Preventing Mud Fever in Horses: A Seasonal Guide
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If your horse has ever suffered from mud fever, you'll know how frustrating and uncomfortable it can be for both of you. The encouraging news is that preventing mud fever in horses is often more straightforward than managing it once it takes hold. With the right combination of field management, leg care routines and natural skin protection, you can significantly reduce the risk of mud fever recurring season after season.
This guide covers practical prevention strategies for every time of year, with a particular focus on the wet autumn and winter months when the risk is at its highest.
Can You Actually Prevent Mud Fever?
Yes, in many cases, mud fever is preventable, or at the very least, the severity and frequency of flare-ups can be greatly reduced. Mud fever develops when the skin on the lower legs is weakened by prolonged exposure to moisture, allowing bacteria and fungi to take hold. Prevention, therefore, focuses on two things: keeping the skin as dry as possible and maintaining a strong, healthy skin barrier.
No single measure guarantees your horse will never develop mud fever, but a consistent routine of good management practices combined with natural skin protection makes a significant difference, especially for horses that are prone to the condition.
How to Prevent Mud Fever: Field and Stable Management
Manage Turnout Areas to Reduce Mud
Churned-up, waterlogged ground is the biggest environmental risk factor for mud fever. Where possible, rotate grazing areas to prevent paddocks becoming excessively muddy. Pay particular attention to gateways, water troughs and feeding areas, which tend to get poached most heavily.
Laying hardcore or rubber matting in high-traffic areas can reduce the amount of standing mud your horse has to walk through. If certain fields consistently become waterlogged, consider limiting turnout on those areas during the worst of the wet season and using better-drained alternatives.
Avoid Prolonged Standing in Wet Conditions
The longer your horse's legs are in contact with mud and moisture, the greater the risk. On particularly wet days, reducing turnout time or bringing your horse in earlier can help. If full-time turnout is necessary, providing a dry standing area, even a small hardstanding section in the field, gives your horse somewhere to stand that isn't waterlogged.
Keep Bedding Clean and Dry
Mud fever isn't just a field problem. Wet, soiled bedding that stays in contact with the lower legs can create the same conditions that trigger the condition. Ensure stables are well drained, muck out regularly, and maintain deep, dry bedding, especially around the areas where your horse stands and lies down.
Leg Care Routines That Help Prevent Mud Fever
Let Mud Dry Before Removing It
One of the simplest and most effective habits you can adopt is letting mud dry on the legs before brushing it off with a soft brush. This might feel counterintuitive (surely washing the mud off straight away is better?) but repeatedly hosing and wetting the legs actually weakens the skin barrier over time.
If you must wash the legs, always use lukewarm water, keep it brief, and dry the legs thoroughly afterwards. Avoid using harsh detergents or medicated washes as a preventative measure, as they strip the skin's natural oils and can do more harm than good.
Dry the Legs Thoroughly Every Time
Whether your horse has been washed, rained on, or simply come in from a wet field, drying the legs is essential. Pat dry with a clean, soft towel and never rub vigorously, which can irritate the skin. Pay special attention to the pasterns, heels and the creases at the back of the fetlock where moisture tends to hide.
For horses with heavy feathering, this step is especially important. Part the hair and dry the skin beneath, as trapped moisture in feathered legs is one of the most common triggers for mud fever in cobs and draught breeds.
Apply a Natural Barrier Balm Before Turnout
Protecting the skin before it's exposed to mud and wet conditions is one of the most effective preventive measures you can take. Applying a barrier balm to clean, dry legs before turnout creates a protective layer that helps repel moisture and keep the skin's natural defences intact.
Mud Stuff is a 100% natural barrier balm specifically designed for this purpose. Its anti-fungal and anti-bacterial formula, containing Nigella sativa (black seed oil), Azadirachta indica (neem), Lavandula (lavender) and Melaleuca (tea tree), helps shield the skin from mud, moisture and irritation while keeping it nourished and conditioned. A small amount goes a long way: a light coverage on your fingertip is enough for an area roughly the size of your hand. Apply it to the pasterns, heels and lower legs before your horse goes out, and reapply daily during wet conditions.
Used consistently as part of a prevention routine, Mud Stuff helps maintain the skin's natural barrier rather than waiting until damage has already occurred.
Should You Clip Feathers to Prevent Mud Fever?
Clipping feathers from the lower legs is a common management strategy for breeds prone to mud fever. Removing heavy feathering makes it much easier to keep the skin dry, spot early signs of irritation and apply protective products directly to the skin.
However, clipping itself can sometimes irritate the skin, particularly if done too close or with blunt blades, so it's important to do it carefully. Some owners prefer to trim feathers short rather than clipping right down to the skin, which still improves visibility and airflow without the risk of clipper rash.
If you do clip, allow a day or two for the skin to settle before applying any products, and always patch test first.
Supporting Skin Health from the Inside Out
A horse with healthy, resilient skin is naturally better equipped to cope with wet conditions. While topical protection is important, supporting skin health from the inside makes a meaningful difference, particularly for horses that seem to develop mud fever every year despite good external care.
Non-Stinky Stuff is a 100% natural feed supplement that supports healthy skin, coat and overall wellbeing from within. Made from a blend of cold-pressed oils, including Nigella sativa (black seed oil), Cocos nucifera (coconut oil), Cucurbita pepo L. (pumpkin seed oil) and Helianthus annuus (sunflower oil), it provides essential fatty acids, vitamins and nutrients that help maintain strong, healthy skin and a glossy coat.
For horses and larger ponies, add 20ml (4 teaspoons) to the daily feed. For small ponies, llamas and alpacas, 10ml (2 teaspoons) daily is recommended. Introduce gradually and ensure fresh water is always available.
Combining inside-out nutritional support with external barrier protection gives your horse the best possible defence against mud fever, tackling the condition from both sides.
A Seasonal Prevention Calendar
Autumn (September â November)
This is the time to get ahead of mud fever before the ground deteriorates. Start applying Mud Stuff to clean, dry legs before turnout as wet weather sets in. Check turnout areas for drainage issues and address them early. Begin daily leg checks as part of your grooming routine, feeling for any early signs of roughness or warmth.
Winter (December â February)
Peak mud fever season. Maintain your daily barrier balm routine without fail. Keep stable bedding scrupulously clean and dry. Reduce turnout time on waterlogged ground where possible. Continue supporting skin health with Non-Stinky Stuff in the daily feed.
Spring (March â May)
Don't drop your guard too early. Spring can bring just as much rain as winter. Continue applying barrier balm while conditions remain wet. Gradually ease off as the ground dries and the risk reduces. Keep monitoring the legs for any signs of lingering irritation.
Summer (June â August)
Mud fever risk is typically lower, but doesn't disappear entirely. Horses on irrigated pasture or in particularly wet areas may still be at risk. This is a good time to focus on building overall skin health through nutrition and general skin care, using products like Non Stinky to boost the overall condition of your horses skin.Â
What If Your Horse Still Gets Mud Fever Despite Prevention?
Some horses are simply more prone to mud fever than others, whether due to white legs, heavy feathering, sensitive skin or individual susceptibility. Even with excellent prevention, the occasional flare-up can happen.
If it does, don't be discouraged. Catching it early, thanks to the daily leg checks you're already doing, and responding with consistent, gentle care gives your horse the best chance of recovering quickly. Our guide on how to manage mud fever in horses naturally walks through a practical daily care routine using natural products.
Prevention Is Always Easier Than Recovery
Mud fever is far simpler to prevent than to manage once it's established. A combination of sensible field management, careful leg drying, natural barrier protection and inside-out nutritional support can dramatically reduce the frequency and severity of flare-ups, even in horses that seem to get mud fever every year.
Mud Stuff makes prevention simple: a 100% natural, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial barrier balm that protects and nourishes the skin on your horse's legs through the toughest conditions. Pair it with Non-Stinky Stuff for daily skin support from within, and you've got a complete, natural approach to keeping mud fever at bay.