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Post by LuckyRed on Jan 7, 2012 0:11:39 GMT 1
My horse is at a good yard but the grazing gets so muddy that most of us wash the horses legs every time we bring them in. The soil is clay-based so it gets really claggy some times and when it's been raining a lot the gateways are like The Somme!
The question is, should we wash every time, would you dry after washing - what do you think?
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Post by cookie on Jan 7, 2012 0:26:23 GMT 1
Was thinking about this the other day. My yard cold hose off. My boy doesn't have any ill effects from this. He's on full livery and as it's never caused him a problem I leave it. If he had different skin type it might not be ok. I shared a mare with mud fever and it was so difficult to manage... (different yard and never resolved to my satisfaction). If we hack thro lots of mud I tend to leave it and brush off as I don't like the idea of him being hosed off more than once a day. Interested to hear others experiences.
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Post by shan on Jan 7, 2012 0:48:31 GMT 1
My field is quite claggy mud, I douse my girl's lower legs in pig oil - no scabs, mud doesn't stick (she still has white socks!) but what little she has comes off easily when it's dry, I never wash her she hates it, lol!
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Post by highlanderpony2002 on Jan 7, 2012 1:47:03 GMT 1
We aways hosed off muddy legs with no ill effect. They were stabled on deep shavings or straw so dried off in that but they live out now on sandy dry soil so they dont get muddy legs. They do roll and get muddy but it falls off once they are dry. The cold water seals the pores so I would never wash off with warm water which may well make bacteria grow and open pores to let them in.
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Post by jen1 on Jan 7, 2012 3:19:14 GMT 1
i wouldnt, and never will , if you want a breeding ground for mud fever wash away all the oils in the skin and hair, ive bnever ever had mud fever and mine live out 22/7 ish, there never in for long anyway,
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Post by BJMM on Jan 7, 2012 9:58:11 GMT 1
An ex livery of mine washed her coloured cob's legs off every day, two winters ago, and he was scabby and very sore for months. My girls are out 24/7, Blaze's legs and feathers get really mucky but I leave well alone. If they come in for the odd night due to bad weather I leave their legs to dry off naturally. Very occasionally I will bring them in for a night, cold hose their legs and feet until really clean, then bed them on deep straw to dry off. I don't brush legs, just check with my fingers to see if there are injuries or scabby bits. So far this winter both have had no problems. xx
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Trouble
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 2,263
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Post by Trouble on Jan 7, 2012 10:48:05 GMT 1
Hairy legs...pig oil and only wash at weekends.
Clipped or very short hair....wash and dry thoroughly
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Post by kizi on Jan 7, 2012 10:51:41 GMT 1
It's one that I think will never have a set answer!!! My fields are bad, very bad at the moment, if my crazy mare goes for a gallop she can get mud all along her belly and just come in black, a lot of mine have a bit of feathers... I usually don't wash them when they come in at night, I don't have straw and trying to get all those legs dry when they are standing still in stables is not easy. When they come in the mud has often started to dry, I do use pig oil but the fields are that wet now that it doesn't seem to work much! I give their legs a rub down to get the worst off with my hand and check for cuts, and every now and then if they come in early or are particularly bad I give them a hose off and use old tea towels to get excess water off without rubbing. I find if I do wash them they are wet for a lot more hours of the day than if I let the mud dry. But, they have hairy legs... I have one mare that used to be elsewhere on livery and used get washed down every day, she always got mud rash, 5 years on she has scars from it, I never ever wash her legs, her field isn't as bad tho, but I find if I go at her she will have mud rash tomorrow, leave nature take care and she is fine. It's a tricky one but I guess that's why you don't clip feathers etc to protect them, legs without any hair I probably would be washing a little more because they can be dried easier...
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Post by marsayy on Jan 7, 2012 13:32:18 GMT 1
Can you give me more info on pig oil? How much do you use etc? Never heard of it before.
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Post by cinnypony on Jan 7, 2012 15:31:58 GMT 1
Cinny used to get mud fever, but not since I stopped washing grooming her below the knees in winter - never had a scab since.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 7, 2012 17:56:39 GMT 1
If they come in soaking wet then I don't think washing does any more harm, however if they're muddy but it's largely dried on I'd leave it and bush off when dry, I don't like soaking their skin any more than they already have to endure from the weather.
Using warm water might open the pores of the skin but that shouldn't allow infection in, skin is designed to work as a barrier, pores and all.
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Post by basilhorse on Jan 7, 2012 20:37:56 GMT 1
One winter my horse got the worst mud fever I personally have ever seen when it turned into cellulitis. It took 2 courses of antibiotics plus topical creams from the vet to shift it.
During that winter he was turned out on clay for between 2 and 4 hours a day and legs cold hosed before returning to his stable.
The following winter I left him out 24/7 (no hosing but with free access to dry field shelter) in clay mud with no sign of mud fever at all.
He's a chesnut thoroughbred with white socks if that makes any difference.
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Post by LuckyRed on Jan 7, 2012 20:54:26 GMT 1
I use pig oil on his legs so the mud washes off easily enough. He's in a new field so during the time he's turned out he doesn't get too muddy but to get him in or out of the field you have to brave the gateway - which is liquid gloop about mid calf (to me - sometimes it almost sucks my wells off!) and then it's wet liquid mud/clay. After a few dry days it will get really claggy and sticky, doubling the size of a hoof! There's certainly no way you could put brushing boots etc on a horse without washing the mud off if yr horse needed to wear them.
I guess that once again this proves that 10 horsey people will give you 15 different opinions and sneers to the same question!
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Post by KoLaTo on Jan 8, 2012 0:02:33 GMT 1
Personally never had a problem washing legs off, cold water from the hose is no different than rain running down their legs.........
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Post by jill on Jan 8, 2012 12:18:18 GMT 1
Mud fever is caused by a bacteria that thrives on warm and wet. If you don't have the bacteria in your soil you won't get mud fever, no matter what you do in the way of washing off etc. A vet once told me that bringing horses with mud fever into a warm stable is the worst thing, they are better of with cold water or soil to inhibit the growth of the bacteria. That said, I'm not sure I could leave it with the risk of further infection, but if your property doesn't have a history of mud rash or mud fever you probably doen't have the bacteria (did someone say it is usually where cattle have been kept in the past?) and it doesn't really matter what you do.
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