Let’s Talk MUD on the Horse Farm

remaining spring and summer months.
During the summer months when horses have access to the pastures care should be taken to not graze the pastures too short. Grazing should be limited to approximately two inches so that the pasture plants are able to quickly rejuvenate. If you are fortunate to have the space for multiple pastures it is best to rotate the horses between the pastures moving them every five or six days. Each pasture should be of sufficient size to provide each horse with one to two acres. During times of extremely hot and dry weather the pastures may not grow very quickly. Even when practicing rotational grazing you may find that the pasture plants are slow to rejuvenate. At times like this it is recommended that horses be confined to the sacrifice area until the pasture plants begin to grow and reach five to six inches. In early autumn when nighttime temperatures begin to drop plant growth slows dramatically.
Turn your horses out only when the pasture plants have grown to five or six inches otherwise leave your horses in the sacrifice area. Taking care to not overgraze pasture plants in the autumn allows them to go dormant in a healthy state and quickly come out of dormancy in the spring.
No matter how wet or dry your small paddocks or sacrifice areas are it is always best to remove the deposited manure from them to prevent mud. Ideally it is recommended that manure be removed at least once per week. Manure removal may be required at a more frequent intervals in high traffic areas such as around water stations and gates. Removal of manure from paddocks or sacrifice areas not only increases the visual appeal of your farm by preventing mud but it also creates a healthier environment for your horses.
Directing and Controlling Incoming Water
Soil and manure require water in order to be transformed into mud. By controlling the amount of water entering your paddockssacrifice area you can control the amount of mud that is generated. The first step is to divert any roof runoff water away from the paddockssacrifice area. The installation of eavestroughs and downspouts on your barns and runin shelters will reduce the amount of water entering onto your paddockssacrifice area. If possible downspouts should be directed towards a lowlying area outside the paddocksacrifice area.
Roof runoff water is clean and it should be discharged into a location