11/08/2026
We have been exploring more options for mud management. We are fortunate to have received a grant for a water bar last year and gutters this year. We continue to explore the use of wool to stabilize soils and areas of hard standing around hay feeders, water tubs and run ins. Track systems and strip grazing are helping us rehabilitate pastures. It is a long process but showing real promise. We love the info we get from Healthy Pastures, Healthy Horses. The team there works hard to provide the very best information.
The grazing season is usually pretty long, and equine stewards often have animals out on pasture for most if not all of it.
In the fall we may not think to make allowances for decreasing forage, and adjust grazing time and numbers accordingly. This can create a situation of decreased root mass, compacted soils, and open spaces. If we have drought conditions, the lack of rain contributes to this damage.
When fall rains start, the sudden moisture can cause problems that impact pastures not just now but well into and even through next year's grazing season.
The first way this can happen is that unfortunately rains aren't always soft, and heavy rains can cause serious erosion. In compacted pastures without forage coverage and healthy root systems, water often simply runs off, taking with it soil and nutrients.
It's so tempting to put horses right out on pastures after rains, but the second issue results if animals are allowed back in before soils and forage have sufficient rest and recovery. Heavy bodies and sharp hooves can cause significant damage to wet or even moist soils. This can displace soil, tear up roots, and cause pugging.
It can also alter runoff pathways, creating water movement we don't want. If we have multiple animals, particularly young ones, there will also be an occasional stampede or explosion of play. These can create areas of pretty serious damage, and put our animals at risk of injury on slippery, uneven surfaces.
We know that it's tempting to let horses back into pastures after rains return. They're bored, fidgety, and getting into trouble. But allowing them to graze areas that are saturated, even though we're beginning to see a little green, isn't a good decision for the sake of forage and soil health.
We want to give pastures sufficient time for rest and recovery, and allow the moisture to work its way down through the soil and evaporate. We need to make the time to let animals work off energy in the round pen, arena, or sacrifice area. While they can tear those up too, they can't damage soil and grasses that we're counting on for good grazing next summer.
A tip: this is a really good time to see water flow patterns, so that we can identify problem areas and make a plan for a drainage system before spring.
