Washing legs

[vimto92]

Read somewhere that if you horse/pony has muddy legs and you want to wash them use cold water because warm will open up pores and then it will be prone to infection. I bet lots of you already knew this but I just thought I'd sort of point it out.:rolleyes:

[KarinUS]

What's the source for this information? I would think pores itself (even if open) would be safe. Infections tend to get a hold more easily if the skin is actually broken. I'd be interested in reading the article you read though. If it's online perhaps you could link to it?

[vimto92]

I'm sorry.....it wasn't online. I read it in one of those free little magazines you can get from the newsagents about places to eat out and whats going on etc.

[iloveshearer]

sounds an unusual magazine to be talking about ponies???!!!!!

[vimto92]

UPDATE: Tried to find it but couldn't must have chucked it sorry....I would've typed it out and everything for you if I had got it with me. :o

Vic x

[vimto92]

It had random facts in.....I'm being honest LOL
I wouldn't waste my time and other peoples time telling lies on here.....I wouldn't want to get chucked off the board.

Vic x
LOL

[KarinUS]

:D

Lol

[iloveshearer]

i wasnt accusing you of lyeing!!! i was just interested!!!!!

[vimto92]

i wasnt accusing you of lyeing!!! i was just interested!!!!!
I never said you was love.....just warning people LOL:p

[Holly B]

I don't think it would make much difference, but I might be wrong... it's just that our horses' pores are always opening and closing when the temperature changes or when they have just done exercise, but that doesn't make them more prone to infection. But like I say, I'm no expert on such matters! I suppose though, using warm water could increase the chances of infection because you are more likely to create the moist, warm conditions bacteria like. Dunno... it's confusing, sometimes magazines/leaflets etc. give conflicting information to one another! :rolleyes: :)

[ponylover88]

when we wash our hair, we use warm water. it opens our pores, doesnt it. does that mean, that we'll get infections by using warm water to wash our hair?? hmph, i think the magazine was talking ******** tbh!! surely it would clean the pores??

[mogadoga]

My vet actually told me that if i wash my horses legs then to wash them with cold water, he gets bad mud fever and open pours will give the mud a better chance of causing infection.

x

[fitz]

This actually confuses me. I normally leave the mud to dry and then brush it off rather than hosing them (which is what is done with the racehorses). Should I be hosing down muddy legs? She has fairly hairy legs (no feather though)

[vimto92]

My vet actually told me that if i wash my horses legs then to wash them with cold water, he gets bad mud fever and open pours will give the mud a better chance of causing infection.

x

Warm water - opens pores
Cold water - closes pores
So shouldn't this with all animals?:cool: Thats what I think anyway...if I am wrong please forgive me;)

[KarinUS]

Warm water - opens pores
Cold water - closes pores
So shouldn't this with all animals?:cool: Thats what I think anyway...if I am wrong please forgive me;)

Your observation is correct. It's the conclusion that's debatable.:)
What does open pores mean? Is it an opening for things to really enter your body/blood stream an cause an infection? No. If it would then we would come out of the bathtub 60 pounds heavier.
That's why I am not so sure that open pores/closed pores makes all that much difference...

[Bay Mare]

Washing the legs softens the skin which makes it easier to get small scratches and abrasions which makes it easier for infection/bacteria etc to get in :eek: Drying the legs with a towel AFTER washing the legs is a double whammy as you will inevitably cause some kind of abrasion on the skin.

That's why washing legs is contraindicated if you want to avoid mud fever.

[Sammii]

This actually confuses me. I normally leave the mud to dry and then brush it off rather than hosing them (which is what is done with the racehorses). Should I be hosing down muddy legs? She has fairly hairy legs (no feather though)

I must admit that i totally agree :) I tend to leave the mud to dry because it not only adds extra warmth where needed but it much easier for the person and horse (especially those who seem to be aquaphobic (word?!) :p )

[Flashback]

to put the cat firmly amongst the pigeons ...........

i was told by my old vet to always wash muddy legs, clean wet legs being better than dirty wet legs! ive always washed my chaps muddy legs off ........ he's never had mud fever! however, for a short while i looked after a mates horse who was never washed off ............ and it had horrendous mud fever. took me ages to get it cleared up ........ told mate, she then washed his muddy legs religiously and he never got it again.

think its down to personal preference, type of horse, type of mud .. etc etc etc

edited for the usual typos!

[carthorse]

If legs are covered in wet mud then I will hose off with clean cold water But no brushes or scrubbing. I will blot off as much as possible with a towel but not rub. At least clean wet legs dry faster than wet muddy ones & any bacteria in the mud are got rid of before my horse stands in a deep warm bed.

I was always taught to use cold water because warm water will open the pores & may allow any bacteria in the mud to get a hold. Likewise I was taught not to use brushes or rub hard as it can damage the skin & make mudfever more likely. Maybe I'm just old fashioned.

[raingodz]

At my RS we wash legs with cold water. And on saturday that included my right leg when one of the helpers missed with the hose pipe grrrrrr :(

I remeber talking to a biology tutor who had a student that had done a study on (human) hand washing and she said that the results had shown that cold water was more effective at cleaning bacteria from skin than hot water (because of the above mentioned hot water opening pores effect), but hot water was better at shifting the dirt where the bacteria lived!

[sidesaddlelady1]

What's the source for this information? I would think pores itself (even if open) would be safe. Infections tend to get a hold more easily if the skin is actually broken. I'd be interested in reading the article you read though. If it's online perhaps you could link to it?
In my case several sources - My instructor in the dim and distant past+current yard manageress (very experienced in all aspects of horse(wo)manship)+several of Susan Mcbane's boks on stable management.




=

[dcp]

At new place we wash legs with cold water every night as it's quite muddy but how safe is it? My horse doesn't have any feathers really

[sidesaddlelady1]

At new place we wash legs with cold water every night as it's quite muddy but how safe is it? My horse doesn't have any feathers really

The important thing is to dry the legs well afterwards. Old, clean towels, bandaging legs or putting on thermatex boots will do the trick.