Horses and Mud!

You may have heard that Dead Sea Mud applications help symptoms of skin disorders and that’s because they add minerals to the skin. Persistent wet mud, on the other hand, leaches water-soluble amino acids and protective minerals out the hoof. This not only softens the hoof and disrupts its natural balance, but also makes both vulnerable to bacterial and fungal infection. In Horses and Mud! we give you a few quick tips but Han van de Braak BSc LicAc MCSP MBAcC (Retd.) wrote an in-depth article about Hoof Health, Hoof Strength also. So, how can you cope with whatever the weather throws at you and your horse? Here are our 8 top tips:

Give your horse a good groom daily. Brushing off dry mud and checking over for any cuts or grazes.

Poached ground is hard to avoid but old rubber mat on high traffic areas where horses tend to stand.

Repellents on the market can help prevent mud sticking to your horse and make sure your horse’s legs are dry and clean before putting boots on to ensure they don’t rub.

Lycra turn out bodysuits are available to help keep bellies dry and clean.

Keep your boots and bandages clean –using dirty equipment won’t help keep your horse’s skin happy and healthy.

No matter how vigilant you are, some horses can be more prone to problems so barrier creams and anti-bacterial cleansing washes can help.

Trimming or clipping your horse can help in some cases but there are two trains of thought on this one. Some prefer to clip to enable the horse to dry off quicker and enable to check for any grazes etc. but removing the protective layer of hair could also make the skin more susceptible to grazes etc.

Supplementing the many nutrients that watery mud leaches out of hooves is what you must do if you cannot avoid the mud.

Finally, ensuring your horse has the right nutritional balance in his diet is key in your daily battle with the brown stuff and choosing an absorbable broad spectrum supplementation such as Aloeride can help support healthy skin and hoof throughout the long winter months.