Are you able to pick the manure from this paddock? What you are describing sounds a lot like “ tags” or manure balls. They form on cattle that are kept in lots, almost impossible to remove without shaving, my 4-h friends would use WD-40 but I find it makes horses break out. Good luck.
It really depends on the soil, just like all things.
I have clay soil that you can literally make pottery from (we’ve done it). Of course the top few inches have a mixture of other organic materials in it, but when it’s wet, the horses can sink down into and kick up pure clay.
It can form clumps in tails with the consistency of cement. 
So, it’s not necessarily manure; to be honest, that would be a lot easier to groom out of hair than clay.
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You know what, I’m a bit upset to say that I think this IS the problem in this paddock. Too much manure mixed with mud. Which explains why I have never dealt with this problem…I’ve always dealt with just mud.
When I moved in a few weeks ago, we had 2 feet of snow so I couldn’t tell the actual condition of the paddock. They are advertised to be cleaned at minimum weekly (it’s a large paddock.) But that doesn’t appear to have been happening judging by the condition of things now that the snow is all gone. Obviously, I’ll be changing his living situation as soon as I can! This does not thrill me. Everything else is clean as far as the stalls and stuff. It’s only the paddocks that are like this.
So I’m thinking my only option is to bath him and clip him, at least partially. And then get him out of that paddock.
Ugh.
To be fair, cleaning paddocks in snow country in the winter is well-nigh impossible. I know I was always horrified even with my own paddocks at home when they started to melt off, and I tried very hard to keep up with them as the winter went along, but every snow storm bought a new layer…
this time of year is just awful. My new guy was an unrecognizable (but happy) blob of stinky wet mud when he came in today–it was hard to tell where (brand new) waterproof sheet ended and body began. I just hosed the whole damned lot off, rather than just feet and legs.
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For sure, it definitely was impossible during the snowstorm. And is probably impossible now, everything would just get stuck at the gate. I mean I can barely get in and out of there just walking.
I ride at another barn as well (no openings sadly.) The mud in their paddocks is different than this. Muddy but not deep and sticky. Definitely different management going on.
Even within one area the soil can be very different. If you are in riverbottom land you can get the clay mud that yes, you could use for making pottery. A mile uphill you might have sandy gravel. Manure doesnt make clay. On the other hand if you have clay mud it’s going to be horrible whenever it’s wet unless you dig it all out and install a different footing. I don’t like having a horse on deep clay mud, it’s hard on their joints and tendons.
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Agree 100%. I actually live in an area that is only a few miles wide but where an ice age glacier receded so the clay soil is apparently from that - the clay is silt that was dragged or something. On the up side - you can’t find a rock anywhere on my property, not for 10 feet deep or more. Pros and cons.
I agree that manure doesn’t make mud. It just makes broken down manure. You can tell the difference. Of course it’s still messy, but in my experience, it doesn’t clump. Clay soil feels like chalk when it’s dry (or chalkdust).
Maybe it’s different soil. I’m not sure. I always thought here out West we didn’t have clay. When I lived in the midwest, we had some crazy mud. It was much more wet there overall though.
It’s very black though and hard on his hair. Normally with mud you can crumble it but this you absolutely can’t. Its almost like it’s matted down. Just like a layer on him in areas.
I still think looking at the ground, it appears that there is a lot of manure mixed in. But the paddocks are positioned downhill so that’s not helping. Especially when so much snow melts.
Luckily we are supposed to have some 70 degree days soon. Hopefully I can wash this crud off and the mud starts to dry a bit.
Is it black gumbo type clay?
Caliche is part of our SW clay, similar to that local native inhabitants made houses and pottery and sculptures from.
It dries up and bakes into a solid clump, unless it has some sand in it.
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Hmm not sure. I just looked it up and Colorado does have clay in different areas, although sounds like it’s usually red (which seems really obvious to me now ha ha.) This is black.
I’m going to try to get a photo later if I’m still dealing with it. I can’t ride him until I get this off, his girth area is matted and caked in this stuff.
The mud on the ground is still very very wet in his paddock. I’m hoping it starts to dry. It’s honestly hard to go in there, you get sucked it. I’d say in many areas it’s at least a foot deep.
I’m going to pick up a strip hair, grooming gloves and try to find a tigers tongue. Just getting all the heavy duty tools ha ha.
I’ve ridden/owned horse for 24 years and lived in Colorado for 16 years. Whatever the heck is on him is the most stubborn stuff I’ve ever came across!!
I would worry about a horse getting injured in foot deep sucking mud.
As a child I visited farms belonging to uncles on the prairies. There was something out there they called gumbo mud that existed even in summer in places. It wasn’t clay, and it was black and deep and of course being 10 years old I got onto it constantly :).
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Scribbler yeah towards the back of the paddock it’s better but the front half it’s brutal 
Girth area that I CAN’T get clean! I tried the hands on grooming gloves be today. They were fabulous for shedding, he loved them. They didn’t put a dent in the really sticky, matted areas like this. He started to go a little kicky, I think it just hurts him, so matted.
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This is the front. The back of the paddock is much drier… But of course they all hang out at the front most of the time.
I’m going insane.
It’s supposed to be warm next few days so I’m really hoping a really good scrub with shampoo helps. I’m going to try to get the strip hair today.
OMG
I see why you are having issues. That looks pretty rough.
Yeah I knew it would be muddy and filthy but I honestly wasn’t prepared for this! I’m struggling. Everything else is starting to dry up but man. This is insane.
It is a lot of mud. Hopefully it will dry up soon.
