Mud fever -

Mud fever, particularly common in cold weather, is caused by moisture and mud irritating the skin. Horses with white legs tend to be most prone to mud fever.

The condition should never arise in working horses if the legs are washed off with pure soap and water and properly dried, especially round the heels, whenever they get muddy. Alternatively, the legs can be bandaged overnight and the mud then removed with a soft brush.

Cracked heels, the chronic form of mud fever, is caused by sores in the heels from chafing or by an infection called "heel bug". Keep heels well trimmed and clean. At the first sign of soreness, use zinc and castor oil, or prescribed ointment, to prevent the skin from cracking;if the sores have opened, and appear sore and weepy, clean then treat twice daily.

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