Struggling with mud fever? Here’s what you need to know to tackle it…

British winter weather means that whether your horses are living out 247 or just being turned out for a few hours a day their feet and hooves will become waterlogged in the inevitable wet and mud which can cause frustrating skin problems like mud fever and rain scald.
Skin disease is a common challenge being reported in the annual Blue Cross Equine Health surveys as seen more frequently than lameness. Sweet itch the top summer nuisance and mud fever the top winter worry accounted for nearly half 40 of all the skin diseases recorded.

Horses skin is amazingly delicate and when waterlogged in wet weather it becomes more susceptible to damage and infections grooming or even being worked in a sand school can cause microabrasions that let bacteria in.
The horses ability to ward off skin infections is reduced by continuous wetting and sweating as well as standing and being ridden in cold wet muddy conditions hence the name mud fever. The proper name for the condition is pastern dermatitis reflecting the range of skin reactions that affect the lower limbs due to different skin irritants including bacteria fungal infections and mites.
Mud fever is similar to a person having chapped hands or lips the horses skin can become very inflamed and sore. Pink skin under white hair is more sensitive but dark skin can be affected too. Whatever the trigger the skin will become red crusty and scabby and the legs will become swollen. Sometimes the hair will fall off. In severe cases