If you turn your horses out through winter, or they live out in muddy conditions, my top tip is PIG OIL. You may already use this, and I hope a lot of you do. Of course, if you do then you will completely agree with me, or you wouldn’t be using it. And if you don’t use it – Go out and try it!
This is the best way to prevent mud fever, and if you have a hairy cob then it’s also great for preventing bog burnt feathers. The pig oil acts as a water repellent barrier and the mud just slides of the legs. I have always used pig oil on Bailey, and a mixture of pig oil and sulphur on my cobs. The one year I didn’t, the cobs came out of winter without feathers, and the finer horses with mud fever.
There are many different brands that now sell this, with the only difference being price. I buy mine from “The Pig Oil Company”, which I think is by far the best value for money and has a fast delivery service. Don’t worry, there is no difference between the pink and black labels, this is just a colour option they provide you; Pink for girls, black for boys!
I buy one of each in 5L bottles and have two ways of applying it. For the horses with feathers I fill up an old washing up bottle, then I can squeeze it onto the skin for the feathers. For the non-hairy legs, I pour it into a spray bottle and spray the legs. I only apply it once a week or once every other week, depending on the weather, and I always wear gloves as I really don’t like it on my hands!
The sulphur helps kill mites and is an anti-bacterial agent too. Due to the yellow colouring of the sulphur, it will give white legs a slightly yellow tinge - but fear not! When you wash it off they always come out gleaming!
Every brand does spray bottles, which tends to add up over time, so I suggest buying a bigger bottle to save money.
There are plenty of places that stock it, and I suggest doing your own research on price in your local area, but I buy mine from these guys > https://www.thepigoilcompany.co.uk/collections/the-pig-oil-company
