Horses living in mud 24/7

[Purplerain123]

Hi,

I’m just after some advice and hopefully some reassurance that my horse is fine in his field in mud mud mud!!

I’ve got a 17yr old retired hunter ID x TB (more ID). I keep him at my partners parents land but the fields get so muddy in winter where we live!
His field is only going to get worse. He seems fine, never seems to get mud fever, fully rugged and toasty and has Ad lib hay so plenty to eat.
I just feel bad that he’s walking in mud all day. Especially round the feeder. He even managed to loose a shoe in it today.
He doesn’t have a field shelter, but it’s a nicely sheltered field.
Mud mats arnt an option, he can be moved but it will only happen to the next field to, and we need the other fields for summer. The field comes back well each year so not worried about it. Just worried about him living in it 24/7.

He’s ridden 2/3 times a week and I take him out daily for a walk and hedge eating to give him a break. Just can’t help feel bad for him :/

What can I do??

I have attached pictures. Hay end obv worse. He shares it with a Exmoor pony

 

[ihatework]

Personally I’d want an area of no mud, ideally around the feeder.
Why aren’t mud mats an option?

 

[Sossigpoker]

If the mud was above coronet I wouldn't keep mine like this. Sorry.
Being constantly wet predisposes him to skin and foot conditions and once those take hold , you will have to find a way for him to come in to be in the dry.
Deeper mud will also pull on his tendons plus those lost shoes need to be recovered from the mud.

Can you not stable or even keep on a yard part of the day ? Or invest in mud mats ?

 

[TheMule]

I can’t see a photo, but from what you have described, it’s probably not ok.
I’d be working on a solution to feed him his hay on a mud-free patch

 

[angel7]

Aquaintence kept her 2 big horses turned out in clay over winter, over the fetlocks for 12 hours everyday. After 3 years both crippled with DDFT damage in front legs at just 12 and 9, light hacking only before that once a week so never worked hard. She thinks bad luck.
I blame the mud.

 

[AmyMay]

There’s mud, and them there’s mud. If it’s as bad as you imply it’s not an environment I’d want to keep a horse in.

 

[saddlesore]

It really does depend- is the entire field muddy? A churned up area around gates/hay areas is normal but if the drainage is decent the rest of the field should be ok. This shows clearly the horrors of the gate area lol but the rest is still fairly decent.

 

[pistolpete]

It’s particularly bad this year. Hopefully no lasting damage will be done. Great that you get him out walking every day. I’d be using hoof clay to pack feet and help as a barrier to moisture.

 

[sunnyone]

I'd be rethinking why I could not use the other fields in winter. If the current field comes back in summer, why won't the others? I rotate my paddocks all year round : a month in each, then move to the next. That way the horses and the field benefit.

 

[Purplerain123]

It won’t let me upload the pictures, to large apparently :/
Mud mats would need a lot of work for them to work as a mud mat and not just get bogged into the mud and covered by more.
One end of the field is still green but so soft as they walk on it, it just gets churned.

 

[Surbie]

Mud mats would need a lot of work for them to work as a mud mat and not just get bogged into the mud and covered by more.

Mud control slabs don't sink. They stay as a platform once laid. You might get an inch or so of mud on top but they wouldn't sink under. I've laid a few platforms of them in calf-deep slop and they have held up as a hay area. They are expensive though.

 

[millitiger]

It won’t let me upload the pictures, to large apparently :/
Mud mats would need a lot of work for them to work as a mud mat and not just get bogged into the mud and covered by more.
One end of the field is still green but so soft as they walk on it, it just gets churned.

I think you'd find mud mats would work, unless your whole field is very sloppy mud and a foot deep?

If you still have green, then you still have a grass top and the mats will work.

You do need to get the proper ones though- either Mud Control or Jelka.
Grass mats are not the same thing.

 

[cjwchez]

My field doesn't get massively muddy but it does still get wet. I don't have mud mats, but I get a round bale of straw delivered and I put straw down by the hedges/trees so my ponies have something dry to stand on. It can take a few layers of straw if the fields already wet when you put it down, but its great. I just have to skip the poo off it.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

It depends how deep it is and the area where it is bad if its above hoof height everywhere I wouldn't be happy with that.

Mine are out most of the time and there are areas near my gate and hardstanding that are deeper but the rest of the field is not deep at all, and mine have an area of concrete to get off it where I feed them hay and they come into stables if need be.

 

[SDMabel]

I think personally if the finances were there and OH's parents were ok with it - I would be looking at putting a hardcore area down to pop the hay on, so he can have a break from it .

Otherwise I would perhaps look at livery yards over winter ? It's personal preference and obviously depends on the degree of mud as above, if just gateway and they have plenty of land to move around on that's not swampy i wouldnt be concerned. If it's literally a mudbath , deep and clay like all the way through I would be worried about injuries.

 

[Fluffypiglet]

We are on clay with over grazed paddocks (livery) and our fields are the worse ever. My horse is having to stay in at the moment which I don’t like but his feet are the best they’ve ever been as he’s not got constantly wet feet (eventho he used to come in to dry out for a bit). His frogs and heels don’t cope with the wet. I would check whether it’s starting to affect his feet and if there is any sign then you will have to do something. If it’s pulling mud (which it sounds like it could be) then you also run the risk of longer term injury to legs as noted above. So, in theory he could be ok but it’s definitely not ideal and could definitely cause him issues if not immediately, then in the future. its difficult as turnout is preferable but not if the conditions are awful.

 

[cauda equina]

It sounds miserable tbh; I'd want to do something to provide even a small area where he could get out of the mud and have somewhere to lie down
A patch of straw sounds the simplest, if it's possible to get straw onto the field?
Otherwise I'd think seriously about moving him until things dry up

 

[moorhillhorses]

Do a hard standing area I do feel it makes them miserable being in mud 24/7

 

[claracanter]

My field doesn't get massively muddy but it does still get wet. I don't have mud mats, but I get a round bale of straw delivered and I put straw down by the hedges/trees so my ponies have something dry to stand on. It can take a few layers of straw if the fields already wet when you put it down, but its great. I just have to skip the poo off it.

Do you then have to clear the straw away in spring for the grass to grow back or does it all rot down?

 

[SEL]

I can't upload the mud control mat photo I have of my gateway but they don't sink. It's water underneath after yesterday's rain and they had my cob standing on them this morning

 

[cjwchez]

Do you then have to clear the straw away in spring for the grass to grow back or does it all rot down?

I just let it rot down, I don't worry about the grass growing back in that area as my field is huge so the less grass in spring, the better

 

[splashgirl45]

Does he need shoes if you don’t do much with him. I found that horses with shoes seem to churn up the fields more and if he has recently lost a shoe it might be worth thinking about. I would use the summer fields while it’s so wet, they will recover and it would be better for the horses

 

[maya2008]

My Shetland and friend are in a grass free paddock, so you can imagine the mud this year! I have built them a platform with straw and mats on top. A small bale of straw squished into the area of a stable mat, then another next to it and another and so on. You have to sort of jump on the straw and squish it down. It compacts with the horses on and you can then add more as needed. Lasts brilliantly with mats on top and no sinkage. Our mud was beyond ankle deep and we have a nice area now that they mostly stay on, that is the size of a small row of stables - plenty of room to get away from each other, to lie down etc.

Straw rots down in Spring. You can always clear off the top layer and add seeds, but if it’s that bad it won’t recover by the gate anyway so you’re not losing anything.

 

[Purplerain123]

Some amazing ideas thank you. Had the farrier out today and he says his feet are in good condition which is a relief.
Will keep on to parents in law and see what I can do.

 

[Purplerain123]

Managed to get a picture of field. This is on worst bit looking out to rest of field.
And the greener picture from the other end.

 

[Purplerain123]

And this is around feeder

 

[Purplerain123]

Hi,

I’m just after some advice and hopefully some reassurance that my horse is fine in his field in mud mud mud!!

I’ve got a 17yr old retired hunter ID x TB (more ID). I keep him at my partners parents land but the fields get so muddy in winter where we live!
His field is only going to get worse. He seems fine, never seems to get mud fever, fully rugged and toasty and has Ad lib hay so plenty to eat.
I just feel bad that he’s walking in mud all day. Especially round the feeder. He even managed to loose a shoe in it today.
He doesn’t have a field shelter, but it’s a nicely sheltered field.
Mud mats arnt an option, he can be moved but it will only happen to the next field to, and we need the other fields for summer. The field comes back well each year so not worried about it. Just worried about him living in it 24/7.

He’s ridden 2/3 times a week and I take him out daily for a walk and hedge eating to give him a break. Just can’t help feel bad for him :/

What can I do??

I have attached pictures. Hay end obv worse. He shares it with a Exmoor pony

 

[Cortez]

Well no, standing around in mud is not good. Quite apart from all the obvious stuff, most horses won't lie down if it's really mucky. A straw pad area might work for that at least.

 

[meleeka]

Can you move the feeder around? If that’s not possible a round bale of straw unwrapped round the feeder would help short term. The rest of the field looks about the same as mine.

 

[SantaVera]

Not good I wouldn't want to keep my horse like this . Bring in overnight onto a good thick straw bed,put down mud mats or hardcore stone, put down thick straw mat outside,do something, these living conditions are not suitable as they are especially forcing the horse to stand in mud to eat the hay.