We love this little guide, especially number three!
Tips for preparing horses for wet weather
- Pig oil – sprayed lightly on legs before turnout stops mud sticking
- 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)
- Put your horse at full livery and let someone else do all the work
- Provide boredom busters if they have to stay in
- There aren’t any flies in the winter, so keep the tail well-trimmed to stop it getting too muddy
- Rubber grooming mitts are great and come like new after a trip in the washing machine
- 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
- Remember – wet weather usually means its mild – so don’t over rug or over feed your horse
- Make sure they have somewhere to shelter or get out of the rain and wind
Yard preparations for horses in wet weather
- Grass mats in gateways work for some fields
- If possible, have a second gateway to use when the first gets muddy
- Loose schooling and turnout in school where grazing limited by wet ground
- Have lots of old towels
- Use electric fencing to create a second gateway to stop more poaching
- Doesn’t look that neat, but laying straw on mud / wet areas can help