Scabs above knees?

[rachelmy]

Smurf's feathers have started growing with his winter coat and I noticed some flecks in the hair near the knee. I thought it was mud, but it turned out to be greyish flakes of a scab. When I looked closer, I spotted a blueberry-sized sore just above each knee (at the back of the leg) which is not bleeding but which is about half a centimetre deep. He wasn't at all bothered about me touching them, so I picked off the flakes that weren't attached to the sore, gently washed his legs in a Hibiscrub solution, dried them and then and rubbed in Elico Wonder Gel (Aloe, Calendula, tea tree and some other herbal stuff). It's only been a couple of days now so I can't see much difference yet.

I feel like a very bad mum :o at the moment for not noticing this before. I haven't been washing his legs as he was living out until recently and I wanted to leave some hair and grease on. I have been paying more attention to his feet as he's in mud all day, and being a very messy boy in his stable :( makes for smelly feet. Therefore I am wondering if it is mud fever (as one of the yard girls diagnosed it) as I've checked his heels regularly and they are absolutely fine. The scabs are in exactly the same place on each leg and above and below the scabs his legs are clear (as are the hinds).

I will also have a word with my yard , as he is on full livery during the week, and I assumed/hoped that he would be checked over whenever he is brought in...

Any ideas? I was planning to continue with the Wonder Gel to treat the remaining sore, and then use a barrier cream for turning out.

[Mary Poppins]

It sounds like mud fever to me. My mare gets mud fever all the way up her legs. Strangely her heels (which are caked in mud all day) don't suffer half as much as her legs do. The white flakes are probably a result of old mud fever scabs which have healed.

After trying different ways of treating it, I find the only way to spot and treat the scabs in time is to clip all her feathers off to her knees. She looks a bit strange when they are freshly clipped but it is the best way for her. Although I loved her hairy legs, she was covered in scabs and I found it impossible to get to the skin to treat it.

[Megans mum]

my hairy lad gets it behind his knees too and not behind his heels' I use pig oil and sulphur regularly and no problems' the oil keeps the wet out and the sulphur heals the cracks'