Those darn white legs!!

Hello again
Its the start of winter here and we get gross rainy winters til January. Boy oh boy are Champs legs are MUDDY and gross wet mud. I am afraid of the fungi he might pick up and the fact that I have a perfectenest problem(not spelling wise haha). Should I invest in paddock boots and where can I get them? What can I do grooming wise? I have all kinds of brushes and I can get ahold of all kinds of stuff so have at her! I don't have water in the barn but I can drag some from the house.
Thank you
Tasia

The only thing I can think of for you to do to keep him from getting any kind of problems with his legs being in mud are just to keep them brushed daily (when you bring him into the barn) and make sure you keep his feet as dry as possible. It's VERY bad for a horse's feet/legs to be constantly wet as it tends to weaken/soften the hoof wall as well as being a perfect breeding ground for bacteria and other nasty stuff.

I know, not very helpful but it's pretty basic. Keep them as dry and clean as possible and maybe wipe his legs/feet down every day as well as picking out his hooves daily too.

I think there is a bit of controversy there. I worry too because that's all our horses are in is a muddy paddock. Constantly. I mean ya it dries up and is dirt but now with rain and snow it becomes a mess. I have a filly with white on her legs and it is nearly impossible to keep them clean. Maybe rainex? But in the years my horses have been exposed to this I have never had a problem with scratches or thrush. Everytime I have my farrier out I will ask her what she thinks of their feet and she says they are fine. She went to school and has done this job for years. I trust her. Also she says the mud is good for their feet in keeping them moisturized not dry and cracking. But I have to agree that it can't be that good for them to stand in that day in and day out. As I said though, they have never had any health issues that I know of being in that. Maybe I'm just lucky? I don't know.
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Yes, you are very lucky

I rarely dealt with thrush issues and never dealt with scratches until I moved to my current farm. Our ground is very acidic, which makes for a breeding ground of fungii and bacteria.

That means, on a year-round basis, I keep everyone's fetlock hair cut short and the hair around coronet band trimmed like they were going into the show ring and I don't show

I know Mother Nature gave them all that hair for a reason, but they don't need that hair in Middle Tennessee when all it does is hold the yukkies to their skin

I use Absorbine Hooflex "Thrush Remedy" once a week as a maintenance routine. It is an oil-based, non-invasive topical for the frogs and sulci. I also make sure to rub it into the whitelines and any cracks if I see one.

Hooflex® Thrush Remedy – Hoof Care – Products – Absorbine

I am also able to bring everyone in at night, which gives their hooves a chance to dry out.

In turn, that means keeping their stalls squeaky clean; it's not so much standing in the manure that causes the big problems but standing continually in their pee spots.

Of my four geldings, two pee right where they stand and even though I have grid mats down, I still have to be sure to keep those areas extra clean every day.

Hope this helps

What do you mean by paddock boots?

Dont use paddock boots, the dirt just gets underneathe them.

Coat his white legs in a mixture of flour of sulphur and pig oil. The mud will just brush off then and his legs will be beautifully white!

I live in north wales the home of MUD, every winter we develop a severe infestation of knee deep wellie eating mud, but I've never yet had a case of mud fever.

I always have to spray his legs, sometimes I need some shampoo. What do you mean by paddock boots? You mean splints?

To kill a bacteria in his hooves, you can use a mixture of bleach and water, 1/3 bleach and 2/3 water in a spray bottle. Do this about once or twice a week. Anymore than that can dry out the horses hoof.
To use it, pick out your horses hooves like normal, making sure there is no mud/manure ect, and spray it on the hoof. Works great for me!

When I say paddock boots I have seen boots were they go up to the knee and cover the bulb of the foot.
And what it pig oil?
Thank you

It is a form of oil used on pigs to prevent sunburn. I'll see if I can find anouther name for it!