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 I hate cooking and cleaning
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Location: Jersey Girl | How detrimental is this for a horse?
I moved my horses in the fall to a farm with an indoor. Pastures seemed moist but no big deal. With all the rain and snow my horses are standing in mud all the time. I am talking 3 or 4 inches of mud or the water is just laying on top in spots. I do bring them in at night to get them out of it and so they can dry out some but I prefer to leave them out 24/7. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1631
 
Location: Somewhere around here | I feel like it could be fairly bad for their feet if they are kept in it 24/7. Our horses are outside all day every day (just because we don't have the money for a barn otherwise I'd definitely use that) and last winter was terrible for their feet. I was picking them out every day but it wasn't helping and they started getting thrush. Ended up using iodine in a spray bottle to clear it up and keep it from coming back until we were able to move them to a drier spot on the property. Maybe spray iodine on their hooves once a day or once every other day? Gotta be careful with that stuff though, can't over do it. |
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 Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
| Sometimes, you just don't have a choice. It got really nasty muddy here and my horses are out 24/7 without a barn or shelter. However, we were able to extend their pasture up by the house where the grass had a chance to grow pretty thick so they've been up here out of the mud for now. |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9991
Location: Kansas | some horses actually like the mud. Only downside is of course you have a mudball horse, and thrush would be a big issue. |
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 Hog Tie My Mojo
Posts: 4847
Location: Opelousas, LA | Our broodmares are in mud for several months straight down here, it is not good on thier feet but they aren't getting worked so they do fine. The horses that we ride are the ones I really worry about. I bring them in and hose the mud off thier feet and legs and I make sure to hose out the bottom of thier feet also. After they have been in a clean, dry stall all night, I paint the frog and the lower half of the hoof with Coppertox. The Coppertox is oily and helps repel moisture along with keeping fungal infections out of the frog and nail holes but it won't make the foot too soft. If you do this 4-5 times a week it really makes a difference. |
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 Midget Lover
Location: Kentucky | I have three on about an acre and a half. I have mud in about half of that area... especially when they congregate near the round bale. It's just a fact of life for me. They do spend 12 hours out and 12 hours in the stall. I have not seen any ill effects from it yet. I do keep feet cleaned out when they go in the barn. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 518
| Our horses have lived in that some springs. sometimes there are just no other options. They had a dry shelter they could go in but would much prefer to be out in mud. We never had a problem with thrush and never did anything special to prevent it. The biggest thing I worried about was them slipping. I had more problems with them fooling around and getting sore. The only thing I could do to prevent this was to keep there feet trimmed and try to make sure they had exersize out of the pasture. Will the pasture dry up eventually or is it going to be like that all year long? All year standing in mud would worry more more than just seasonally |
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 Expert
Posts: 2013
Location: Piedmont, OK | If there is not dry ground for them I would suggest you use Coppertox which will repel water or Rikkens to harden their feet. |
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I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3310
Location: Jersey Girl | avmalibu - 2016-03-17 11:52 AM Our horses have lived in that some springs. sometimes there are just no other options. They had a dry shelter they could go in but would much prefer to be out in mud. We never had a problem with thrush and never did anything special to prevent it. The biggest thing I worried about was them slipping. I had more problems with them fooling around and getting sore. The only thing I could do to prevent this was to keep there feet trimmed and try to make sure they had exersize out of the pasture. Will the pasture dry up eventually or is it going to be like that all year long? All year standing in mud would worry more more than just seasonally
If we have a week without rain and the temps are decedent it does dry up. Not completely as the area is known for moist ground.
My farrier advised meto paint venice turpintine on their feet. I have had no real issues caused from the mud so far. |
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I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3310
Location: Jersey Girl | soonergirl98 - 2016-03-17 12:26 PM If there is not dry ground for them I would suggest you use Coppertox which will repel water or Rikkens to harden their feet.
What is Rikkens? |
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 Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11493
Location: 31 lengths farms | I'm in the same situation...my pens are bogs now and my pastures are muddy wet messes. We have a choice of 4 inches of mud and poop and pee, you can't clean pens when it just becomes part of the mud by the time you get home or we have the wet muddy pastures with spots of "grass" or drier mud, LOL!!! I've been tying them up to the trailer or the fence a couple times a week for a few hours so their feet can breathe and "dry out" and put either Keratex on them or Mycaseptic. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 788
| soonergirl98 - 2016-03-17 11:26 AM
If there is not dry ground for them I would suggest you use Coppertox which will repel water or Rikkens to harden their feet.
agreed!! You better start putting something on them now before there is a problem. Thrush can be detrimental if not taken care of before it gets bad, and mud or dirty stalls are 99% of the cause. Kopertox is the best you can get but make sure you have on gloves or you will turn into the hulk! |
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Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
Location: Oklahoma | fulltiltfilly - 2016-03-17 11:31 AM
soonergirl98 - 2016-03-17 12:26 PM If there is not dry ground for them I would suggest you use Coppertox which will repel water or Rikkens to harden their feet.
What is Rikkens?
I think she is talking about Jim Rickens Sole Paint. |
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 Shoot Yeah
Posts: 4273
Location: Where you need a paddle... Oregon! | In years past my horses were in mud during the day and I'd bring them in at night, hose their legs and feet, and spray a mixture of ACV and tea tree oil on the bottom of their feet. This year I don't have a stall and her run in is even mud. I'm having a little harder time keeping on top of it and I see she's beginning to get thrush. Also, she lost hair on her legs, which I treated with vetricyn and it's growing back. So ready for summer. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1367
Location: mi | This winter has been warm and wet for us that has meant that off and on since November mine are standing in mud up to their ankles for 12 hours a day. In November and now again for all of march they have been in the mud for probably a good month straight. They all come in at night to nice dry bedded stalls and their feet and legs are showing no ill effects from the mud and I do nothing special to their feet other then just making sure stalls are nice and dry and bedded when they come in at night. In fact the farrier was just out yesterday and I even asked if anyone was starting to get thrushy and he said no everyone looked great. So I wouldn't worry too much IF its just a spring thing.
Edited by ajs2002 2016-03-18 7:33 AM
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I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3310
Location: Jersey Girl | ajs2002 - 2016-03-18 8:31 AM This winter has been warm and wet for us that has meant that off and on since November mine are standing in mud up to their ankles for 12 hours a day. In November and now again for all of march they have been in the mud for probably a good month straight. They all come in at night to nice dry bedded stalls and their feet and legs are showing no ill effects from the mud and I do nothing special to their feet other then just making sure stalls are nice and dry and bedded when they come in at night. In fact the farrier was just out yesterday and I even asked if anyone was starting to get thrushy and he said no everyone looked great. So I wouldn't worry too much IF its just a spring thing.
I am hoping it is just a Spring thing but because I haven't been there long I can't say for sure. The pasture did dry up pretty nicely and then we had a lot of rain last weekend. Its slowly drying out but now they are calling for snow/rain Sunday morning into Monday so it will be a sloppy mess again. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2457
| Longneck - 2016-03-17 12:32 PM
fulltiltfilly - 2016-03-17 11:31 AM
soonergirl98 - 2016-03-17 12:26 PM If there is not dry ground for them I would suggest you use Coppertox which will repel water or Rikkens to harden their feet.
What is Rikkens?
I think she is talking about Jim Rickens Sole Paint.
I use coppertox to keep the thrush out and Rickens to harden up the soles - works really well with our muddy, nasty, wet runs.
We also scrape our runs a couple times a year with the tractor to remove all the soft dirt and manure that piles up on top of the base, which is made of crushed and packed limestone. |
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Expert
Posts: 1367
Location: mi | I am going to guess its just a spring thing and then it will be hit or miss mud depending on how big of a rain storm you get. If they actually have dried up at times that is good. Mine have not been dry since last November other then when it got cold enough to freeze. and again mine are all fine. It wouldn't hurt to get some foot stuff and treat every few days but really it doesn't sound like its anything to really worry about at this point. I would worry if they are still in mud daily late into June.
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 Veteran
Posts: 234
Location: Oklahoma | When we went through our 100 year flood here in oklahoma last year I had heck with my horses being in mudd for a couple months. It was awful we have this horrible black clay like mudd. I did have a horse almost founder from being in it as we had no dry spot they are out in a pasture with just trees. Ended up having to get her to a freinds were she lived in soft rides and a stall for a month and a half. She did end up being fine but it was scary.. Diet and nothing changed other then we had rain for weeks and towards the end of it she started getting sore then to the point she could walk as her feet were soft. |
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