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GoPro – part seven: Tips & tricks on mud fever from the world’s best grooms

Thursday, 17 September 2020
Tips & tricks

 

How can you best care for your horse? World of Showjumping asked several highly experienced grooms to share their tips & tricks. In the seventh part of this series we continue with medical care, with the focus on mud fever.  

 

Marlen Schannwell, long-time groom for Bertram Allen:

“Most times, the more you try to get the mud fever away, the worse it gets. Washing with antibacterial soap or iodine makes the skin drier and kills the good bacteria as well. The goal is to keep it dry and clean without killing the natural skin barrier. 

When it starts to come out, clip it short, wash it once very good and then keep it dry – use only greasy creams or powder.  For bad cases where nothing works, the best thing is sheep wool – very stinky and greasy – clipped fresh off the sheep. Wrap it on the leg overnight, don’t wash it or look at it for two days and it will be gone a few days later.

Try to have a clean and dry environment to avoid it in the first place.” 

Jenny Ducoffre, long-time groom for Jos Verlooy:

 

“In the best case – don’t let it get that far. Keep the legs clean and dry. If I recognise the beginning of a mud fever, I straight away use socks to keep dirt and sand out while training and together with talcum powder it hopefully gives it a fast healing. If it got too far already, I for sure use socks and then put some Daktarin or a drying cream on.”

Malin Henlöv, long-time groom for Peder Fredricson, now working for Evelina Tovek:

“This is a difficult question, since I think different things work on different horses. However, to keep it clean, dry and soft is the most important thing and to continue to treat it until it is totally gone. Sometimes it is enough with a softening cream and sometimes you need something stronger. Normally I wash it clean with Klorhexidin or Betadin shampoo, dry it with a towel and then put a cream on – like for example Neo-Cutigenol or a honey cream. It might be good to cover it either with a regular stable bandage or with a cotton bandage.”

Aurelie Marchiando, long-time groom for Leopold van Asten:

 

 

“I always clean with Hibiscrub since it is softer for the skin. Then I use baby powder, like Johnson’s – I find that one nicer for the skin than the one you can buy in the pharmacy.”

Madeleine Broek, long-time groom for Marc Houtzager:

 

 

 

“For mud fever we have really good lotion – it’s from Synovium and is called Mudcare.”

Heidi Mulari, long-time groom for Steve Guerdat:

“Apply the same rules as for scabby legs: Avoid water and keep it dry! When it comes to mud fever, the best results I have had are with sheep wool. I'm talking about smelly sheep wool straight off the sheep! I think it has something to do with the Lanolin oil in the wool. Just place the wool where needed and keep it in place with for example a Kentucky tendon grip sock, which is re-usable. This also works wonders for cracked heels. Of course it doesn’t make miracles overnight, but one should notice a difference after a week or two.”

Lena Laub, long-time groom:

 

 

“Mud fever is luckily something I haven’t experienced in a very long time. But when I did, I always clipped the area with a small clipper, tried to wash it good with Betadine and then I kept it clean with alcohol and dry with baby powder. Before riding I put a baby cream on to keep the skin soft so it does not get open again.”

Morgane Tresch, long-time groom for Jeroen Dubbeldam:

 

 

“Have a good clean and dry it really well! When it is dry, I like to use a mix that I make myself with Vaseline and anti-infectious powder – like Curbamix or AveMix – and then close it with a bandage. I also add one spoon of the powder in the food twice a day.”

Denise Moriarty, long-time groom for Kent Farrington:

 

 

“For mud fever I wash the legs with Hibiscrub, gently remove the scabs and use EquiFit AgSilver Clean Talc to help keep the legs dry and free from irritation.”

Nickki O’Donovan, long-time groom for Darragh Kenny:

 

 

“I’ve never had to deal with mud fever luckily, however Florida scratches are similar. I use a cream called Ascend, lather the area with that and wrap it with cotton and a bandage. I will repeat this for a few days.”

 

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