We love this little guide, especially number three!

Tips for preparing horses for wet weather

  1. Pig oil – sprayed lightly on legs before turnout stops mud sticking
  2. To hose muddy legs or not to hose muddy legs – best to bandage loosely or put on wraps and let the mud dry.  If you do hose off then legs must be dried off thoroughly ( this only really works on clipped legs)
  3. Put your horse at full livery and let someone else do all the work
  4. Provide boredom busters if they have to stay in
  5. There aren’t any flies in the winter, so keep the tail well-trimmed to stop it getting too muddy
  6. Rubber grooming mitts are great and come like new after a trip in the washing machine
  7. If putting out hay put it in lots of piles or lots of haynets away from the gate to stop the gateway getting even boggier
  8. Remember – wet weather usually means its mild – so don’t over rug or over feed your horse
  9. Make sure they have somewhere to shelter or get out of the rain and wind

Yard preparations for horses in wet weather

  1. Grass mats in gateways work for some fields
  2. If possible, have a second gateway to use when the first gets muddy
  3. Loose schooling and turnout in school where grazing limited by wet ground
  4. Have lots of old towels
  5. Use electric fencing to create a second gateway to stop more poaching
  6. Doesn’t look that neat, but laying straw on mud / wet areas can help