Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE Newsletter Archives

Muddy field and hoof health

From: Donna

Dear Jessica, Thanks once again for horse sense, it really is a god send! Just a quick question after searching the archives . . . This is our first spring in our new home. Our once green and lush field is, now that snows have melted, a mud hole. The fields above ours, do lay a good bit higher and all the run off floods ours. I was considering hiring a bulldozer to dig a trench across the top of the field to catch the run off, and divert it into the stream out back, and bank up the dirt that is removes on the down side of the trench to hold the water back. Maybe plant grass, etc on it to prevent ererosion. I read your link to mud management, but right now my biggest worry is the horses hooves. They insist in slopping around in the wettest part of the field , half way up their legs in mud. I'm sure this can't be good for their hooves, heels, frog, etc. Is there anything special we should watch for on their feet in the spring? Or anything we can do to counter act the drying properties of mud before a problem arises? Neither my Morab(10) nor Appy (14) is is wearing shoes, and up until now their hooves have been in good shape and I clean their hooves and scrape the mud off their legs and heels every night when I bring them in. thanks so much Donna, Simbers and Rocky

Hi Donna! If I were you, I'd get the horses out of the field ASAP, or at least fence a small part of it that they can walk around in. If you let them run around in your field when it's this wet in early spring, you will soon have a big mudlot, and later in the summer you will have a big drylot. Nothing destroys a pasture quite as quickly as horse hooves churning around in the mud. You'll lose the roots of the grass, and later, when the field dries out, you'll wait and wait for the grass to come up...

Once you've got the horses confined to a smaller area, call your county extension agent and ask him (or her) to come out, look at your field, and give you advice about management. If you plan to keep that field in grass, you're going to need some help soon. Some grasses have tougher roots than others, some take hold more quickly than others, and some are better suited to certain types of earth and climates. You'll need to know what will be best for your horses AND most durable.

Don't worry about your horses' hooves. Mud is messy, but it's much less dangerous than the sort of muck that's present in dirty stalls. And if your horses are eating well and getting plenty of walking-around exercise,as they do when they're outdoors, the circulation to their feet should be excellent. You'll want to watch out for "mud fever" or "scratches" -- certain types of bacteria can set up nasty infections in skin that's always wet. Mud in and of itself shouldn't cause any harm, but do keep an eye (and a hand) on your horses' legs so that you'll notice immediately if they develop any scabs or sores above the heels. Some people like to wash and dry their horse's legs and coat the area from pastern to heel with vaseline or diaper-rash cream or some other emollient.

Moving around in deep mud can cause a lot of problems, though. It's slippery, for one thing. You don't want your horses getting wrenched joints and damaged tendons and ligaments! This risk, plus the known damage to the field itself, should inspire you to establish a small, dryer area where the horses can stand and walk about a little. In a small area, they won't be as inspired to run about. And in a dryer area, they won't be as likely to damage themselves. Yes, they'll be a bit bored, but this is where you, as the horseowner and property owner, have to think in the long term. Pastures are good for horses -- they provide exercise, nutrition, and a chance to benefit from sunlight. If you really don't mind about the nutrition, you may not be bothered if your pasture turns into a dirt field. But if you want to maintain your grazing, you'll have to protect it from your horses at this time of year.

Your extension specialist will be able to look at your particular situation and give you good suggestions. Good luck -- and congratulations on the new home!

Jessica

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