Browse > Home / Health Problems / Mud Fever in Horses

Mud Fever in Horses

Mud Fever Treatment


Contents


Mud Fever Introduction

This is when your horse get blisters and scabs which become sore and cracked around the heel bulbs, pasterns and sometimes their lower legs. It occurs mainly in the winter and early spring.

It can become extremely unpleasant for the horse and needs to be treated.

There are many opinions as well as a multitude of lotions on the market that you can buy to treat this, however, if your horse is barefoot as their circulation improves and ends up becomging normal this problem will disappear even if your horse is still walking around in very muddy conditions.


Treatment

If you do have mud fever, here is what we have found is the best way to treat it.


First - How to Clean the Area

  • Clean it gently first. You only need warm water to do this. Remove any scabs that you can, you may be able to remove all of them, but if this is too sore, remove in stages.

One of the easiest things to help you do this is to use a:-

  • Flea Comb Nit/Flea Comb. Gently comb through the area using the comb to remove any scabs and scaley skin.

Then apply either:-

Either of the above will help to further clean up the area.

If you use anything too strong you are likely to upset the natural ph balance of the skin and the surrounding tissues which can then make the skin more susceptible to further mud fever attacks.

So be fussy with what you use.


Second - How to Treat the Area

After doing the above you can then apply any of the following to the area. Any of these will help to quickly heal the skin where the blisters have been.

With the Barrier Heel to Hoof. due to its gel like consistency it stays on for quite a while, even when the horse is turned and the conditions of the ground are wet and muddy.

We have used all of the above but I think now out of choice I would use the Heel to Hoof.

If you do these suggestions your symptoms will clear up very quickly. We have used all the above and it works.


Additional Tips on Mud Fever

If the horse is stabled the night before an event you could take the opportunity of doing the above, but instead of applying Heel to Hoof, which would get sticky with any bedding you might be using you could use:-

  • Arnica Dusting Powder - WCS Dusting Powder by Weleda.

This will help dry up the lesions which is ideal and it is worth taking the opportunity of using a dusting powder if your horse is in a dry area and not turned out.


Our Experience

When our horses were shod we managed their mud fever reasonably well. But it entailed work and diligence to keep on top of it. This meant, using creams and lotions and keeping them as clean and dry as possible.

Once we transitioned our horses to barefoot all the symtoms went. This was dispite the very muddy conditions we had on our paddock paradise grazing track. I was concerned at the beginning that this was going to cause a problem with their skin and legs, however it hasn't much to our relief.

So to conclude what we have found is once a horse is barefoot and has a wild horse trim and has daily movement, mud fever becomes an ailment of the past.

Finally we kept washing and cleaning of their legs and feathers down to a minimun. Although we were still washing their hooves down and picking out their feet we refrained from washing their legs down on a regular basis.

We only did this if we were cleaning them up for an outing etc. as we found the oils in their coat and feathers was creating a natural protection and barrier from the mud and we did not want to interfer with this.