opinion its a balancing act between not interfering too much and not letting it get out of hand.
 
Though I'd like to add since we've had muddy field since summer last year I am also sick to death of the mud! Most weeks I can't figure out which of my horses legs have pretty white socks on and I'm fed up of muddy gateways and dirty horses/rugs. I also can't ride during the week and am really looking forward to the lighter evenings but if it's still wet everywhere isn't going to help me much.

I did find muddy marvel to be the best at descabbing on my last horse who used to get really bad mud fever. Someone told me at the weekend their vet had said to use head and shoulders? Might be worth investigating.
 
I have found a shortage of copper and sulphur in the diet contributed majorly to mud fever and rain scald.....When my ponies have had this supplemented in their diet they have not had any problems.....unrugged and out 24/7!!! They do need the movement!! As a topical treatment I found a 50/50 mix of black wound powder and flowers of sulphur puffed on 2ce a day for 3 days and 1ce a day for 3 days worked wonders....the dew and rain softened and removed the scabs so ponies accepted the easy treatment!! But there are different strains of the bacteria/fungus which is why different treatments work!!
 
If it is just the gate that's muddy, could you waterproof his legs to get him through and then take whatever you use off? Equilibrium close contact chaps are very good, or you could use footskins?
 
Hi all. Am i the only person that gets cream from the vets ? The horse came to me with MF in october last year, i rang the vet for advice . It needs constant management but with using the cream when the legs are dry ( mornings for me ) i am keeping it under control enough. I don't think it's possible to keep it at bay in these conditions. It's £30 a pot but you know it's going to lift those scabs and kill off germs. Have just bought my second pot so if you use it wisely it's not too expensive. Spent money on the equi chaps too but to be honest the wet and mud still gets inside which probably makes the situation worse.
 
delly&zo said:
Hi all. Am i the only person that gets cream from the vets ? The horse came to me with MF in october last year, i rang the vet for advice . It needs constant management but with using the cream when the legs are dry ( mornings for me ) i am keeping it under control enough. I don't think it's possible to keep it at bay in these conditions. It's £30 a pot but you know it's going to lift those scabs and kill off germs. Have just bought my second pot so if you use it wisely it's not too expensive. Spent money on the equi chaps too but to be honest the wet and mud still gets inside which probably makes the situation worse.
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Nope. I use Fuciderm on the actual lesions, with Flamazine over the top, and IV steroids when it was really bad. Mudfever was gone in a week, after I'd struggled with it for months. Having had a nasty staph infection to deal with - I will not hesitate to gt stuck in with prescription strength drugs if it happens again
 
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