I put a post on Facebook recently asking people to share their tips for resolving mud fever problems. I liked this one from Jan Daley so much that I wanted to share it with you. Jan says:

“As an experienced user of essential oils, I made up a potent antibacterial, antiseptic potion and mixed it with vaseline. I cleaned and dried Rebel’s feathers and skin, and applied the mixture thickly, massaging it into the skin and leaving a thick layer in his feathers. I then pulled holey old socks over his fetlocks and secured with vet wrap. Because I don’t have a dry standing area or stable, I scrounged old tyre inner tubes from a local garage, cleaned and dried them, cut them in half, and pulled them on like stockings. I folded the excess up his leg and secured with copious lengths of duct tape. It was still secure 3 days later when I took it all off to inspect the pasterns and fetlocks. As it was healing well, but not completely healed, I

Wiped most of the excess vaseline mixture off and

let him stand on the yard at the back of the house with hay, to let it all air, then reapplied. Pulled on new old holey socks, vet wrapped, re-did the inner tube wellies, and let him cook for another 3 days. At this stage, everything was perfectly healed, and I turned him out without the wellies and socks, but well-plastered in the vaseline mixture for another week, by which time the weather had changed, and the mud was drying up. The following winter I applied the mixture as soon as the ground started getting muddy, and re-applied about once a month until the mud dried up. I haven’t had to do this for a couple of years now, but I’ve kept the recipe just in case!”

Do you have any top tips you’d like to share?

© Sue Palmer, The Horse Physio, 2021

Treating your horse with care, connection, curiosity and compassion