Farriery

Should Muddy Paddocks Concern Horse Owners?

By Landon Gray

Veterinarians should inform horse owners of the serious health problems associated with muddy footing as well as provide measures for the prevention of mud and to keep owners’ equine facilities clean and safe, according to a presentation given as part of the Cornell Equine Seminar Series.

“Studies have shown horses housed in muddy environments are at a significantly higher risk for developing problems [such as thrush, dermatitis and cellulitis],” said presenter Ken Estes Jr., an agriculture program leader for Cornell Cooperative Extension in Livingston County, New York. “These health issues can cause pain discomfort in horses and none of us want that. Moreover, muddy conditions can lead to pollution and increase insect populations, further endangering the well-being of horses and their caretakers.”

These issues are of particular concern if horses are constantly in mud that covers their coronary bands. In addition to the issues listed above, they are at risk for penetration injuries and coronary band dysplasia, presenter Steve Kraus, BS, CJF, told Modern Equine Vet.

Especially in regions and areas with usual heavy rainfalls and mild winters, like New York, mud is an annual issue for all livestock producers. Mud can be dangerous to move equipment in through the winter; hay feeding and lack of maintenance can negatively affect horses. According to Mr. Estes, mud will deplete food storage in horses and livestock, making it harder for horses to maintain weight. High traffic areas where animals congregate, such as feed and water locations, tend to be the worst. These are the areas that most commonly cause issues related to mud.

“We have poor draining soil and horses pretty much wreck the environments that they’re in, unless you do things to prevent that,” said Mr. Kraus, who is the head of Farrier Services at the Cornell University Hospital for Animals, in New York. “Constant moisture just degrades the hoof itself so that even if you could nail the shoe on, the nails won’t hold, making it more likely to have hoof infections. And the proof of that is in this mild winter that we’ve had where we’ve had more mud than usual, and I have had to work on more horses with coffin bone infections than usual.”

The only way to prevent muddy paddocks is to install gutters and leaders to move the roof rainwater outside the paddock. Plus removing the native soil and replace that with crusher run fill, topped off with stone dust.

Mr. Estes said owners can test their soil to see how prone it is to become muddy by using the mason jar test. Fill a mason or other glass jar with a cover, halfway with soil, and the other half with water, leaving about a one inch air gap at the surface. The jar then needs to be vigorously shaken, creating a muddy mixture.

Once shaken for approximately 3 minutes, ensure everything is broken down and there’s no visible clumping in the soil. Set the jar aside for 24 hours, during which the fine particles will float to the top, the heavier particles like the sands will float to the bottom. At the end of the 24 hours, owners should be left with a breakdown of how much sand, silt and clay make up their soil. Higher percentages of clays in soil lead to more muddy areas, whereas more sandy areas can filter out water and moisture.

“Mud management is a critical aspect of our equine facility design,” Mr. Estes said. “Prevention is key, and a primary prevention is worth its weight in gold.”

Both presenters recommended regular maintenance and adequate drainage systems to prevent and alleviate muddy paddock conditions.

According to Mr. Kraus, it’s always better to minimize the amount of manure in pastures. For example, compost and organic matter are used in a garden to increase the water holding capacity. In this scenario, owners need to minimize the soil’s water holding capacity to a point where it’s balanced.

“Regular maintenance is key to managing our paddocks and in soil areas to prevent the mud from getting worse,” Mr. Estes said. “Drainage is something that we’re going to have to do. If we can minimize the amount of water that’s entering our paddock areas and our pastures, we’re going to have less of a concern for mud.” MeV

Images courtesy of Steven E. Kraus