With mud fever (scabs and irritated skin in the pastern) and with sweet itch (itching at the mane and tail), daily care comes down to the same thing: keeping the skin clean and dry, protecting it and preventing rubbing. This collection contains care creams, sprays, clay products and shampoos for this. If you see open wounds, swelling or lameness, or if the symptoms do not improve, consult your vet.
Mud fever: dry, clean and protected
Mud fever often develops in wet, muddy periods, when the skin in the pastern stays damp for a long time. Rinse off mud with lukewarm water, pat the legs thoroughly dry and do not let them go into the night wet. If possible, keep a muddy paddock somewhat drier, for example by fencing off part of it. To protect the skin, there are Excellent Horse Mud Cream and Mud Fever Cream Plus, the Zinc Spray and the Green Clay paste. Use shampoos with propolis or green clay to wash the skin gently; always rinse well.
Sweet itch and itching in the insect season
Sweet itch of the tail and mane is a hypersensitivity to the bites of midges, small biting insects. Preventing your horse from being bitten is therefore the most important thing: a fly rug, bringing the horse in around dusk, when midges are most active, and a field without standing water. For the skin itself, there are Itch Stop Plus Spray, Propolis & Honey Ointment and Skin A Derm Peru balsam. As a feed supplement, Excellent Horse offers Itch Stop Feed Oil and the Itch Stop Plus Block.
Which form when?
| Situation | Form | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Pastern after wet weather | Cream or paste | Mud Cream, Green Clay paste |
| Larger area, little contact | Spray | Zinc Spray, Itch Stop Plus Spray |
| Mane and tail root | Ointment or balm | Propolis & Honey Ointment, Peru balsam |
| Washing | Shampoo | Propolis Shampoo, Green Clay Shampoo |
If you use something for the first time, apply it to a small test patch a day beforehand. The products are intended for care and protection and do not replace treatment. More protection against insects is in flies, horseflies and ticks. Related topics are hoof care and getting your horse show-ready; the overview is in horse care.
Frequently asked questions
Should I remove the scabs with mud fever?
Do not pull them off, because you will damage the skin underneath. Ask your vet how best to care for them, especially if the skin is raw or warm.
Can sweet itch be cured?
It is a hypersensitivity that can come back every season. You can do a lot to prevent bites and care for the skin; for treatment, go to the vet.
When should I see the vet about mud fever?
With swelling, heat, lameness, open wounds, or if it does not improve after a few days of good care.