Managing Muddy Legs/Hooves in Winter

[AntiPuck]

This will be my first proper Winter as a horse owner, and i'm already noticing the return of the 'mud shoes' when bringing the horse in each day - so i'm wondering what your tips are for either reducing the amount of mud accumulated on the legs/hooves in the first place, or efficient ways to get it off afterwards?

I've already ruined my hoof pick brush, there must be a better way!

 

[Lotsoflemons]

turnout boots for turnout, hosing off legs when they come in. theres always going to be some mud and horses will be horses.

 

[Barton Bounty]

I hose off legs and dry with a towel ?

 

[MuddyMonster]

I use pig oil to stop it sticking to the legs so much, let it dry naturally and then brush off when dry.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Hose every third night and pig oil the following morning. The water doesn’t completely wash the oil away so I get a good amount of protection build up.

I don’t wash the legs with soap unless there is an issue or im going to a show

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I hardly ever hose off I just wipe off the worst with a handful of shavings and brush off when dry, it doesn't get really muddy in my field anyway so they are never caked in it.

 

[Prancerpoos]

I used to brush it all off in the morning before turning them out so they could cake themselves in clay again. It passes the time. ?

 

[horseman1985]

pig oil is a wonderful tool! Be sure to try it if you haven't done it yet

 

[Identityincrisis]

Moving my horse on to deep straw beds was great for muddy legs. Mud is over fetlock clay so very sticky but his legs were fine the next morning

 

[Jellymoon]

I always think washing and hosing muddy legs too much can lead to mud fever, and I’ve def noticed since I’ve stopped doing it I don’t get any.
I have deep straw beds so tend to just pick feet out and scrape excess off the hooves with the hoof pick and leave. I’ll only wash if I’m going to a show.

 

[Hallo2012]

if i'm not riding i just pick feet and scrape the worst off the feet, if i am riding then OH brings them in a bit early so its dry and i can brush legs and carefully hose feet clean.

i try to avoid hosing as have 7 white stockings between 2 ponies!!!!

 

[lottiepony]

I always (ocd level lol) wash (and pick out) my horses hooves off before he can go into his stable. Bucket of water and a brush. I only do his hooves never above the coronet band and just leave the mud to dry and then brush off the following morning. Cactus cloths are a bit of a underrated hero when it comes to mud removal! Especially on thin skinned beasts like mine who doesn't like a stiff brush.

 

[GreyDot]

If you going to use pig oil, do test it first as my horse reacts to it (sensitive soul!). Neem oil also works, and is great to stop mud fever, but is very smelly so wear gloves! And it also hardens in the cold.
Ah, winter. The joys.

 

[alsxx]

Probably going against what most are suggesting, but we are on heavy clay and I now leave legs well alone. At best I will use a handful of bedding to wipe off the worst if its really bad when they come in at night. I actually find that hosing, drying, brushing off even leads to more incidents of mud fever than leaving alone.

 

[Starzaan]

I use pig oil on everything here bar two who are allergic. Always patch test with it because some horses are sensitive to it.
Interestingly, as a rehab yard manager, I always end up with at least one serious rehab case in a year with horrific mud fever. These are almost always horses that wear turnout boots. Also, boots heat up tendons which weakens tendon fibres, so if you use turnout boots you’re also massively increasing the risk of tendon and ligament injuries as well as creating an ideal environment for mud fever.

 

[Gloi]

When mine wintered out on clay I left the legs alone most of the time but it was handy to stand in the ford on a hack then the legs were clean to check over before going back in the field.

 

[Fieldlife]

I mostly ignore legs in winter.



Do occasionally use oils. My current horse is my second that is allergic to pig oil



I don’t use boots / travel boots. Legs don’t need to be clean.



I do use hoof boots sometimes when hacking.



I have a bag off old towel pieces. I pick out and brush and wipe / pat / rub feet and heels clean and dry to put boots on.



I would clean legs with towels if ever got so muddy I couldn’t check them, but doesn’t really happen.



I try and avoid getting legs wet / hosing. (No white socks, and can generally clean with towels and then hot cloth to compete)

 

[MereChristmas]

Brush mud off when dry.
Oil the legs, pig oil, baby oil, whatever doesn’t cause a reaction.
I sometimes oil over damp mud, if it doesn’t all dry, doesn’t seem to matter.
I hunted a whole season with a pony with white legs only hers were pink, the colour of the mud. Better than the mud fever she had the previous year.
Only wash if needed for a show, dry carefully so as not to break the skin or cause chapping

 

[DizzyDoughnut]

I just scrape the worst off their hooves with the hoof pick, if they're in overnight most has dried and fallen off by the morning anyway. If the farrier is coming I wipe them down with a towel and leave enough time for them to dry before he arrives. Otherwise I just leave them alone.

 

[FinkleyAlex]

I use a nettex spray that acts as a barrier against mud, but suspect most oils would do a similar thing. Then I brush mud off once it’s dry, usually only needed once a week or so as it slides off the oil, and we’re on clay soil.

 

[Dasher66]

Don’t brush wet mud.
Brush mud off when dry, apply oil.
Don’t wash legs if they won’t be completely dry before they go out in the field again.

 

[TheChestnutThing]

Also found vaseline works as a barrier and udder cream or udder grease

 

[Gloi]

If you want a budget option lard is a good barrier. Stud farm I was once at used it.

 

[paddy555]

benign neglect for me. If I want the legs to look clean I brush the dry mud off. If I want to pick a hoof up I dry towel the wall so that I don't get my hands dirty. That is it.
Only other time I do anything is if I have ridden through deep bog when I hose the legs down afterwards as the bog is acidic.

 

[cauda equina]

Old carrot nets are great for wiping mud off hooves

 

[SEL]

I'm another who goes for benign neglect with a 6 weekly panic when the farrier is due. If he's not early the muddy feathers get bandaged out of his way (45 mins early last time - they were still in the field!!)

The odd spray of NAF mud away on the one without feathers but it's not up to the job of mud dreadlocks. If they get too bad scissors / clippers

 

[exracehorse]

In the past 11 years and on clay ground. I’ve never ever washed. Five are in at night in winter. And go straight onto deep straw beds.

 

[spotty_pony]

Nettex 7 day mud away is your friend … the mud just slides straight off. Alternatively pig oil is good if they have plenty of feather. Hoof oil containing Stockholm tar weatherproofs their hooves and keeps them clean. I don’t wash off, just leave them to dry in the straw.