Cure winter boredom with barn aisle exercises

When wintery weather sets in, many riders put a halt to all horse activities other than rudimentary care, in essence missing a great opportunity to continue training throughout the year. Actually, a fair amount of groundwork can be done right in the aisle of the barn while you watch the snow or rain whipping around outside.
Safety First!
Your barn aisle must be wide enough for your horse to turn around without bumping into anything, so remove all hanging objects on the stalls that jut into the aisle. Be mindful of herd dynamics. Don’t try an exercise right in front of the herd boss’s stall if she’s apt to lunge with bared teeth into your space.
Don’t try any training if all your horse’s body language says “not today.” Use common sense – don’t choose a day when he’s been inside for days and already hyper, carpenters are hammering on the roof, feeding time is minutes away, or a thunderstorm is approaching.
If your horse starts getting fidgety or uncooperative, don’t push him. Either try something easy for him until he calms or put him back in his stall. Aisle space is too tight for a fight. Relaxation on both your parts is the key to success. Do these exercises in short sessions especially for youngsters. If your horse doesn’t understand an exercise, work with him briefly, then move on to something else and try again the next day.
Let your horse learn by watching; horses take their cues from others just like we do. Don’t rush the learning process and always reward a try by releasing pressure and using encouraging words.
Never use force or fear to try to teach a horse anything especially in a relatively confined space like a barn aisle.
Exercises
Move away from pressure
Put pressure on your horse’s side with the handle of a crop until he takes a step away from the pressure. Wait until he does it, then IMMEDIATELY release the pressure. Repeat on both sides.
Lower head
Again, get your horse to move away from pressure by pressing your fingers down on his poll just enough to be a nuisance (you’re not pushing his head down.) It may take a while, but stay with it until he lowers his head even a tad. Always reward the slightest try with release of pressure.
Yield to the bit
Standing slightly to the side in front of your horse that is bridled with a smooth, jointed snaffle, hook your thumbs through the bit rings and apply slight pressure backward. If he doesn’t yield and “nod” to the rear, keep the same pressure and “toggle” gently from one side to the other so your horse can’t brace against you. Increase pressure until you get a response.
Pick up feet
If your horse has issues about picking up his feet, loop a soft rope around his fetlock and lift the leg up and hold it until he settles. Stand safely out of kicking range and be patient until he accepts it.
Walk across tarp, blanket, or plywood
Throw an old saddle blanket on the aisle floor and have your horse walk over it. If he hesitates, let him sniff it before urging him forward. He may try to sidestep or hop it, but eventually that will be too much effort and he’ll cross comfortably. Put a ¾” square of plywood on the floor and have him cross that. It’s great training for stepping onto bridges or hollow-sounding trailer floors.
Back up
Say “Back” and gently pull back on your horse’s halter while pressing the handle of a crop in the middle of his chest until he steps back.
First Saddling
Introduce your youngster to saddling by showing him a saddle pad, letting him sniff it, rubbing him with it, and eventually placing it on and off his back from both sides. Assess his reaction to each step before going to the next. When he’s totally bored with the pad exercise, introduce the saddle the same way. You can hand-pull a cinch up until it touches him and then let it go a number of times, but never secure a cinch for the first time in an aisle.
Clipper training
Trim the whiskers of a horse accustomed to clippers while your round-eyed “newbie” is nearby in his stall. He’ll see that the clipper monster didn’t eat his stall-mate and be much more receptive when it’s his turn. Turn the clippers on and off to acquaint him with the sound. Let him sniff the clippers when they are off. Rub his nose with them and expect him to startle the first few times because it tickles. Don’t rush the process. Click here for more on clipping.
Spraying
Spray your other horses with a spray bottle first, then spray a newbie from a distance. Move closer as he accepts it. Never start near the face, but spray the lower legs and slowly work up. If he appears anxious, back off and let him think about it before resuming.
The key reasons aisle training works so well are 1) your horse feels secure in his stable; 2) his buddies are typically indoors too and add to his sense of security; 3) the aisle boundaries keep him close to you and straight; 4) learning something new alleviates boredom; and 5) best of all, you reinforce your horse/rider bond by spending time together.

HISTORY OF THE FRIESIAN HORSE

As one of the world’s oldest equine breeds, the Friesian is native to a northern province in The Netherlands called Friesland, where it is deemed a national treasure.
With powerful muscles beneath its lustrous black lacquered coat, and a gentle disposition that endears the animal to those of the two legged kind, the Friesian has enchanted Europeans for centuries. Experts suspect that the Friesian’s most influential ancestor was the prehistoric Equus Robustus, an enormous horse that once roamed Northern Europe.
The Friesian people that lived in the area that is now included in the Northern part of the Netherlands and Germany, and the South of Denmark, were recruited by the Romans to do battle in their legions. Statues on graves of Friesian soldiers on horseback were found as far as Northern England.
The monks where well known for their horse breeding in the middle ages, and reputedly crossed the draft type Equus robustus descendents with lighter horse breeds.
The result was the Friesian, a horse with incredible strength and agility, coupled with a willing, kind, yet lively disposition.
These skilful monks created not only one of Europe’s first pure horse breeds but also one of the world’s first warm-blooded horses.
The Friesian was a coarse looking horse, but strength, docility and endurance was proved when carrying the European Knights during the Crusades to the Middle East. The crusades would keep the knights there for long periods. Friesian became better looking, because breeding with the eastern horses improved the Friesian, as did the infusion of the Andalusian blood when the Spanish occupied The Netherlands during the Eighty Years’ War.
The descendents of this heavy horse were valued as saddle horses by the medieval nobility and are portrayed in paintings by many of the Old Dutch Masters.
In turn the Friesian was used to create other breeds such as the Oldenburg that was mainly founded on Friesian blood (and in later years Oldenburg blood was used to help re-establish the Friesian breed). The New Forest, Dale, Fell Ponies, the Morgan Horse and from there the Standardbred, Orlov Trotter, Swedish Warmblood, Kladruber and the Norwegian Dole Gudbrandsdal were all influenced by the Friesian.
Through its derivative, the Old English Black, the Friesian also influenced England’s Great Horse, now known as the Shire.
The Friesian’s use varies in very many ways, as a coach horse, a horse in harness for riding, for dressage (hitched up or under saddle) as a circus horse and a horse for pleasure. The original Friesian gig, a delightful two wheeled carriage from the second half of the eighteenth century with its typical rococo adornments is traditionally closely connected with the breed. This beautiful combination considerably enhances its baroque appearance.
The Friesian Horse used to appear in all West Europe, but from about 1900 only in Friesland. This province of the Netherlands is still the centre of breeding but at present their popularity is increasing every year, there are now Friesians in Scotland, France, Germany, USA, Mexico, Chili, Yugoslavia, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, South Africa, Luxembourg, Ireland, Austria, Australia, and New Zealand.
Nowadays the Friesian is popular in harness and often in the show-ring. The Friesian can be found in the circus, because of its striking carriage and willingness to adapt itself, is also found under saddle, competing in dressage up to international levels, but its first function remains supreme. It is a cheerful, loyal, very sensitive all-rounder with a unique pleasant character.
Since the movie “Lady Hawke”, the Friesian has also become a popular choice in movies.

 

friesian horses - Keuring in Australia - next one in March 2015

The ANZFHS is the official representative of the Royal Society “The Friesian Horse Studbook”, Koninklijke Vereniging Het Friesch Paarden Stamboek (KFPS), based in the Netherlands. The KFPS is recognised as the World Wide Studbook for the Friesian horse and is the world-wide authority on the Friesian horse. The KFPS has organised the national societies in the World Friesian Horse Association (WFHO)
The ANZFHS currently covers Australia and New Zealand and was established in 1983, celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2009. The first Friesian horse arrived in Australia in 1977 (the stallion Lyckle “B”).The ANZFHS uses the ANZFHS wiki space for discussions between members and you can follow us on our facebook page.
We invite you to explore the world of the Friesian horse if you are new to the breed. If you are already familiar with the breed, or are a member of the ANZFHS and if you are lucky enough to own a Friesian horse, this site will provide you with news, information, photos and items such as the information pack, rules and regulations and the constitution that can be downloaded for your use. Most forms for membership, registration and transfers are also downloadable from this site.
You might be on the verge of joining the small but growing group of Friesian horse owners in Australia and New Zealand. Our website will provide you with information about the rules and regulations and provide you with the procedures how to join as a member, transfer horse ownership or register a horse in the books.
Friesian horse numbers are now close to 600 and are located throughout Australia and New Zealand. The ANZFHS can provide details of breeders and owners in your area. Every 2 years, the ANZFHS organises a “keuring” tour (inspection and classification). The inspections are done by a jury from the mother studbook the KFPS. The next one will be in March / April 2015.
Friesians are becoming quite successfull in the dressage arena. Two stallions in Australia, Abe (Ebony Park Abe) and Django of Cacharel are competing at Grand Prix Level. These two stallions have been awarded the Sport Predicate issued by the KFPS. Five other stallions in Australia also have been awarded the Sport Predicate: Hotse d.V., Jacana TK, Hilwert L., Kai and Omer R.S. fan Top en Twel. One stallion in New Zealand also has been awarded the Sport Predicate, Jolmer fan Twillens. The mares Ynke fan de Greidpleats (OZ), Klaske fan ‘e Olde Hoek (NZ) and Ellie fan de Waldhoeve (NZ) have also been awarded a Sport Predicate. This means they compete at least at Medium Level. The mare Tieke van ‘t Lansink has been awarded a Sport Predicate in Harness.
A judging guide to Friesians is available below.
The ANZFHS registers only Purebred Friesian horses of which the parentage can be determined. The ANZFHS offers assistance with the purchasing and breeding of Friesian horses.
The breeding of Friesians is strictly controlled and depending on the parentage of a horse they will recorded in a specific book. There are no approved studbook stallion in Australia or New Zealand. We have a number of foalbook stallions with a breeding permit. If you are purchasing a Friesian horse and there is any uncertainty of the breeding of the horse and its registration status, please contact the society. We can provide you with details about the status of the horse in the studbook. Unregistered horses may not be able to be registered.
You will find information about stallions here.

 

 

 

Tips to Make Winter Stable Chores Less Miserable

   

Everyday barn chores become even more challenging when wind, freezing temperatures, ice and inclement weather are added to the mix. Minor tweaks and inexpensive purchases can help make these chores as pain-free as possible. Read on for tips you can apply at your farm:

1. While it’s tempting to dress like the Michelin man to venture out for barn chores, mobility remains an issue. Layering is the key to comfort and maneuverability. Once you start mucking stalls and dumping buckets, you’ll warm up fast, so the ability to shed layers is important. Start with a base layer of silk long underwear or leggings to wick away moisture.
2. Layering latex surgical gloves under your work gloves can help hands stay warm and dry.
3. Watering is one of the biggest challenges in winter, whether horses live outside or come into stalls. Heated water buckets are a blessing, but even just insulated buckets will help to keep water from freezing solid.
4. Leaky hose fittings can be more than a pain: They can be dangerous if they leave behind a large patch of ice on walkways or the barn aisle. Repairing or replacing them takes only minutes, but will prevent lots of hassle in the coming months.
5. Along the same lines, consider purchasing a heated hose or a heated hose cover, which will save you from having to drain the hose after each use or risk dealing with a frozen hose that can’t be used.
6. Painting a piece of plywood black and floating it on top of troughs to absorb sunlight can cut down on ice formation (though it will still eventually freeze once temperatures dip low enough).

7. For fishing out ice that has been broken apart, an inexpensive fryer basket is exceptionally handy for keeping hands dry while removing ice chunks.
8. Consider replacing your plastic pitchfork with a metal one for the winter. Metal tines will work better for picking up frozen manure and are less likely to break.
9. Like car and trailer tires, wheelbarrow tires can lose air as well. Be sure all fires are well filled for better maneuverability on slippery footing.
10. We all know what a pain it can be to try to dip out some topical wound salves only to find them frozen solid (not to mention this can cause them to lose their efficacy). Move these products and other liquids to a temperature-controlled area like a tack room, feed room or even inside your home so they will be ready to use when you need them.
11. While it's an an expensive investment, if you live in an area that utilizes well water, it may be worthwhile to invest in a generator that can run your well pump. The loss of electricity during a winter storm means the loss of water, which can have devastating effects on equines.

12. If you store your hay in a building other than your barn, consider hauling it to your horses on a toboggan, which glides readily over the snow.
13. Place snow shovels and salt, sand or kitty litter near barn doors so they are easy to locate once snowy weather strikes.

Dealing with Winter Drainage Issues

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.

- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf

Mud creates an unhealthy environment for horses. Mud harbors bacteria, fungal organisms and other pathogens that cause abscesses, scratches, rain scald, and thrush.
The effects of repeated wet/dry conditions are damaging to hoof structure and can cause general unthriftiness. Mud is a breeding ground for insects, such as cullicoides (“no-see-ums”), filth flies, and mosquitoes. Insects are not only annoying; they can carry diseases and can cause allergic reactions. When fed on muddy ground, horses can ingest dirt or sand particles with hay, leading to sand colic, a very serious digestive order. Plus mud creates a slick, unsafe footing, increasing the risk of injury--for horses and humans!
And every horse person knows that mud is inconvenient and unpleasant. Mud makes everyday chores difficult. Odors, flies and just the sight of mud lowers the desirability of a property for customers and neighbors.
Once soil and manure has mixed with water to make mud, it can easily be carried into nearby streams or lakes. Sediment can smother trout and salmon eggs, destroy habitat for insects (a food source for fish), and cover prime spawning areas. Many pollutants, like the nutrients in manure, are also likely to attach to soil particles and be carried into the water.

French drains, a deep trench filled with drain rock, can be a useful technique for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud.
Photo by Alayne Blickle

What You Can Do: Direct and Slow the Flow
If you already have gutters and downspouts on barns and out-buildings and footing in confinement areas but rain is still flowing into confinement areas you may need to consider installing some type of drainage system to divert away surface water flowing towards your barn.
When tackling drainage think "slow the flow." The best and easiest way to reduce surface water is to slow it down. Many times just slowing water down will allow it to infiltrate back into the ground--perhaps all that’s needed to solve a drainage issue. This also helps recharge the natural hydrology of your property including ground water.
Each of these techniques can be useful for keeping clean rainwater out of your paddock and reducing mud:

• French drain lines
• Diversion ditches
• Water bars (like a speed bump for water runoff)
• Swales (gently sloping depressions or grass-lined waterways)
• Dry wells

Divert the clean surface water away from your high traffic areas to someplace else on your property where it can soak back into the ground. Possibilities include an unused corner of your pasture, a well-vegetated woods, grassy swales, or other well-vegetated areas.
Never divert to an existing water body as the amount of added water can drastically and unnaturally change water levels. When water levels go up quickly, that increases turbidity and important fish habitat is often ruined or destroyed.
- See more at: http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/smart-horse-keeping/archive/2012/11/07/slow-the-flow-dealing-with-winter-drainage-issues.aspx#sthash.XdoaClE0.dpuf