Mud-Free Turnouts for Horses

Introduction

Horses are tough on pastures and paddocks. Grass pastures and dirt paddocks alike can easily turn into a muddy mess during wet weather from horse activity and hoof damage. Areas with heavy horse traffic, like gates, feeders, and shelters, may turn into bare spots that generate dust when it’s dry and mud when it’s wet. A solution to these problems involves installing an all-weather paddock.

This article is part one of three; the second part, Construction of Equine All-Weather Paddocks for Mud-Free Management, describes more detailed design considerations for these all-weather paddocks. The third part, Options for Quick-Fix Mud-Free Horse Turnouts, suggests some temporary constructions.

The Problem: Mud on Horse Farms

Often, horse farm managers designate certain paddocks that can get torn up in order to preserve the valuable grass in pastures. These may be referred to as a sacrifice paddock, dry lot, or exercise yard. Sometimes they are also used for turning out equines that cannot graze due to health conditions (such as equine metabolic syndrome or laminitis) where it is important that there is no vegetation present. However, the lack of vegetation plus heavy horse traffic can result in muddy areas that can cause health problems for horses, pollution problems in the environment, and make horse care quite difficult.

Mud and Horse Health

Mud supports bacteria, fungi, and other pathogens that can compromise horse health and cause abscesses, scratches, rain rot, pastern dermatitis, or thrush. The continued access to wet conditions can weaken the hoof structure and cause unsoundness. 

For horse and owner comfort, the ability to easily pass through a high-traffic area without having shoes sucked off by deep mud will make chores more efficient and enjoyable. Mud creates slick conditions for both humans and horses, increasing the risk of injury. Cleanup time prior to riding the horse is reduced without muddy legs to clean and treat for infections.

Horses that are fed on muddy ground can ingest dirt or sand particles attached to hay or feed, which can lead to colic. Animals that must continually stand in muddy conditions tend to chill quicker than those in dry conditions. An article featuring horse management during wet weather has additional details.

Mud and Pollution

One environmental objective of mitigating muddy areas on horse farms is to reduce sediment and nutrient runoff to nearby water sources. Sediment is lost from farms via erosion, whereby soil particles wash away with stormwater precipitation flows and degrade nearby surface water quality. Nutrients are produced by horses in manure (urine and feces). When little or no vegetation is present to utilize these fertilizer nutrients (particularly, nitrogen and phosphorus), they are more likely to be picked up by precipitation flow and washed away, where they can cause water quality problems like algae blooms and fish kills.

Many horse farms with large, lush pastures have a low density of animals per acre, in which case the nitrogen and phosphorus runoff may not be of large concern. However, densely populated horse farms are more likely to produce sediment and nutrient runoff and may be subject to environmental regulations. For example, in the state of Pennsylvania, farms with more than 2,000 pounds of horse weight per acre and more than eight horses are considered Concentrated Animal Operations (CAOs) and are required to have a professionally developed Nutrient Management Plan. Read about the Pennsylvania Nutrient Management Program for more information on Pennsylvania manure management regulations.

In addition, Pennsylvania farms with more than 5,000 square feet of denuded land (no longer supports vegetative cover) are required to write an Agricultural Erosion and Sedimentation Plan to minimize the risk of erosion. Nutrient management practices, although developed for this one state, Pennsylvania, can be the basis of improved environment in and around equine facilities in other places. Check for guidelines in your own jurisdiction.

Mud and Nuisances

Wet areas and accumulated manure support egg laying and development of some insect pests such as filth flies and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying to both humans and animals but can carry disease and cause allergic reactions. In addition, these degraded turnout areas tend to be muddy in the wet months, but in the drier weather can become dusty. Dust is a potential health risk for equines’ respiratory systems and a possible problem for humans working in and around these same conditions. Dust and insects can leave the horse farm to become a nuisance to nearby properties.

The Solution: All-Weather Paddocks

Degraded areas that turn muddy can be improved to mitigate these nuisance and pollution problems. The recommended method is to install an all-weather paddock, which may also be referred to as a heavy-use area.

An all-weather paddock provides a compacted support material over a sub-base that will shed water and remain strong even when wet. They resemble an outdoor riding arena surface when well-managed, and are not as unsightly as a muddy paddock. Not all paddock locations are good candidates for installing all-weather paddocks. It is highly recommended to locate paddocks on higher ground and in areas that are accessible to the stable. “High-and-dry” locations reduce the risk of flooding, standing water, and/or weak soil properties.

Details of all-weather paddock construction follow the basics common for supporting a light-duty road or riding arena and are found in Part 2 of this article series. In brief, some topsoil and all sod is removed from the all-weather paddock site. Slope or crown the sub-base (the exposed soil) to shed water and divert any incoming water from the all-weather paddock site. It is recommended to work with an agricultural engineer when planning drainage to ensure that water is diverted to an appropriate place. The next steps are adding a dense layer of support material to provide stability against deep, muddy pockets and then adding a top surface of horse-friendly material.

The design recommendations provided in this article series may also be used for smaller all-weather pads in horse high-traffic areas along travel lanes, around water and feed sources, or near gates. Horse stocking density, distance and slope to surface water, and pathways to groundwater are considered in locating and designing these all-weather paddocks.

The paddock should have safe, sturdy fencing. Horse contact with the paddock fence is likely in a smaller area, and horses are more likely to be running and playing if it is the only turnout available in poor weather. It is recommended to locate gate and feeding areas on high ground relative to the rest of the all-weather paddock.

All-weather paddock maintenance includes frequent (perhaps daily!) removal of manure to prolong the useful surface life. Any uneaten hay on the ground should also be removed regularly. These organic materials decompose, hold water, and build up a soggy layer that the all-weather paddock is meant to avoid. Frequent cleaning of the all-weather paddock will reduce the chance of manure mud and decomposed manure dust. A grid or paver assembly may be added to help hold the surface material in place, especially in high-traffic areas, such as near a gate. Use of a hay feeder can also reduce the amount of hay found on the ground of the paddock.

Summary

The all-weather paddock is valuable for allowing horses to exercise at liberty during all weather conditions since it will not be muddy, slick, or frozen into uneven mud potholes. If daily turnout of horses is needed on densely stocked farms, then all-weather paddocks are an excellent solution to the inevitable mud problems. For some farm management situations, the all-weather surface may only be needed near areas where many horses congregate, along horse or vehicle travel lanes, where handlers need to walk, or in enclosures that provide access to multiple pastures from a common shed/feeding location. The all-weather paddock is a sturdy multi-layer construction similar to an outdoor riding area, in many ways, and is detailed in Part 2 of this series.

Additional Resources

• Construction of Equine All-Weather Surfaces for Mud-Free Management
  
  • All-Weather Paddock Design: Part 2 of 3. Eileen Fabian (Wheeler) and Laura Kenny. Penn State Extension.  
• Options for Quick-fix Mud-free Horse Turnouts
  • All-Weather Paddock Design. Part 3 of 3. Eileen Fabian (Wheeler); Laura Kenny. Penn State Extension.
• Horse management during wet weather. Brittani Kirkland. Penn State Extension. 
• Filth fly control of horse farms. Erika Machtinger. Penn State Extension. 
• Rain rot in horses. Brittani Kirkland. Penn State Extension. 
• Mosquito borne diseases EEE and WNV. Laura Kenny. Penn State Extension. 
• What Type of Nutrient or Manure Management Plan Do I Need for My Farm?
• Agricultural erosion and sediment control planning resources. Danielle Rhea and Jennifer Weld. Penn State Extension. 
• Fence planning for horses. Eileen Fabian Wheeler and Jennifer Zajaczkowski. Penn State Extension. 

This article was developed from: Horse Stable and Riding Arena Design, by Eileen Fabian Wheeler, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and used with permission.

Thanks to Dr. Danielle Smarsh (Equine Extension Specialist, Assistant Professor, Animal Science, Penn State University) for helpful article improvements during peer review.