Winter problems already!

[littlen]

and its not even winter!


Horse is covered in mud fever already, and its only october! Its on the back of his heels and is spreading to his coronet band and a little on his cannon bone.

Has anyone any tips to help nip it in the bud early?

Also his legs are filling up in the stable...how dangerous is this?

 

[ISHmad]

I'd slar lots and lots of Sudocrem on, wrap the legs in cling film and bandages and then very gently wipe the scabs off after two or three hours. Don't pick at the scabs whatever you do, that will just make them sore.

As long as they are not infected you then need to use something to help the sore skin heal and then use a preventative. We use pig oil and sulphur on all our horses to prevent mud fever BUT you mustn't use it whilst they still actually have the MF.

Does your horses legs always fill in the stable or is this since the MF? Because if it is since the MF has started I'd be worried that he's got an infection and would have the vet out pronto to give him some antibiotics.

If this is normal for him (as it is for many horses) then try to limit the amount of time he is standing in. Once the mud fever has gone of course. And maybe think about using magnetic wraps. Bioflow do them, as do Premier Equine and various other companies.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I have this

it really sorted out my mares mud fever when I first had her. I now just put the Muddy marvel barrier cream on her dry legs a couple of times a week in wet/winter weather and she stays mud fever free.

For the filled legs it could be the lack of movement while stabled or too much protein in his diet.

 

[stencilface]

I use liquid paraffin on my horses legs for a barrier, just put it on every couple of weeks, and might start now!

Makes your hands soft too

 

[asterid]

Luckily our fields havn't gone all squishy yet! But we are due rain all week, so it will soon be a sludgy mess! We are on sand based fields not clay.

I use turnout socks on all four legs. They worked brilliantly last year and with the heavyweight rug on the only bits that got muddy were knees and face! Awesome for quick grooming!


However the others have suggested some really good advice.

 

[spotty_pony]

For the mud fever, you need to keep his legs as clean and dry as possible. I would keep him in until it has cleared up to prevent it from getting any worse. Applying sudocreme to the scabs can help to soften them and make them come off quicker.

Have you thought about buying turnout boots? They are expensive, but keep your horse's legs clean and dry whilst they're out in the mud and help to prevent mud fever.

Another good tip is if your horse comes in muddy from the field, resist the temptation to wash the mud off his legs everyday as this weakens the skin and will make him more prone to getting mud fever. Instead, wait for the mud to dry and brush it off.

When you say filled legs, do you mean swelling around the fetlock? Or the whole leg? Swelling around the fetlock is common in horses which have been stabled for a long amount of time (eg overnight) But if the whole leg is filled, I would get the vet to come and take a look as he could possibly have Lymphangitis.