But for John and Lois Fuller it was not just mud that coated their boots.
The couple have been facing a battle with Anglian Water after sewage spilled across their land in Hevingham, saturating the fields where their rescue animals stay for the past few weeks.
Gnats and other bugs are now swarming the areas of land that have been affected, which have now turned green.
And while the water firm has offered to take £150 off the couple’s waste bill, the pair have been left feeling “frustrated” that more has not be done.
Mr Fuller: “It is disgusting and we are frustrated.
“Things like this can mess the whole eco-system of the land and no one is prepared to do anything about it.”
Some of the field which had sewage spill onto has now turned green (Image: Lois Fuller)
WATER OR SEWAGE?
Mrs Fuller had noticed what she believed to be water trickling behind her field shelter in a paddock in The Turn, where her 33-year-old rescue pony stays, at the beginning of March.
She had put it down to the heavy rain and would just wade through it as she went about her daily duties to care for their animals, including five horses, two cows, and two goats.
But even as the weather got dryer, it continued and the land remained “exceptionally muddy”.
Fearing she had a mains water leak, she called Anglian Water.
But when officials came to examine the issue, they confirmed it was raw sewage, not water, and removed the wastewater from the man-made ditch nearby where it had collected.
Lois Fuller and her horse, Layla. (Image: Lois Fuller)
They told the couple that the bacteria on the land would be dead after 48 hours of sun but they were still concerned and called the Environment Agency on March 14.
The agency sent another Anglian Water official who said they would write a report and see what more than can do.
“This all just makes looking after my rescue animals that much harder and maybe putting them, and myself, at risk,” Mrs Fuller said.
She added that she has to disinfect her boots daily and avoids touching the affected land when possible.
The field which Lois’ elderly rescue pony has to walk to walk through. (Image: Lois Fuller)
Their land btween Norwich and Aylsham spans across nearly 40 acres, with 30 acres of it being woodland.
They would use the horse and cow manure to act as fertiliser for the woodland, but this is no longer possible because of the contamination from the sewage.
Mr Fuller said: “We just want something to be done.”
This is not the first time overflowing sewage has impacted people living at The Turn in Hevingham.
Their neighbours Sarah Venn and her husband had sewage spill into their garage and bungalow and cover their back garden in 2023.
The water firm said they would put an alarm on the sewage drain to avoid further spills but this has not happened.
The raw sewage water flowing behind the field shelter. (Image: Lois Fuller)
ANGLIAN WATER’S RESPONSE:
A spokeswoman for the water firm said: “We were made aware of a sewage leak on a customer’s land in Hevingham and fully appreciate how distressing and unpleasant this would have been for the customer.
“Our teams attended site promptly, identified a blockage in the sewer, and cleared it quickly to stop any further discharge.
“We carried out a full assessment and arranged for a tanker to remove wastewater from a nearby man-made ditch, which is not connected to any active watercourse, where it had collected.
“Any remaining surface water on the land is being left to dry naturally, where sunlight neutralises bacteria.
“Due to insufficient surface-level water, tankering of the wider land was not possible. Based on our assessments, there is no evidence of wastewater affecting a wider area beyond the ditch.
“We have worked closely with the Environment Agency throughout and will continue to support the customer and respond to any ongoing concerns.”