Mud fever causes painful skin lesions on horses' lower legs during wet conditions. Management of pasture and skin care prevents this common welfare problem.
Mud fever causes painful scabbing and crusting on the horse's pasterns and lower legs, and in severe cases can prevent the horse from standing comfortably. A horse with advanced mud fever shows lameness, heat, and swelling requiring prolonged treatment. The welfare solution is prevention through pasture management: rotation to avoid poaching, provision of hard-standing areas away from mud, and careful skin care after wet work. Horses with feathered legs require particular attention as moisture trapped under feathers creates ideal mud fever conditions that standard observation may miss.