If you are looking for sensible horse care in Scotland this week, the forecast has done half the thinking for us. It is a changeable, breezy few days with frequent showers in the north and west, rain pushing east on Monday, and mild daytime highs of roughly 13 to 17°C. Not cold, but properly soggy, and that is exactly the mix that turns gateways into bogs.
Mild and wet is the classic autumn recipe for mud fever, rain scald and horses quietly losing condition while the grass loses its goodness. Here is how we would handle it, from the feed room to the field gate.
What Your Horse Needs This Week
Legs and skin come first. Constant wet and mud softens the skin around the heels and pasterns and lets bacteria in. Check legs every day: part the feather, feel for scabs, heat or swelling, and look for crusty patches under the mane and along the back where rain can sit. Let dried mud dry and brush it off rather than scrubbing it in, and pat legs dry if you do have to wash them. Anything weeping, swollen or making your horse lame needs the vet. For the early niggles, our AMTRA-qualified SQPs can talk you through the options.
Look after the ground, and your horse's feet. Poached gateways and troughs are where problems start. Move feeders and water around, put hardcore or mats down in the worst spots, rest any field that is cutting up, and give horses a dry bed to stand on at night. Wind and driving rain are harder on horses than a steady cold, so a decent field shelter or hedge line makes a real difference.
Do not over-rug. With highs in the mid-teens, most horses do not need a heavy rug. Sweating under a wet, heavy turnout is a bigger risk than feeling the chill. As a rough guide, a lightweight waterproof (0g to 100g) is plenty for a clipped or finer-skinned horse, while a hardy native will often manage with nothing at all. Slip a hand under the rug daily to check for sweat and rubs, and save the 200g for when the nights properly turn.
Think about feed and forage. Autumn grass can still be rich, so good doers need watching for laminitis, while poorer doers can start to slip as the nutritional value drops. Keep forage in front of them as much as you can. This is also the time to talk worming: a faecal egg count in autumn, and a conversation about encysted redworm after the first frosts, is a sensible plan. Our SQPs can help you build a schedule that fits your yard.
Our Recommendations
A warm mash on a wet evening is one of the simplest ways to keep condition on, get a little extra water into them and give fussy or older horses something worth coming in for. Redmills Horsecare Mash 18kg is highly digestible and easy to prepare, which makes it a good fit for veterans, horses that struggle to hold weight, and anyone coming back from a break.
If your horse is in regular work and needs condition without turning into a firework, Allen & Page Compete and Condition is worth a look. It is a lovely choice for horses in moderate to hard work that need topline and weight through the colder months, and it suits those that want steady energy rather than sparkle. For a wider look at what is on the shelves, browse our full horse feed range or ask us about Allen & Page horse feed in the UK for your type of horse.
Wet weather also means more time stuck in the stable, and bored horses start weaving, chewing and fidgeting. Little Likit Treat Assorted Flavours are a handy bit of enrichment for stabled horses, and they work well as a small reward when you are teaching manners or loading. You will find more in our horse treats collection.
For turnout kit, have a look at the Hy Equestrian range and our wider equestrian supplies, and stock up on grooming essentials so you can keep on top of mud before it becomes a problem. If you are weighing up fill weights ahead of winter, our team can talk you through a simple horse rug weight guide for Scotland based on your horse, your yard and whether they are clipped.
Expert Advice at Your Local McCaskie Store
We have been Scotland's trusted rural retailer since 1957, and the people behind the counter ride and keep horses too. Our AMTRA-qualified SQPs (Suitably Qualified Persons) can give you straight, practical advice on equine nutrition and health, whether that is a feed change, a worming plan or a leg that is not looking right.
Looking for equestrian supplies in Ayr, horse feed in Kinross, a country store for horse supplies in Lanark, or horse care advice in Stirling? Our four stores are ready for you, and if you would rather browse from the yard, the whole equestrian range is online at mccaskie.store.
Pop into your nearest McCaskie Country Store in Ayr, Kinross, Lanark or Stirling and speak to one of our equine-knowledgeable team, or browse our full equestrian range at mccaskie.store. Here is to a drier week than the forecast promises.