Wet, muddy conditions cause multiple welfare problems for horses including skin disease, foot conditions, and thermal stress, requiring proactive management throughout wet seasons.
Prolonged exposure to wet and muddy conditions creates multiple compounding welfare problems. Mud fever causes painful skin lesions. Softened hooves develop bruising and are more susceptible to thrush infection causing frog pain. Horses standing in cold mud lose body heat and may develop hypothermia in severe conditions. Navigation of deep mud requires extra energy and can cause muscle fatigue. The cumulative welfare burden of a prolonged wet winter without adequate management can be substantial. Shelter, dry standing areas, and appropriate field management are not luxuries but welfare necessities for horses kept outdoors in temperate climates.