What should I check if my horse has mud fever after standing in wet bedding?

Read time: 3 minutes

Overview

If your horse seems to have mud fever after standing in wet bedding, check the skin on the lower legs, the bedding itself and whether the legs have stayed damp for long periods. Wet, dirty conditions can make the skin more fragile and easier to irritate, but mud fever-like signs can also be linked to other skin problems, so it’s worth looking closely rather than assuming it’s only the bedding.

Things To Check

1. Check whether the skin on the lower legs is red, sore, crusty, scabby or broken.

2. Look for heat, swelling or sensitivity when you gently touch the area.

3. Check whether the bedding is wet, soiled, compressed or sticky against the skin.

4. Notice if the problem is worse after overnight stabling, after turnout, or after washing the legs.

5. Look for cracking between the heels, around the fetlock or up the cannon where dampness tends to linger.

6. Check whether your horse is stamping, resting more than usual, or objecting to handling the leg.

7. Look at the other legs too, because mud fever often affects more than one area.

8. Check for discharge, a smell, or areas that seem to be getting worse rather than settling.

Common Causes

The most common cause is prolonged contact with damp, dirty bedding, especially if the lower legs have stayed wet for a long time. This can leave the skin soft, irritated and more likely to develop scabs or soreness.

It can also happen if the horse has been washed and not dried properly, or if the legs are repeatedly exposed to wet turnout followed by wet bedding. In some horses, the skin is simply more sensitive and reacts more quickly to moisture and friction.

Less commonly, similar-looking signs can be linked to other skin irritation, insect bites, mites, or a bacterial or fungal skin problem. You usually can’t tell the difference with certainty just by looking, which is why pattern and progress matter.

What To Do

Move the horse onto clean, dry bedding if you can, and remove any wet or dirty patches promptly. Keep the legs as dry and clean as practical without over-washing them.

Watch whether the skin improves over the next day or two once the damp source is reduced. If it keeps spreading, becomes more painful, or starts to ooze, it needs more attention.

Check turnout conditions as well. Muddy gateways, soaked fields and repeated wet-dry cycles can all keep the skin irritated, even if the bedding is improved.

If you’re cleaning the legs, be gentle and avoid scrubbing crusts off aggressively. That can make the skin more sore and delay settling.

Products That May Help

For horses dealing with mud, damp legs and day-to-day hoof and leg hygiene, a simple routine can be easier to manage with the right care items to hand.

Hoof, Leg & Mud Care

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