Winter hacks

Rain, cold and dark are a challenge, but these expert tips will give you the ammunition to face whatever winter has in store, writes Stephanie Bateman

- Stephanie Bateman

IT'S that time of year when our lush green pastures turn to muddy bogs and we spend more time mucking out and - filling haynets than riding our horses, but all is not lost. With a little organisation and pre-planning, you can tackle these wintry issues to make for a wonderful winter with your horse.

Mud-busting

THERE'S no getting away from mud in the winter when it comes to keeping horses, but there are ways to reduce it both in the field and on your horse...

• "If you have enough space, section off areas and rotate your pasture to avoid over-grazing," says Kent farmer and livery yard owner Michael Williams. "Laying sand, crushed rock or wood products will help eliminate mud and cut down on erosion."
• "Paddocks need sufficient drainage to help route water away," he adds. "Drainage gravel underneath footings allows water to flow into the ground, and a drainage pipe diverts away from pasture. Clear nearby ditches so they don't restrict drainage."
• Rotating feeding areas can prevent too much foot traffic in the same spot creating poached areas, so make a habit of changing where you feed your horse.

Preventing fields from becoming poached is hard, but not impossible.

"Use high-quality rubber honeycomb grass mats," advises John Mathews of Fieldguard. "They can be laid at any time of the year, but spring and summer are best to allow the grass to grow up into the holes before winter. Rubber matting will follow gentle undulations - if the area is reasonably level, mats can be laid directly onto the ground. If they are laid on to mud alone, with no existing grass, seed the area first."