Mud

Nikki Salo · Grand Prix

Mud

Marlene · Advanced

I live in a semi-desert area, which is the best solution for mud. But we do get a few weeks of it during snow melt and spring and fall rain, so the paddock turns in to about two inches of slick clay mud. One day I want to put enough rocks into the mix to provide drainage. Once dry however the packed clay makes a pretty good base. However, as soon as it rains, my horse loves to roll in the mud. I think there is some rule that says light grays have to look black. Lately the pasture is almost completely snow-covered but he finds the one patch of mud to lay down in if he can. He also loves dust baths when its dry, generally timed to occur about ten minutes before I am prepared to saddle up, but I can deal with that during grooming. I really want to put a rain sheet on him,to keep him cleaner, but he's not very tolerant of human interventions and only tries to destroy it. He'd far rather stand in the rain (doesn't use his run in shed) and then clean up by rolling in the mud:)

Jackie Cochran · Advanced

I used to board on red clay, once or twice I got boots sucked off.
When I started looking for land one of my desires was no red clay where the horses stayed. Finally I found that Stanly County N.C. has big areas of silt. There is just enough red clay on my land for the septic system. I still get mud but at least my boots don't get sucked off my feet.

Barnmouser Ash · Grand Prix

We have had some pretty nasty mud problems here in the Pacific Northwest, as it rains about 10 months of the year. I've seen everything from sand, to straw, to hog fuel, to bark chips used to try to soak up some of the mud, with little result. I'm interested to know what others in boggy climates use to soak up their excess precipitation or help keep the ground a little more solid for slippery sliding hooves.

justice · Grand Prix

Mud is an outright season unto itself around here.

sedonasilver · Advanced

The joys of agisting - 2 places i've been to have flooded in winter - lots of lovely black, sticky, mud... Lorenzo would stand in the very farther corner of his paddock when I went to bring him in so I'd swim out and we'd swim back :)

Then again, a few other places I've boarded at have stayed reasonably dry, too, so thats one of the first questions when I'm looking in to a new place.

MagsNMe · Advanced

I board at a facility where the paddocks have a proper base done and then have pea gravel on top. There may be some standing water, but there is no mud. I love it. Especially because I came from a place where the paddocks would be a foot of mud, and that would be liberally laced with poop. We muck the paddocks at the place I'm at, so none of that either. The kids also get turnout in the afternoon on one acre grass paddocks. They are managed so that they are actual grass, not dirt, so no mud there either. Now if someone would explain to me how, in this paradise she's in, Maggie gets scratches each winter....

Eventing101 · Well Schooled

Where i board my 2 horses, it can get VERY! muddy... my paint has had mud fever before but thats not the point... andway, since this winter has been the worst- no snow, rain snow, then warm weather melting the snow, then rain and so on, they have installed the large diameter PVC pipes where it gets really muddy becuase in all our paddocks we have a small river soo he puts them in then covers it with rocks then layers the rocks with shavings and replaces the shavings once every 3-5 months, it matters the use of the paddock and the waether.... hope this helps