Mud fever poll

[LovePinkBitsOfMyHorse]

Do feathers protect from or increase vulnerability to mud fever?

[ManateeEquineOhara]

Well, the mare has quite a bit of feather and has never had mud fever and has been living in a swamp pretty much.

I suppose it is a good natural protection but if they do get mud fever makes it much harder to get to the skin to get it clean and dry...

[Mermaid2]

Our two seem to be OK at the moment, I go by the rule of not hosing down their legs too often. Feet get picked out daily. Both have small amount of feather.

[CluckyKate]

I reckon the horse is either susceptible to mud fever or not, regardless of feathers - suspect it's more down to skin type.

My girlie (ISH) has a small amount of feather and has never had mud fever . I also avoid hosing legs and prefer to brush any mud off once dry, but have been known to ride through a nearby river to clean her legs off if she's particularly muddy .

[Saggyoldclothcatpuss]

Isn't it to do with microbes? In which case I suppose it may be that the land that is the factor and not the horse. Although it could also be that all land has the microbe, and just some horses are susceptible!
I've never had a problem with mudfever, but then I only have small ponies and they don't tend to churn up the ground.

[Callisto]

I used to look after a hunter who suffered from mud fever. I had to clip his feathers short for the whole season so that I could keep on top of it.

Personally, I think if a horse is living out through the winter and not doing much leave the feathers on. If the horse is hunting and in hard work take the feathers off.

And yes, mud fever is to do with microbes in the soil and depends on where you live. I do think some horses are more susceptible though.

[Abbicob]

Yes - When I was pregnant I left my cob hairy and she did not get it at all. Now she is ack in full owrk and fully clipped it's a nightmare.

[Myleetlepony]

Yes they do. And hosing or washing the legs can open them up to mud fever. Heel to Hoof is brilliant if you're patient and leave it a couple of weeks to work, just wipe the mud off and apply liberally. Don't pick scabs, let them drop off naturally (that's my vet's advice).

[Saggyoldclothcatpuss]

My friend had a vet who told her to usehead and shoulders on her horses mudfever. Apparently it's as good as anything else!
Hibiscrub is antibacterial and antimicrobial, that's another good one to use. Has anyone tried sudocreme? Our ponies get something like mudfever in summer. Nasty yellowy crusty scabs, usually quite sore on the heel and Pastern. No mud in sight. It is sometimes on their noses as well. Light cover gets sudocreme, bigger spots get hibiscrub and sudocreme. It never lasts long. Gone within the week.

[seeker]

Dd's pony had bad mud fever last year. This year she went into winter in much better condition and having MudGuard supplement and she's been OK.

It's a bacterium in the mud that causes it - some fields don't have it but can get infected if a horse comes in from a field that's got it.

No hosing seems to be the one thing everyone agrees on!

[Callisto]

I've always used udder cream which is excellent at preventing and healing mud fever. Plus it is very cheap.

[ManateeEquineOhara]

Saggy, the mare gets something like that on her nose sometimes in summer too. I have put it down to a plant or something. She has only ever got it in the field with a river, so there is quite a lots of bushes, plants, trees in there and I thought t might be a reaction to something like that. Never got it on her heels though.

[LovePinkBitsOfMyHorse]

Pony hasn't got it at all, just not so feathery horse, was wondering if that's because he is so excessively hairy. I am being a bit neurotic vigilant about checking without hosing, but have moved back to own field now it's drier and just leaving mountains of hay on all the driest bits so they have no reason to stand in their favourite squelchy bits around hay rack.

Anyone use NAF mud guard (feed supplement)? It's costing £depressing so hope it does something worthwhile.

[Saggyoldclothcatpuss]

We have narrowed the crusty nose we call it 'gribbly beak' or ('gribbly heel') down to heavy summer dew, it always appears when it's warm and moist. It's not sunburn, and it doesn't seem to be plant related. Pink noses and heels seem to be more susceptible. I slap on sudocreme religiously, and it dries up. I scrape off the thicker scabs, and the granular lumps, but tend to leave the smaller scabs alone.

[rattling]

I found my very feathery boy would be clear of MF all winter, but struck down in the spring when the weather was warmer and he'd get sticky under all that hair. I'd give him a little clip in his heels that didn't affect the look of his amazing feathers.

[Myleetlepony]

My pony got crusty nose for years. We thought it was sunburn, then we thought it was allergy to buttercup pollen. He got it again this year when there wasn't a lot of sun and no buttercups. My holistic vet, Tim Couzens, asked for a photo, sent some little pills over, and it was gone within days and didn't come back. He said it was an allergy, but he didn't know what to.
I really don't think you should pick any scabs off the nose, just let them come off naturally.
Some horses with white legs get sunburn in their heels, which is why Sudocreme helps because as well as letting it heal, it acts as sunblock. It has a bit of benzo benzoate in it as well, so can be good on sweetitch. But sweetitch can be different in different horses as well...

[Loshad]

more solutions required, mare has worst mudfever she has ever had - is off the mud (churning up our orchard instead!!) have been sudocreme'ing it - seems to have mad it worse, hibiscrub ditto, certainly no improvement.
On same diet for past few years
suggestions gratefully received

[MitchiestInge]

I've been using muddy marvel barrier once or twice a week, on other days topical antibiotic pink cream from vet and the mud guard feed supplement (although deep in heart I think I know the supplement is shit, I keep buying it just in case) - I'm not hosing very often, just brushing mud off when dry, but do hibiscrub or use the anti-thingy shampoo sometimes. I think it's under control, hair is coming back but still find little scabs sometimes.

I asked everyone I knew and almost all of them raved about muddy marvel, others said udder cream (so I got some of that too, £cheap)

[Loshad]

thanks Mitchey - will buy some muddy marvel at the weekend - forgot to say have also been using tetracycline spray - not convinced about that either .....

[MitchiestInge]

Good luck, hope it helps. Not long until summer anyway?

[elbowgrease]

I have a cob and a fell pony. The cob has had mudfever once in 8 years. It as due to the field that e had turned her out on.
We cleared it using hibiscrub and a cream from the vet (we later found out it was a cream that is often used to treat burns). The vet gave her a tetanus jab and an antibiotics jab. The call out fee had been 3 ways as to other horses needed treatment for mudfever and the whole treatment cost £100!!!
Since then I have used pig oil on the feathers and a vaseline barrier when it is particularly wet. My 2 have been turned out since summer and have done well on the field this winter. they are both fine, no mudfever in sight,touch wood.

[MitchiestInge]

How's your mare Loshad?

[CMOTdibbler]

Dpony has developed mud fever today - not suprising considering the mud they were in, but have moved to a clean field. Have anointed him with pig oil and sulphur (which I had, but hadn't used due to mess).

Its not swollen/scabby/oozing, just the hair coming away in one little patch on a back leg

Will go and buy hibiscrub and stuff this afternoon - any more recommendations for pony on 24 hour turnout ? Other livery said Listerine, but I thought that would sting like a beggar if it was sore

[Loshad]

my mare is no better - feed merchants didn't have muddy marvel so bought udder cream, thought it was working for a few days but it looks just as bad as ever.
Off to my mums later today so will try the saddlers near her to see if they have any.
CMOt - think listerine will really sting!

[seeker]

Something I've often wondered. Mud fever is a bacterial infection - so why don't people use antibiotic cream on it?

[Loshad]

becuase you have to get the vet out to dispense it seeker - it's not possible to buy antibiotic cream over the counter due to worries about creating resistant bacteria - if i could do so i would in a flash, and tbh i will probably get the vet out, and get some antibiotic cream, and some systemic anitibiotics for her - just wanted to try and sort it out with first.