Rainy, muddy nastiness

Does anyone have any secrets for keeping the moisture out of your horses hooves? The only catch is that you can't move them from their muddy pen.

Horse shoer's secret?
Pine Tar?
Daily washing?
Clay?
Sand?

I put straw down around the water and feeder so she doesn't have to stand in mud, but is there anything else?
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tags: Other, Quarter Horse + add tags
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posted on Wed, Jun 11, 2008 08:21 AM
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Drainage byoreganoca June 17, 2008 (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
The only way to get rid of your muddy conditions for good is to have a nice, level surface with provisions for drainage installed. Ours was elevated and packed down, with little mini drainage ditches dug around the perimeter. Alternately, sloped downward and packed down, with a drainage ditch on one end to run the water out of your field. In heavy rain, we have to go out with shovels and clear the drains of debris and eroded soil, and it does require maintenance, filling in and packing any low spots with fresh ground, etc. It's really bad for horses to stand in mud all the time, they can end up with 'mud fever' and hoof problems as a result. If you can't get your whole pen mud-free, you need to install some sort of shelter that's elevated a bit with clean dry bedding so they can get out of the mud and on to dry ground. You will also need to keep their feet as clean and mud-free as possible.