Ask any longtime horse owner what they hate more than anything when it comes to maintaining a stable and barn area throughout winter months with changing weather. Many will say it's the mud that creates the most problems.
Mud: A safety and health hazard for horses
Mud is not only a nuisance, but can also be a safety and horse health hazard because it contains bacteria that can cause diseases and also lead to injuries like bowed tendons.
“Mud is not only a nuisance but it can also be a safety and a health hazard for horses,” says Laurie Cerny, editor and publisher of Good Horsekeeping.com. “Deep mud can cause injuries like bowed tendons. It can also be tough on horses with arthritis and can pull shoes from your horses feet.”
In addition, mud mixed with manure can harbor harmful bacteria, creating an ideal environment for thrush, scratches, and rain rot that affect the horse's legs and coat.
Here are the top five ways to keep mud under control:
- Keep paddocks and pastures picked up, especially during times of transition when temps are going up and down. Pick up manure and rake up uneaten hay. Sometimes, especially after long periods of snow, this will need to be a daily task since manure areas and feeding spots thaw out layer by layer.
- Feed your best hay outside and in limited amounts. The less hay horses waste, the less there will be to rake up, or to mix in the ground when the temperature rises, or when it rains. Hay is one of the biggest contributors to deep mud that turns extremely hard when it dries.
- If possible, keep horses inside immediately following a rain. Letting paddocks and pastures dry out will lessen the areas that get churned up.
- Letting horses eat the bulk of their hay in their stalls and waiting an hour or so before letting them out in pens will reduce the amount of manure in your pens since horses pass the majority of their manure within two hours of eating.
- Periodically dig out chronically muddy areas and replace the contaminated dirt with new soil – preferably sand.
According to Mark Russell, equine instructor for the U of A Division of Agriculture. "Most horses deal pretty well in the mud, but if they have shoes on, then there is a great chance the shoes will get sucked off," "It's better if you can keep their feet bare if they will spend any long period of time in muddy conditions."
Russell said long-term exposure to soggy conditions can lead to cracking, chipping or splitting of the hoof. Even more dangerous is the development of what's known as white line disease, which can lead to the horny part of the hoof separating from the rest of the foot, leaving the foot vulnerable to infection.
Another issue is a condition called "scratches," also know as "rain rot," a fungal infection sometimes complicated by secondary bacterial infection.
"It affects the lower limbs, causing swelling pain, weeping, crusting and hair loss," Russell said. "In severe cases, it can cause lameness."
Given the threat that mud poses for many horses, minimizing muddy conditions is important both for health and practical reasons on any horse property.