Mumsnet does not check the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you're worried about the health of your horse, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.
Mumsnet does not check the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you're worried about the health of your horse, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.
The tack room
Looks like dhorse has mudfever - in july!
Pixel · 23/07/2012 22:46
I think that's what it is, I've never had a horse with mudfever before, even in the winter, and here's dhorse, built like a tank and seems to be prone to all sorts of illnesses. So much for hardy cobs. I'm going to have to cut his lovely feathers off aren't I? 
Alameda · 23/07/2012 23:19
eek - have you picked the scabs off?
do you want some muddy marvel? it really was a marvel, used hibiscrub and then the muddy marvel barrier cream
Alameda · 23/07/2012 23:20
or maybe it was the magic pink cream from the vet that did it?
Pixel · 23/07/2012 23:27
No we've only bunged a load of BR healing jelly on it for now. Will have to try and get something else tomorrow.
Alameda · 23/07/2012 23:32
I think you have to get the scabs off (hibiscrub) and then make sure the area is really really dry, then put the barrier cream on - is he lame with it? Is it every leg?
HATE mud fever so you have all my sympathies. Think muddy marvel was recommended here or H&H but it was a miracle! Some people do massive zinc supplements too I think but don't know if that helps or not?
we had bog burn too in the winter, it was grim
Pixel · 23/07/2012 23:33
Not really looking forward to scab picking I must say, he has a lethal kick on him. Looks like it's just on his back legs, which are the white ones. Would Sudocreme be any good do you think? I've got a big tub of that already.
Pixel · 23/07/2012 23:35
No not lame, just stamping a lot. I was checking for mites and found some sore patches around his fetlocks.
Alameda · 23/07/2012 23:37
it's really waterproof isn't it? it's probably keeping it dry and out of the bacteria infested mud that gets rid of it rather than any magical substance?
maybe you don't have to pick the scabs off, although was always told to, good luck and hope he doesn't kick!
Alameda · 23/07/2012 23:50
I seem to remember moving fields which involved leading him through someone's garden and tiny garden gate, so he could graze somewhere dry - felt like ages but maybe a couple of weeks? But was waiting for field to dry out a bit too, will have a look for old thread because am sure I will have documented every scab 
. Luckily he was sound throughout, it wasn't too bad, there were some ponies hopping lame with awful sores at the time :(
Pixel · 24/07/2012 00:03
We haven't even got much mud really, there's certainly nowhere drier to put him. I'll just have to hope this sunshine lasts.
Alameda · 24/07/2012 14:33
Someone said today is quite common in dusty conditions too so why is it mud fever then? 
I will be clipping feathers too :( as the other one has mites - WHY
MrsMangoBiscuit · 24/07/2012 14:38
You say it's on his white legs, is he pink or grey skinned under those? Is there any chance he could have gotten a bit of sunburn instead of mudfever?
frostyfingers · 24/07/2012 19:44
Has he been wandering through long grass in the wet - mine sometimes gets scabby legs just from that, with no mites or anything?
Pixel · 24/07/2012 20:44
No grass in his paddock as he's on a diet, but it's not dusty either, just looks like it's been mown. There was a little patch of mud round his shelter door but it wasn't bad, I could get in and out without the need for wellies and it's almost dried up now. I googled a load of pictures of mud fever and it does look the same, but you are right, it could be something else though not sure sunburn is the culprit. He has plenty of shade and his white face is unblemished. He does have pink skin on his legs but he has thick cobby feathers all the way to his hocks so I doubt the sun could penetrate there.
Anyway, today we've cleaned him up, got scabby bits off where we can, trimmed the hair away from the sore patches with some hairdressing scissors and smothered on the Sudocreme. We've even shampooed his tail and hacked about a foot off it so if it rains again he won't have dirty wet hair hanging round his fetlocks (it was touching the ground before- oh well, it grows very quickly). All took ages as he decided halfway through he'd had enough and started waving his feet about and trying to bite us. Ungrateful git animal!
SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 24/07/2012 21:14
Has it suddenly appeared in the last few since the sun came out. It sounds like what I call gribbly heel or gribbly beak! The welshies get it on their noses and heels. It seems like more to do with getting wet in the early morning dew, then drying out in the hot sun. Their pink bits get nasty crusty yellowy scabby bits. Smothering in sudocreme would be exactly what I'd recommend. It soon goes away.
rattling · 26/07/2012 14:44
My very heavily feathered cob always got mudfever in the summer as he got too hot and a bit sweaty under his feathers. Mud/rain would have no chance of penetrating the hair during the winter. My solution was to give him an underclip at his heels to let the air in - the feathers higher up his legs still hung down so the look was the same.
Sudocreme worked quite well, but the winner for us was a bright yellow sulphur based cream that I can't remember the name of. (If you find it bear in mind it tarnishes silver very badly).
Pixel · 26/07/2012 18:43
Thanks, will try and do an underclip! Do you mean BR healing jelly? That's bright yellow and we've always found it very effective for most things.
Saggy, don't think it's dew/sun as his muzzle is lovely and pink and kissable! 
Cydonia · 26/07/2012 22:31
Don't pick the scabs off! I always thought that it was the right thing to do, then my horse ended up with infection, cellulitis and a temperature. All the vets I've spoken to say not to pick the scabs off. If they're really bad I was told to wash with dilute hibiscrub, rinse and dry thoroughly, then apply a decent antiseptic type cream (flamazine from the vets is good) and bandage.
My horse is a grey Arab, so has 4 white, featherless feet, he gets this every year around this time yet lives out in mud in winter and is fine! Apparently the sun is a factor, like saggy said its a combination of dew and sunlight, also if grass is short there's no protection from the sun from the grass. I must admit I have tried pretty much everything and nothing has really worked! My next thing to try is a cream called Filtabac which apparently an antibiotic with sunscreen in it too. Picking it up from the vets tomorrow so will see how it goes. My boy has a few scabs now which is surprising as we're in south Cumbria and there has been no sun! Despite this he also has a scabby nose so I'm sure there's some seasonal grass connection with it all.
Hope it clears up, I know from experience it's a total PITA!
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.