What to look out for now it is raining/snowing, muddy and dark! 

Looking after your equine in the snow

  • WATER - ensure fresh water is freely available.  Most animals won't drink freezing cold water so where possible tepid water should be offered daily and troughs etc need to be cleared of ice.  Placing a ball in a trough can prevent freezing on milder nights
  • FEED - ensure plenty of roughage is offered as digesting hay creates heat internally and will help keep your equine warm.  Offer hay to turned out horses as they won't be able to graze.  When temperatures drop below zero your horse will require more energy than normal to keep warm, thus a hard feed supplement will need to be added to any roughage only diets or increased for those that are fed below the reccomended rate for "heavy work"
  • SHELTER - ensure the skin is dry when you rug your horse.  If the inside of the rug becomes wet it will not offer your horse any protection.  Ensure your horse has shelter from the wind : a field shelter with closed sides, a thich hedge blocking wind or a draft free box will do this.

Mud Fever can be a real problem

Mud fever is an inflammatory condition which affects areas of the skin predominantly on the lower limbs of horses.  It occurs during the wet months of the year and is principally caused by a bacterium. Horses exposed to a muddy environment or who are kept in dirty conditions are more liable to get Mud Fever.  However, some horses just seem to be prone despite the best efferts of their owners!

Once the bacteria infect the skin and hair follicles, the inflammation of both the skin and underlying tissues leads to the swelling in the pastern/cannon region and weeping of serum through areas of the skin.  This dries into hard scabs overlying the infected areas. The organisms that cause mud fever are commonly found in the environment so making changes to the management of the horse can help prevent the organism gaining access to lower limb skin.

Keeping the bedding in the stable as dry and clean as possible and minimizing the turn-out of horses prone to Mud Fever when it is raining and conditions become muddy can help. It is important to dry the legs thoroughly before stabling using a clean towel and ensure the legs are really clean by brushing out mud and dirt. Over-night stabling gives the legs a chance to dry off and before turn-out in the morning, apply a barrier cream lightly over the surface of the heels and pastern of the lower limbs. There are several creams available.

If the horse has developed mild (early) scabbing on the lower limbs it is important to deal with it immediately. If the hair is long in the area of scabbing it should be lightly clipped so that you can get treatment down to the area of the inflammed skin. Gently soften the scabs by massaging with an antibacterial shampoo which will allow the scabs to be removed. Be careful not to get kicked whilst doing this because the area can be sore from the underlying inflammation. Once the scabs have been removed apply a mud fever treatment cream directly to the pink area of the inflamed skin.

The scabbing should resolve within a few days if the above precaution and treatment is followed. If this does not occur and the condition persists or worsens, including lameness developing, then it is important that you contact us because the infection may require treating with antibiotic medication.

Please contact us if you have any queries or concerns regarding mud fever and other skin conditions.

 

 


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