Stockholme Tar and Mud Fever

[spotti]

Tell me everything you know! (pretty please)

It doesn't necessarily need to relate one to the other, but that would be helpful ;D *smiles sweetly*

[Becca]

Stockholme tar is used againt thrush. Some people say it draws it out other say you shouldn't put it on till the thrush is gone. The latter is what I was taught; I was told if you put it on a wet thrushy foot it makes a nice breeding ground for it to get worse.

Mud fever more commonly affects light unpigmented skin. Some horses are prone, others never get it. I don’t know the sciencey bit but Pig Oil and Sulpher powder I swear by for any scabby legs (you can buy it mixed off ebay now). Wash the legs off so they are totally clean, pat dry (they will more than likely be sore so don’t rub) shake magic solution in a bottle (washing up bottles work well) wearing gloves squirt onto legs and gently massage so it gets down to the skin. Oil will carry the powder to the skin, will also help repel mud and stop skin cracking.

hope that helps a little

[Becca]

oh and never heard of stokholme tar for mud fever

[Jen]

i had heard of stockholme tar for sore hooves and to prevent snow balling up inside during snow rides etc.

[spotti]

Hmm....interesting...

And pig oil and sulphur you say? Will have to look into that...

(oh, and thankies! )

[racaille]

We use 'Norwegian' tar (but it must be the same thing) to dry out wet, crumbly hooves. Not often though. But I seem to remember my farrier telling me it should only be used on the hoof not the frog ... or am I wrong? Sorry, will have to find out ....

[Becca]

i think stockholme can go everywhere? but don't quote me. would be pointless for thrush if you couldn't put it on the frog.

It's good if it helps dry our the hoof but then would you not need to wash it off? kinda defeats the object

[racaille]

you're right Becca, i just googled it and it can go everywhere. Dunno why I had that in my head but equally he may have said only put in on the frog. I thought Paco had thrush and the farrier told me to wash his feet (Paco's not the farrier's!) with bleach solution and then... that's when I go blank. Senior moment.

modified because I'm senile .....

no, we don't wash it off when we use it normally. If the feet are very soft and wet we just use it like a grease. It helps dry out the feet and stops more moisture penetrating. I have no idea is this is correct. It's just what we do .....

[brigadier]

I seem to remember (peeling back the cover of my old trusy tome!) that Stockholm tar is a vegetable derived antiseptic- I use it for Basil as he is really dirty in the stable and poos where he stands and eats so he is really prone to thrush in one of his hoofs. I treat with milton then paste on the ST. It has kept it in check but not cured it and its dreadful stuff to use as its sticks and stains everthing.

Mud fever as per above. Ive found plain white veg fat (trex) is a cheap prevention once any infection has gone but Im interested in the pig oil and sulphur. Because my horse is now a pampered namby pamby Ive not had mud fever problems for years but have seem some really bad cases previously- horrible nasty condition.

[spotti]

Off to Robbies some time between christmas and new year so I'll be on the look-out for all sorts of lotions and potions

[Becca]

you wont get pig oil and sulpher from Robbies (presuming you mean robinsons?)

Racaille i just choked on my sausage sarnie laughing about washing your farriers feet, or not haha!

Brig - trex to prevent mudfever? do you rub it on the legs?

Pig oil and sulpher is an old farming thing i think. I learn't it at college where they had heavies and used if for the scabby knee thing cobby types get. Then tried it on a couple of other things, sweat rashes bernie gets under his feathers, mud fever, scabby rubbed tail seemed to help all of them. Only known one horse to not get along with it, irritated her skin slightly but she's odd anyway.

[joandlad]

Stockholm Tar is very agressive (as well as being flippin messy). It will kill infection but it will also destroy good tissue so you end up in a viscious circle as you are always providing an environment for the infection.

Dec 19, 2008 9:41:09 GMT brigadier said:

I use it for Basil as he is really dirty in the stable and poos where he stands and eats so he is really prone to thrush in one of his hoofs. I treat with milton then paste on the ST. It has kept it in check but not cured it and its dreadful stuff to use as its sticks and stains everthing.

Do you pick Basil's feet out? If you do, try not to. The dirt in their feet helps to protect from infection - I know it seems strange but it's true. It's referred to as a "dirt plug" and research is showing it's a good thing - acting to keep out infection, dry feet slowly, increase traction and provide an extra layer of protection over the sole. I don't know how it does it but you never seem to get any stones stuck in it either. Of course if you've already got infection in there you need to get rid of it first.

The rule of thumb I follow is that I won't put anything on a horse's foot that I wouldn't put on my own skin. I wouldn't put Stockholm Tar on my skin. I'd use Field Paste from Red Horse a couple of times a week and then just leave them alone as much as possible.

[Becca]

Life Data Hoof Disinfectant is very mild too. Bern's thrush was awful! on it's way out now even standing in a bog!

[brigadier]

Dec 19, 2008 11:52:26 GMT joandlad said:

Stockholm Tar is very agressive (as well as being flippin messy). It will kill infection but it will also destroy good tissue so you end up in a viscious circle as you are always providing an environment for the infection.

Dec 19, 2008 9:41:09 GMT brigadier said:

I use it for Basil as he is really dirty in the stable and poos where he stands and eats so he is really prone to thrush in one of his hoofs. I treat with milton then paste on the ST. It has kept it in check but not cured it and its dreadful stuff to use as its sticks and stains everthing.

Do you pick Basil's feet out? If you do, try not to. The dirt in their feet helps to protect from infection - I know it seems strange but it's true. It's referred to as a "dirt plug" and research is showing it's a good thing - acting to keep out infection, dry feet slowly, increase traction and provide an extra layer of protection over the sole. I don't know how it does it but you never seem to get any stones stuck in it either. Of course if you've already got infection in there you need to get rid of it first.

The rule of thumb I follow is that I won't put anything on a horse's foot that I wouldn't put on my own skin. I wouldn't put Stockholm Tar on my skin. I'd use Field Paste from Red Horse a couple of times a week and then just leave them alone as much as possible.

Thats interesting Jo,
- Ive heard the theory of not picking out feet but in the case I saw the horse developed really bad infections in its feet that needed veterinary treatment, the owner simply missed the onset of problems until it was too late- she was on holiday when he went extremely lame and the vet was furious- said it was close to a neglect case. However the infection could have been there a long time previously and developed over time until it got unbearable for the horse.
I absolutely could not fail to clean out my horses feet after every ride and turnout. I lost a fanastic young horse to a street nail injury and even though it wouldnt have changed the outcome in that case I would not forgive myself if I missed an injury and it caused problems.
Will bear in mind what you say about stockholm tar- what about green oils?

[fimacg]

Dec 19, 2008 12:25:14 GMT Becca said:

Life Data Hoof Disinfectant is very mild too. Bern's thrush was awful! on it's way out now even standing in a bog!

best thing to treat thrush I have ever found is Betadine spray which you have to buy over the counter in the chemist. It's used in hospitals in surgery and works a treat if the thrush has gone right up into the frog and you cant pick it out. You spray this stuff in it bubbles and hisses and kills off all the nasties.

This was a tip I was given at my old yard where one of the other liveries was a staff nurse in the local hospital and she used to bring up all the old/half used betadine spray cans from the hospital.

[joandlad]

Dec 19, 2008 15:30:00 GMT brigadier said:

Dec 19, 2008 11:52:26 GMT joandlad said:

Stockholm Tar is very agressive (as well as being flippin messy). It will kill infection but it will also destroy good tissue so you end up in a viscious circle as you are always providing an environment for the infection.



Do you pick Basil's feet out? If you do, try not to. The dirt in their feet helps to protect from infection - I know it seems strange but it's true. It's referred to as a "dirt plug" and research is showing it's a good thing - acting to keep out infection, dry feet slowly, increase traction and provide an extra layer of protection over the sole. I don't know how it does it but you never seem to get any stones stuck in it either. Of course if you've already got infection in there you need to get rid of it first.

The rule of thumb I follow is that I won't put anything on a horse's foot that I wouldn't put on my own skin. I wouldn't put Stockholm Tar on my skin. I'd use Field Paste from Red Horse a couple of times a week and then just leave them alone as much as possible.

Thats interesting Jo,
- Ive heard the theory of not picking out feet but in the case I saw the horse developed really bad infections in its feet that needed veterinary treatment, the owner simply missed the onset of problems until it was too late- she was on holiday when he went extremely lame and the vet was furious- said it was close to a neglect case. However the infection could have been there a long time previously and developed over time until it got unbearable for the horse.
I absolutely could not fail to clean out my horses feet after every ride and turnout. I lost a fanastic young horse to a street nail injury and even though it wouldnt have changed the outcome in that case I would not forgive myself if I missed an injury and it caused problems.
Will bear in mind what you say about stockholm tar- what about green oils?

I agree, which is why I said if you have infection in there first you need to get rid of it. When I said don't pick their feet out I didn't mean don't check them and keep and eye on them at all, ever. If you're using the Field Paste (I use it once a week on Murph) you'll have to pick them out at least once a week. I watch Murph's footfall like a hawk each morning and night when I turn out/bring in. If any foot looks suspicious I will pick it out and have a good look. If a horse has infections in it's feet and the owner hasn't noticed infection has taken hold, even before it gets bad enough for a vet, then it is indeed a neglect case!

So sorry to hear about your horse and the nail and I imagine the horse pretty much told you as soon as it happened that there was a problem. I don't think even a dirt plug in the foot would have stopped a nail.

Sorry, can't help with Green Oils. I have no idea what the base is. If it is Oil as in the name (which doesn't always mean it is ) then it's probably not a good idea as some oils can break down the keratin bonds in the hoof wall. You could always trial it and see. Let me know how you get on.

[racaille]

Dec 19, 2008 18:21:04 GMT fimacg said:

Dec 19, 2008 12:25:14 GMT Becca said:

best thing to treat thrush I have ever found is Betadine spray which you have to buy over the counter in the chemist. It's used in hospitals in surgery and works a treat if the thrush has gone right up into the frog and you cant pick it out. You spray this stuff in it bubbles and hisses and kills off all the nasties.

This was a tip I was given at my old yard where one of the other liveries was a staff nurse in the local hospital and she used to bring up all the old/half used betadine spray cans from the hospital.

We use Betadine for everything! (well, almost) it works for humans and for GGs and I never leave home without a little tube. (It comes in all sorts of applications but the tube is smallest and slips right into a pocket)

[joandlad]

Had a sudden thought last night, the not picking feet out thing only applies to unshod horses! Shod horses get stones stuck in their feet (due to the shoe rimming the edge) so they must be regularly picked out.

[flyingfox]

i've always used zinc and caster oil for mud fever and last year i used it to keep over reach injuries clean. it's great at creating a water tight barrior.
dad used stockholme tar with his first horse, but i wouldn't know what for i just remember it ending up all over his tack box lol.

[scattymare]

Doof has just had a bout of mud fever and I used an antiseptic green oil to soften the scabs, then washed down with hibbiscrub and am now slapping on sudocream every day. She also had a very nasty cracked heel, did same as above and it all seems to be clearing up nicely. We also moved them up to the top of the hill where the ground is much drier.
Aven't a clue about Stockholm Tar though - I seem to recall something about it stopping snow balling? (but that may be way off the mark!!)