Tips for Keeping Your Horse's Living Space Clean During Spring

When the snow is melting during those first weeks of spring you may be challenged on how to prevent the mud from building up in your horse's barn yard. While we cannot prevent mud as a whole, we can take certain preventive measures to avoid the mess in the spring meltdown. I will cover the why, when and how to keep your horse's living conditions clean during spring!

Why does your horse need a mud free living space? Well, if your horse is standing in moist soil for too long their hooves may begin to rot out. The moisture that compacts into the hoof will create a welcoming environment for bacteria to grow and destroy your horse's hoof. If your horse is showing signs of tenderness in their feet and legs you need to remedy the muddy environment quickly. You will also want to prevent mud to ensure clean feed for your horse. If you are feeding your horse hay on the ground, you will want to be sure the ground is firm and dry. Feeding the hay from muddy ground will increase the chance of your horse suffering from a worm infestation. The hay will become moist and over time will create a very bacteria friendly environment . One other reason to keep your horses home mud free is for your convinience! No one likes to walk through mud to care for their horse.

When do you take the measures needed to prevent mud.? The answer is pretty basic, and it is really all the time. You will constantly need to monitor the moisture level of your horses barn and pasture. If there are puddles throughout the year, you will need to fix them immediately so they do not become a problem. During the winter you will want to take measures to be sure the snow will melt away from your horse. In the fall you can collect materials to use for bedding so that the barn has lots of absorbent material to soak up the water. The only time you cannot prevent mud is when it has already occupied your horses home! Prevention is key to controlling moisture in your horses barn yard.

So how exactly can you prevent the mud? Well, planning is very important. When you are arranging your fences and sheds, be sure to level the area and fill any low spots. You may need to dig some drainage ditches to allow the water to run off from the rains and the snow melt. Be sure to build the horse's shed on high ground. You will want to mound the soil arround the shed or barn so that the rain and any running water will run away from the shed.

Bedding is also very important when considering mud prevention. Be sure to layer straw and pine shavings to keep the area in the shed dry and clean. When the bedding is wet, you can layer over it to compact the ground, or remove the old bedding and lay down a new cover. Bedding should be about 6 inches thick for maximum absorbancy. Mixing straw with wood shavings is the best combination to prevent moisture buildup and leave a soft bed for the horse.

You will also need to consider your water source. Always place your water trough on high ground. Spills are common and drainage is necessary. Clean water is a vital nutrient for you horse and is needed to assure health in your animal. If you are constantly battling puddles around your water trough, move the trough for a week or so and build up the area with outside dirt and compact the ground very tightly. Rotating the placement of your water trough will give the ground some time to recover from the wear as well as allow the grass to grow up again in the area. Rotating your feeding area will also help prevent wear on the ground and muddy spots. Always place hay and any other feed for your horse on dry ground so the feed does not become contaminated.

Mucking out your horses stall is very important in spring. Keeping the area manure free will greatly help you with your battle against the mud and moisture. Be sure to throw the manure in a place that is far from your horse's home to ensure it will not be a problem in the future. Manure is a breeding ground for all sorts of things including bacteria, mold, and many parasites.

If there are many muddy areas in your horse's pasture you will need to be sure to bathe your horse. By simply rinsing the mud off the horses legs and feet you will clean out the hooves and allow for better air flow. Be sure to pick the horse's hooves daily during the spring to prevent any foreign objects from becoming lodged in their hoof.

Spring is muddy, but summer will be coming soon. Grass will start growing and the horse will be able to run through their pastures again. If you do have any problem areas, be sure to take care of them in the summer and fall months so that by the following spring mud will become less of a problem!