Flooding and preparing horse paddocks for wet winters

As the climate is changing, we are experiencing more extreme weather events. In the UK, this is increasingly wet winters leading to widespread flooding. Winter can be hard enough when it comes to managing our horses and their environment, however periods of intense rainfall and flooding, further increases those challenges.

Preparing for wet weather

It may seem bizarre, but the best time to prepare for wet weather is during dry periods over summer. Mud is a primary concern both for horse health e.g., development of mud fever, and for environmental impacts e.g., poaching around gateways. Strategies for managing mud can include the use of grass/mud mats, horse-safe woodchip, or hardcore to make hardstanding areas*. Preparing your land whilst it is dry helps any hardstanding surfaces or mud mats you put down to be less likely to move, sink or wash away during winter.

It is important to balance your land management with the welfare of your horses, ensuring your horse can access the 3F’s – friends, forage and freedom – all year around. If possible, consider making any hardstanding areas large enough for all the horses on the pasture to stand on at the same time and ensure shelters are large enough for multiple herd members to access.

Drainage is another important factor to mitigate against the impacts of wet weather. Consider surveying your land to determine if water doesn’t drain well in any particular areas, identify the type of soil and the water draining properties it may have and check that any drainage channels and culverts are clear of debris. Over summer, it may be necessary to add additional irrigation channels, install French drains around areas of hardstanding and plan any work to improve soil conditions. Spring is a good time to harrow any poached areas and overseed or reseed bare earth/muddy areas with native meadow grasses that develop deep root systems to improve soil structure.

Additional strategies include using a pasture rotation plan to maximise space and strategically rest your wettest fields over winter, considering stocking density and aiming to allow for 1 acre per horse, converting barns and outbuildings into group housing accommodation for over winter, implementing surfaced track systems to rest pastures, and considering installing all-weather turnout pens to rest fields during the wettest periods over winter (these should allow for at least 2 horses to be turned out together).

For further guidance on managing your horse’s health over winter, check out our winter horse care tips.

*NB. Please check local planning guidelines before putting down any areas of hardstanding/any surfaces or amending any buildings.

Flooding contingency planning

If you keep your horse in an area prone to flooding or are worried about the risk of future floods as winters become wetter, it is important to have a flooding contingency plan in place. Some of the factors described above can help mitigate against flooding but there are additional steps you can take. Your contingency plan could include having sandbags and flood barriers prepared, an emergency evacuation plan to a predetermined premises, moving any stored feed and bedding to higher areas to prevent spoiling/wastage, and moving horses to the highest ground that is still accessible (in order to provide hay and clean drinking water if needed).

If horses are stranded in deep or fast-moving water, this is likely to require the involvement of personnel with specialist training and equipment, such as the Fire & Rescue Services or certain specialist animal welfare officers. If you need to report horses in one of these situations, photographs and/or videos to show the extent of the problems can be incredibly helpful in assessing the degree of urgency.

Stay up to date with flood warnings in your area through the Floodline on 0345 988 1188 or check at www.gov.uk/check-flooding.