When mud fever strikes, our first instinct is often to grab ten different topical lotions.  We approach things differently, from the inside.  Mud Fever is frequently an external symptom of an internal imbalance.  While one horse might stay completely clear, another gets severely affected.  Why? It all comes down to what is happening under the hood - specifically mineral balance, toxin load and liver health.

The HHIO Approach

��Correcting the Mineral Balance

Many don’t realise that NZ forage is naturally high in Iron and/or Manganese (both heavy metals), but heavily deficient in Copper and Zinc.  When you feed mass produced premixed feeds with added iron and manganese or feed large amounts of feeds naturally high in iron (Feeds higher than 250mg Iron per 1kg of feed - Copra 964mg, Beet 677mg, Soya Hulls 669mg, Lucerne 544mg, Soybean Meal 201mg, Sunflower 271mg)*.  A horse needs 400mg of Iron and 300mg Manganese per day, slightly more when in heavy work or breeding.

*stats from Feedipedia subject to individual variances which can vary due to location, soil mineral levels, cultivating and processing - but are typical  

The Fix: Horses thrive on an optimal 4:1:3:3 ratio of Iron:Copper:Zinc and Manganese.  Copper and Zinc are essential for a strong immune system and healthy, resilient skin integrity.  By eliminating feeds with added Iron/Manganese or limiting/reducing feeds naturally high in Iron/Manganese and supplementing with a clean, targeted formula like HHIO Foundation or HHIO Performance, you give the skin the celluar strength it needs to fight off environmental bacteria when dealing with wet, muddy and moist conditions.

��Eliminating Pasture Toxins

Mud Fever often goes hand-in-hand with seasonal grass growth and seasonal flushes, which introduce harmful mycotoxins (fungal toxins) into your horses systems.  When these toxins flood the bloodstream, they can trigger skin photosensitivity and inflammation, paving the way for skin issues.

The Fix: Bind them before they cause harm.  HHIO Assist specifically targeting toxins combining premium proven binders Mycosorb and Elitox.  These safely lock onto both polar and non-polar toxins in the gut, neutralising them before they can wreak havoc on your horses skin, immune system and behaviour.  Toxins can be a year round issue with our tepid often humid temperatures, sunny days even in winter.  We utilise a toxin binder all year round for the health of your horses liver and you will find maintenance coverage in HHIO Restore and soon to be HHIO Support.

��Supporting and Cleansing the Liver

Think of your horses liver and kidneys as the washing machine filter.  Over time - whether from pasture toxins, chemical exposure or past/current medications - that filter accumulates “gunk” and becomes congested.  When the liver is sluggish, it can’t process toxins efficiently, and the body pushes those toxins out through the largest organ available: the skin.

The Fix: Keep the filters clean! We recommend a periodic internal reset using high a quality herbal cleanse (our go to- James Hart Detox tincture) a couple of times a year and especially before Spring and Autumn when toxin loads are at there highest.  Helping the liver clear out accumulated waste dramatically reduces your horses overall toxic load, allowing their skin to heal rapidly.

��Reducing Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

When a horses system is constantly under attack from toxins, imbalances and seasonal conditions, it triggers oxidative stress - an overload of free radicals that damage healthy skin cells and amplify chronic inflammation.  Feeding high sugar, high starch or pro-inflammatory high omega 6 oils (soy, canola/rapeseed, sunflower, vegetable) - acts like pouring fuel on that fire, making the skin highly reactive and prone to allergies and infection.  

The Fix: Cool the system down from the inside.  Our feed protocol centres on a low sugar, low starch, balanced omega and high forage fibre first diet.  By adding cean, anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty-acids (crushed linseed, cold pressed flaxseed oil) you help to neutralise free radicals, reduce systemic inflammation, and protect the skin barrier from cellular damage before mud fever can take hold.

CASE STUDY

21 Feb 2026 - if you look closely you will see the raw pink nose and mud fever on her pasterns

In summer, Mimi a white Arab paint x developed mud fever on her pasterns and a sun burnt nose.  She has never presented with mud fever in the 10 years or so she has been with me, so i was a little shocked!.  Her pink nose prior to HHIO would also get “sun burnt” but no mud fever.  None of her herd mates with white socks developed any.  She receives Foundation + Assist, however over a period she didn’t receive this 6-7 days a week like normal as they were grazing off site.  With both back on board daily and together with a round of James Hart Detox 10ml daily and a couple of sporadic applications (x2) of Equine Super Goo and a quick impromptu partial Bowen treatment, the mud fever and sun burnt nose are vanishing.  

Rather than going through the motions of 10 different lotions or washes to deal with the external symptom, i looked to what imbalance is happening internally to create this. So why her and no-one else? Mimi injured her leg badly 18 months ago and had prescribed medications - topical and ingested to help with the initial pain and then preventing proud flesh.  These can take a toll on the cleansing or filter organs in the body if not addressed, combined with the assault of pasture toxins - creates congestion that needs help to move.  I usually do a Detox treatment a couple of times a year but i had been tardy doing this.

LESSON LEARNT:

1 - Keep daily mineral + toxin binder levels up!

2 - Detox after any medications and regularly before high stress environmental times like Spring and Autumn.

6 March - Mimi, same paddock nose back to normal and mud fever healing.  (I never remember to take before and afters of my own ‘case studies’!!)

But here is one from Christina Stratford, long time HHIO user.  New horse started on HHIO minerals (Vital - now Foundation) along with clean feeding.  3 months between before and after from memory with no topical applications. Some more did pop up in high stress time, which HHIO Assist was then added.