18/11/2020
Hi all.. not rug related but might be helpful to a few.. I use this method to prevent mud fever might help some of you with the unfortunate issue?
SHOULD I BE WASHING THE MUD OFF EVERY DAY?
At Penbode Equine Vets we often are asked if horses should have the mud washed off their legs when they come in in the afternoon. After all, mud fever is caused by mud isn't it?.....Well , not quite. Out-wintered horses that spend their days hock-deep in mud rarely suffer from mud fever, and mud fever is rare in wet summers. It seems that it is the constant wetting and CHILLING of legs that is the key predisposing factor. We have shown, by washing just one front leg with a hosepipe and then scanning both front legs with a thermographic camera, that the washed leg remains significantly colder than the unwashed for at least two hours afterwards.
The picture shows a pony that had its legs washed free of mud every day, yet suffered from severe mud fever in all four legs. Once we cleared up the mud fever, on our advice the owner stopped washing and just applied indoor padded leg wraps directly on top on the muddy legs (see photo), to dry and warm them. The legs are never washed, just brushed in the morning. And contrary to what you might expect, it has been completely free of mud fever since.
If you DO decide to wash then it is important to DRY the legs quickly with a DRY towel so that they can warm up quickly. With the exception of heavily feathered horses (where the feathering seems protective) clipping the lower legs (especially the heels) will make drying more efficient and quicker. Waterproofing the lower legs, especially the heels, with an oily barrier (such as Pig Oil or Sudocrem) is also a good additional preventive measure.
Please SHARE if you have friends who might find this useful.
PENBODE EQUINE VETERINARY CLINIC, TAVISTOCK, DEVON Telephone 01822 613838.
