SNHC | Mud Fever

Mud Fever

Mud Fever Treatment

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.

Flea Comb

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

Flea Comb/Nit Comb – With your comb gently comb through the area removing any scabs and scaly skin.

You can buy the combs from many pet stores. Here is one Pet Store where you can buy them online. N.B. {It is worth buying two and keeping a spare one, they are so good but the tines can sometimes break.}

Then apply either:-

Neways Eliminator.(This is a mild anti-bacterial liquid, an outstanding product.)
or Apple Cider Vinegar
, Diluted.

If you look on eBay

you can find plenty of supplies of Apple Cider Vinegar in a liquid form. (Crossgates is a good name to lookout for). Ignore all the tablets.

Either of the above will fully clean the area.

If you use anything too strong you will 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. All of these will help to quickly heal the skin where the blisters have been.

Calendula cream,
Traumeel Gel
Essential oil of Lavender, neat, or if the area is large mix with some oil,e.g. almond oil

Barrier Heel To Hoof

Barrier Heel to Hoof.

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 out and the conditions of the ground are wet and muddy. Once you have applied the Heel to Hoof it not only protects the area but helps heal the area and the scabs eventually just “drop off.” With all of the above this is my favourite.

You can also buy Barrier Heel to Hoof from eBay

If you do these suggestions your symptoms will clear up very quickly, this works.

Additional Tips on Mud Fever

If the horse is stabled the night before an event etc you could take the opportunity of doing the above, but instead of applying Heel to Hoof, which gets sticky with any bedding 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 symptoms went. This was despite the very muddy clay 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 did not to our relief.

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

We also kept washing and cleaning of their legs and feathers down to a minimum. Although we still pick out their hooves we refrained from washing their legs down on a daily basis.

So I recommend only washing them before hunting, eventing etc. as the oils in their coat and feathers creates a natural protection and barrier from the mud and you do not want to interfere with this natural barrier.