# Keeping Clean in a muddy pasture?



## ilovemyPhillip (Apr 4, 2009)

Hi everyone,
I have a very very very very VERY muddy pasture, it has like NO grass, so when it rains, the horses seem to sink down in the mud. We have no running water at my farm, so bathing is the best bet. I know brushing, but is there some way to you, help with it? We are trying to grow grass, but that won't be happen too soon in the future. The same problem is with my goats... but the REALLY sad part is that we have 2 Palominos, a white, and a dark bay, so the dirt REALLY shows up :?.

Anny


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## RedRoan (Mar 2, 2009)

I have sort of the same issue. But our pasture there are dry spots. But of course our horses love rolling in the most muddiest part of the pasture. My horse is a varnished red roan, but hes mostly white. He has red legs so that saves me a lot of time getting ready for the random winter/spring show that comes up.

I don't know about fixing the pasture, only just letting the horses in their stalls at night and if it rains keep them in their stalls. That gives the field a breather, also rotating pastures helps a lot.

The best advice I can give you is to groom every day. Yeah its time consuming but it pays off if you want a 'cleanish' horse. If you want to get ride of the nasty poopy spots and spots that seem to concentrate in a certain area on your horse, using a spray on green spot remover helps. But like I said grooming every day helps. 

I've also found that letting your horse roll in a dry arena helps him from being tempted to roll in a super muddy spot in the feild. (But thats my horse, another horse if you turn them out they will roll anywhere haha).


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

It always seems the lighter the color of the horse, the better they are at finding the muddiest part of the field to roll in. :?
Can you use turn out sheets? I've thought of getting one for my blackhorse so when I get her clean she stays that way longer. Just a light weight one for the main riding seasons when I ride about every day. She loves to roll in dusty areas so she is always dusty. I swear she is part chicken and loves to dust herself.:lol:


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## ilovemyPhillip (Apr 4, 2009)

No stalls, just a run-in shelter, the barn is being built.
Vidaloco - like a fly blanket?


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## RedRoan (Mar 2, 2009)

I don't think a fly blanket would do because it has holes in it, and I am not sure how water proof they are. 

At my barn we have put large bark chips down in front of the gates. It seems to help a little, but they erode pretty fast so you gotta keep on putting more in.


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## ilovemyPhillip (Apr 4, 2009)

We have TONS of wood chips I guess I could spread around. We have a chipper, and like 7 acres of woods that needs to be cleared, so getting chips isn't a problem. I'll suggest this to my step dad, although he doesn't care if his horse gets muddy. He doesn't really care at all. He just makes sure theyre safe, fed, watered, and that he can gallop away. Huh, he doen't get it. Oh well, thanks for the advice.


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

No I think a fly sheet would just pack with mud. They make light summer weight turnout sheets. They're usually waterproof too.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

My experience has been that it's impossible to keep a white horse clean, even when it's not really muddy. I've always heard (perhaps an old wife's tale) that 'late' foals (late April/May) were often 'mud babies' and our mainly white mare, Lady, certainly is


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

How funny Painthorsemares :lol: I used to have a pale grey almost white mare. I would give her a bath, get her good and dry, turn her out in a clean pasture and I swear she would poop just so she could roll in it.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

Yeah, I think a nice turn-out sheet should keep the mud off a bit, it's much easier to use one of those because when you go to groom your horse, there's not much mud to clean off, you know?


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## sandy2u1 (May 7, 2008)

I dont have any input on what you should do...but I feel your pain. Right now we are working on getting the pasture grass right and we have 4 horses and a mini donkey in a very very muddy turnout. We have had so much rain!!!! Anyway, Major is a black horse and right now he looks like little orphan Major. Even with his mane....its really thick so its easily tangled up with mud. I cant change my situation right now and it doesnt sound like you can change yours.....IDK about you, but I feel my only hope is the drier days to come .


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## ajegberg (Apr 16, 2008)

Thankfully our pastures are pretty good, and now that spring has arrived, things are looking even better! I definitely agree that a lightweight turnout sheet that is breathable and waterproof will go a long way toward keeping your horse clean. When the mud dries on it, brush it off. That will help keep it in decent shape throughout the season.

Grooming frequently is also a must to keep the mud build-up off of the belly and legs. When I don't have time to do full groomings, I spray the manes and tails with detangler every other day. I have a couple of horses with very long, thick manes and tails and it cuts grooming time by a lot if I can keep their hair tangle-free.

Allowing the horses the roll in a nice dry area is another great suggestion that someone else also made. And, the wood chips are excellent! Make sure they aren't of the poisonous variety though...cherry, black walnut, etc.... Make sure to put down a very thick layer since they sink into the mud and disappear otherwise. 

Good luck!


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## kchfuller (Feb 1, 2008)

both of my mares LOVE the mud ... so i groom a lot and keep a sheet on them most of the time during the day and then a light water proof blanket on them at night ... also if it isn't too cold i hose their legs off b/c it can "rot" if you don't get it off and water is the best way. You can always sponge them off and dry them with a towel. It's a never ending battle!


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## Joshie (Aug 26, 2008)

Give up.


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

Joshie said:


> Give up.


....:lol::shock:.....


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

PaintHorseMares said:


> My experience has been that it's impossible to keep a white horse clean, even when it's not really muddy. I've always heard (perhaps an old wife's tale) that 'late' foals (late April/May) were often 'mud babies' and our mainly white mare, Lady, certainly is


You call it LATE! My paint is mid of September! Lol! 

I noticed that too that she's generally more dirty than my sorrel qh. Although some days when it's very windy she's much cleaner. I think in summer those white ones are more attractive for flies, so that can be one of the reasons. And yes, fly sheet doesn't help at all - I tried that.  So just keep brushing her every day.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Oh, actually one more suggestion... You can cover the whole field with those rubber stall mats. :lol: I use them around the hay rack and they stay pretty clean compare to the ground....


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## Jessabel (Mar 19, 2009)

This time of year, there's really nothing you can do about the mud. My horses are filthy right now, too. Drives me crazy, but the only alternative would be to keep them in their stalls 24/7 until the paddocks dry up. Obviously, that's not a plausible option. Therefor I put up with the mud. ;( Summer is on the way, though. Finally.

I bet it's frustrating with light-colored horses. The best you can do would be to use a metal curry and grooming block to scrape the dried mud off. There are also white-enhancing products you can get once it's warm enough to bathe them.


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## Pally (Mar 23, 2009)

It's muddy season here too. Still cool (well actually it snowed this week :roll so I have had a waterproof sheet on. As for his legs, I usually don't groom them when I first bring him in and the mud is wet. Usually when I'm done riding it has dried, so I can brush it off much more easily. Of course, I have a dry place to ride, so that helps.


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## Liberty (Jan 18, 2009)

everyone is saying a fly sheet won't work, BUT: I'm here to disagree. 

I have one on my horse and it works wonders. somehow it keeps him pretty dry too. I take it off, and underneath... amazing cleaness. 

Right now it's really muddy in his pasture too. I only get out to the barn once a week allot, and so he's only groomed about once a month, and he stays super super clean with the fly sheet! 

A shedding blade can get even the most mud covered horse ever, clean in a few minutes. I groom my horses primarily with a shedding blade in the spring, cause it removes the hair and the mud at the same time.


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## ilovelucy91 (Mar 11, 2009)

I have a grey (basically white) mare and I keep a light summer sheet on her on the days it is warmer and a heavier one for when it is really cold the only thing wrong with it is I don't have anything to cover her neck (so of course she scratches it on the muddiest areas lol) and her legs and belly are constantly muddy and there isn't much you can do with wet mud but rinse it off (but you said you don't have running water?) so I guess you would have to wait for it to dry (I believe someone already mentioned working them somewhere dry and then brushing off the dried mud) and I believe someone already mentioned this also but you need to watch out for the "rotting" it is NOT fun  anyways sorry for the super long post about stuff people already covered...good luck!


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## horseoffire (Apr 7, 2009)

sheets,slinkeys, and tail bags


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