Concerned about the amount of mud, and lameness

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Groom Mum

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Hi
my fields are really really muddy and wet at the moment.
Im talking almost knee deep in sticky mud. My boy's legs are sunk into it half way up their legs around my stables and the gateways.

Im a bit worried about mud fever or anything else as i clean their feet most days and pick their hooves everyday.

I thought I saw one of them limping a bit but I think they just struggle to move around in this damn mud.

I'm thinking there is nothing to do about this, but is there anything I can do perhaps to minimise any feet ailments?
thanks
 
If you think one may be lame you really need to get in onto a hard surface where you can trot up properly to see if it is or not, if left it may get worse depending on what is wrong, I wouldn't just leave it in the hope that it is because moving about is difficult they should still be taking level steps.
As for the mud in the gateways fence them off so the ponies cannot get onto the worst bits, the mud will still build up behind the new fenceline but if you encourage them to stay away by putting any hay further into the field they will at least be out of the worst.

I think when conditions are really bad having a few days in on a nice deep bed to dry out properly can really help give them some respite and it can allow you to see what is going on under the mud and treat any mud fever that may be taking hold, once the legs are clean and dry putting pig oil on can help reduce the mud build up and make cleaning it off easier. Their feet should not be too much of a problem, check for thrush regularly but usually it is less of an issue than mud fever in wet muddy conditions.
 
I keep mine in all weather surface pens, but they go in the (very wet) fields a couple of times a week. I've had a couple get mud fever this year, which I have treated with pig oil and tea tree (10ml bottle of tea tree mixed into a 500 ml spray bottle of pig oil). It has cleared up existing mud fever very well, and prevented the two with white legs getting it. You can spray it onto already muddy legs, as it make the mud slide off, the reapply to clean(ish) legs after a couple of hours to waterproof them.
Mine keep away from the gateways in favour of eating grass - but it does make me wince a bit, watching them clambering through the mud to get to the gate when it's time to come in.

I feed a supplement with zeolite added - initially just to two of them - but those two didn't get mud fever (first year ever) so I've got the others on it too now, as it seems to help.
 
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Today I temporary fenced off around the stable doors as they like to congregate there. I do t think it will dry up anytime soon but at least they won't be standing in 8 inches of sticky mud. Although rest of the field is muddy there s at least some grass. This is just pure mud. It's horrible.
 
i was in a similar situation with one hoppy one and it turned out to be an abcess. i had to wrangle a shed i could put him in and poultice. is it possible to get some grass mats and fence off a bit and put him on paddock rest? i got cheap green plastic grass mats off amazon and they did the job.
 
I think they are both ok. I've been keeping a close eye on them both. They have a shelter they go in a lot. But because they have always lived out they are ok for 5-10 mins in a stable with the door closed but after that they get a bit stressy and want to come out. Wouldn't mind some advice on getting them used to staying in a stable because I don't know what will happen if one or both had to stay in.
 
Groom Mum said:
Hi
my fields are really really muddy and wet at the moment.
Im talking almost knee deep in sticky mud. My boy's legs are sunk into it half way up their legs around my stables and the gateways.

Im a bit worried about mud fever or anything else as i clean their feet most days and pick their hooves everyday.

I thought I saw one of them limping a bit but I think they just struggle to move around in this damn mud.

I'm thinking there is nothing to do about this, but is there anything I can do perhaps to minimise any feet ailments?
thanks
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the worst thing for ligaments and tendons is deep mud especially if they are already injured. I had to leave my last yard because not only was there deep mud on the track on the way down to the field but my horse was being chased through mud on a daily basis by dogs.

We have a nice sandpit at my current yard, and it is nice to be able to turn them out in that. It gets a bit waterlogged but at least its a flat consistent surface and their is not the element of pulling on legs, which the deep clay mud used to do.
 
If your is lame , it's lame and I would hope lots could be done about it you need to get the horse onto a hard surface get the mud off it and have a good look then get the vet if needed.
I would bring them in to the stables everyday bed the stables so it's comfortable and obviously give them nice forage and any hard feed they get in there.
Then leave them there while you do your jobs groom them spend time with them in time they will settle and learn it's part of life .
The fact a horse has been trained to accept stabling can save it's life it's something to be proactive about.
 
Goldenstar said:
The fact a horse has been trained to accept stabling can save it's life it's something to be proactive about.
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So so agree with this. My 4yo hadn't been stabled only yarded. He was sweet, kind, no problem until he met a proper stable. It has taken me years to get him happy in one and even then he likes the door open at night to wander. He had to go into horse hospital 3 years ago. That is cages in an American barn. He found it very difficult to cope. He had to be there. The added stress from not being used to stables didnt help his colic.

My new foal will be going into a stable on a daily basis, alone, even if only for a couple of minutes at a time so he gets the idea. To me being able to be stabled alone is more important than any other skill the horse learns. If there is an accident out riding he may have to be dumped in a strange stable, by strangers, alone and have to cope with it.
 
I really need to get on with this putting them in the stables. They are quite feral as they were taken from a farm and were in a terrible state. So quite timid too. They will both go in but when one goes out of sight or they realise they are shut in they get stressy and panicky. But like you all say there may be a time when they have to go in and that will be a total nightmare. I'm thinking of putting some rails across their shelter and seeing if they are ok with that. But then I'm putting them together and maybe should try them alone for short periods of time.
 
Put a stable mirror in each stable. you could fit a grid between them but it's perhaps better to just make them get used to the concept of the stable .
Make sure the stables are safe and the doors high enough.
Stressy is ok as long as they are not jumping out ! keep the sessions short and give them a tasty meal every time they go in if you do it daily you will surprised how quickly they get it .
 
I'm scared they will panic. But I guess I can just open the door. What about the double rails across their shelter? Defeating the object maybe ?
 
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I have spent the last 25 years on heavy clay, sometimes flooded and sometimes its been half way up their cannon bones. They have never had mud fever and out of nine horses and ponies in all those years I have only had one hoof abscess in winter.
You have to find out why the horse is lame, and go from there. If they are not used to being stabled a cheap quick way to get them on relatively dry ground is to make a straw island. Get some large round straw bales and role a couple out in an area large enough for them to stand on and keeping adding about a bale a week. Round straw should cost £10-15.
Make a feeding station on the straw island out of four pallets tied together and put the hay in the box on the straw island, or buy a round bale of hay, so they spend most of their time on their island. This gives their legs a chance to dry off. Do not clean off their legs with the hose pipe.
If they have been fairly feral its a really easy way to get them used to human contact in a stressless way, they get used to you wandering around their island in a non threatening way, probably putting out food and by spring you will not be able to get rid of them.
 
Ha ha. They already follow me everywhere. They rubble around on my pockets. They are sweet. They just don't like being groomed much they will let me pick their feet though. That's good idea about the island. Thanks
 
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