Why Autumn Paddocks Need a Plan

There is a particular smell to a British autumn — damp grass, woodsmoke, and the first proper downpour after weeks of soft drizzle. Lovely for a hack, less lovely for your grazing. As the season turns, sunlight weakens, grass growth slows to a crawl, and the ground that held firm all summer starts to give under hoof. Within a fortnight of steady rain, a paddock that looked pristine in September can be a patchwork of poached mud around the gate, churned tracks along the fence line, and a few sullen-looking horses standing knee-deep in it.

The good news is that most autumn paddock damage is preventable if you act before the ground is saturated. A little forward planning in early October saves you months of remedial work — and it protects hooves, legs and the grass itself. Here is how to get ahead of the wet weather.

Rest the Gateways Before They Give Up

Gateways always go first. They carry the most traffic, they sit in the lowest, most compacted spot, and horses naturally loiter there waiting for their fieldmates or their tea. Once a gateway turns to deep mud, it rarely recovers until spring, and every pass through it worsens the damage. Mud that reaches the pastern is more than an aesthetic problem: prolonged exposure softens the hoof wall, encourages mud fever and thrush, and can hide the early signs of a foot abscess.

If you can, rest the gateway entirely. Fence off a temporary opening a few metres along the hedge and let horses use that instead, giving the original a chance to drain and recover. Rotate which gate you use every fortnight or so over the winter — an old trick that keeps any single spot from becoming a bog.

Where resting is not possible, take the sting out of the surface before it collapses:

• Scrape off standing water and level out ruts with a fork or rake while the ground is still firm enough to work.
• Lay rubber grass mats or a gravel-and-grid system across the highest-traffic strip. Mats sit on the surface, spread the load and let water drain away rather than pooling.
• Top up with a layer of hardwood chip if the approach becomes slippery — it grips better than softwood and lasts longer in wet conditions.
• Keep a bucket of water and a stiff brush by the gate to rinse mud off legs before it dries and cracks the skin.

Protect the Grass You Still Have

Autumn grass is precious. It is the last growth before winter, and every square metre you save now is forage you do not have to buy later. Once the ground is wet, poaching does lasting harm: it kills the roots, compacts the soil and leaves hollows that hold water all winter.

Consider strip grazing or a rotational system so horses graze a small area at a time, then move on. Portable electric fencing makes this simple and keeps the rest of the field resting and regrowing. If you have more than one horse, match the herd to the field rather than the other way round — two horses on half an acre in November will destroy it whatever you do.

Avoid turning out on frozen ground, and never on frozen ground that is thawing. Hoof prints left in soft, thawing soil create the very ruts that fill with water later. On the wettest days, a few hours out with hay in a well-drained area is far kinder to the land than a full day of wandering.

Clear Leaves, Acorns and Other Hazards

Fallen leaves are more than a tidying chore. A thick layer of wet leaves smothers grass, holds damp against the soil and encourages the growth of mould and fungi. Rake them up from grazing areas and gateways and add them to the compost heap or leaf mould bin — your roses will thank you in two years' time.

Autumn also brings a less obvious danger. Oak and sycamore drop seeds that can cause serious problems for horses:

• Acorns are toxic to horses in quantity and can cause colic or kidney damage. Fence off oak branches or collect fallen acorns daily in paddocks with mature oaks.
• Sycamore seeds and seedlings — the notorious "helicopters" — are linked to atypical myopathy, a sudden and often fatal muscle condition. Check your boundaries and remove saplings before they take hold.
• Yew, ragwort and fallen fruit from orchards are all worth a sweep as part of your autumn routine.

Walk the perimeter fence once a week through the autumn. It takes twenty minutes and catches problems — a broken rail, a rabbit hole, a patch of ragwort — before they become injuries.

Look After Legs and Hooves Through the Wet

Mud fever, or pastern dermatitis, is the classic autumn complaint. It starts as scabs and soreness on the heels and can quickly escalate if left untreated. Prevention is straightforward: keep legs clean and dry, avoid washing off mud with cold water every day, and dry legs thoroughly with a towel rather than leaving them damp. Clipping the heels in horses with thick feather can help enormously, as can a barrier cream applied to clean, dry skin before turnout.

Pick out hooves daily and check for thrush, which thrives in wet bedding and muddy standing. A dry, clean stable or a well-drained hardstanding area gives hooves a chance to dry out overnight, which makes a real difference over a long wet winter. If your horse is unshod, watch for bruising on stony ground; if shod, check shoes weekly for loose clenches as wet ground softens the hoof.

Set Up for the Months Ahead

Autumn preparation is really winter insurance. Spend a weekend now on drainage, mats and fencing, and you will spend far less time and money on mud, mud fever and reseeding come February. Keep a few bales of hay in reserve, make sure your field shelter is draught-free but well ventilated, and check that water troughs are not sitting in a bog.

Above all, be kind to your land and it will be kind back. Paddocks that are rested, drained and lightly grazed through the wet months come back stronger in spring — greener, denser and far more pleasant to walk across on a bright March morning.