All weather turnout surface suggestions

[Hayjay]

Following on from a previous thread, we are planning an all weather turnout area for next winter as my clay fields are so deep and wet :-(. We are planning an area of approx 15 x 30m - we will remove top soil, put down big stone and roll, then top with scalpings and roll again. However, I have made it quite big so they can have a little run around if they want but now thinking running about on scalpings will be like running on a road - bad idea! Would it be better to top with wood chip or something else? I have googled and seen sand suggested but I will be feeding hay on it so don't like that idea - plus I hate sand!! I have also seen pea gravel as an option? Or should I just stick with the scalpings? I was putting straw in the attached field shelters for if they want a roll and they will get some time in the adjoining field every day. Suggestions very welcome. Thanks.

 

[laura_nash]

I'm also planning an all-weather turnout with scalpings. I don't have any problem with my two running about on a road-like surface providing they don't have my weight on top of them. They are both barefoot and the more time they spend on the sort of surface they work on the better (most of our hacking is on country lanes). They will have access to a shelter with rubber matting.

I've had access to one topped with woodchip at a previous livery yard and it was a horrible mess, might be okay if you replaced it every couple of years.

Pea gravel is a wonderful surface for horses with poor feet, which is why you hear about it a lot on barefoot forums where people are trying to get horses with navicular or laminitis sound. I think for sound healthy horses its not necessarily worth the extra cost and it doesn't pack down so you will need to put in barge boards to contain it, though horses do seem to really like it.

I hope it works out whatever you decide, we had heavy clay fields in Somerset and I well remember slogging through knee deep mud and constantly losing wellies!

 

[Hayjay]

Thanks Laura - I have read a few things about bark getting boggy and messy. I think I'll stick with scalpings and maybe have a pea gravel area - would love to get my mare barefoot!

 

[JillA]

Wood chip behaves like any soft wood when it gets wet - it rots. Bark on the other hand doesn't, if you can stabilise the bark to stop it moving around it is a great outdoor surface. Find local sawmill, they often sell bark cheap if they don't have the means to bag it as a garden mulch.

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

or sand and then put hay on a rubber matted area?

I would worry like heck about running round on the scalpings and would want something down to cushion it!

 

[Theocat]

Anything organic is likely to rot and hold water. Depending on costs, put hay on a rubber matted area with sand elsewhere, or just rubber clippings as on an arena and accept it will get hay in parts ...?

 

[sport horse]

How are you going to muck it out? Any soft surface will need removing at end of each winter or else your horse's hooves will rot with the acid from the muck. Scalpings will be difficult to clean as well but you may be able to scrape it once a week? Rubber mats will be very slippery in that situation ie wet and mucky. Watching answers with interest.

 

[Honey08]

We have an all weather turnout area that was made the same way. If you look at my profile there is an album showing a few pics of it. The road scalpings are less hard than Tarmac. We just spread it with a tractor bucket to flatten it, we didn't whack it. That way there is grip if they run around (mine only trot) and it's great in frost as it barely freezes. We have haynets on ours, so after the first year the hay seeds and remains of droppings mean that you get grass growing a bit, but they eat it off then their hooves break it up so it ends up back to planings. It never looks quite as pristine as the first year. My horses are on their fourth winter on it now. It has been a godsend. We need another load of scalpings spread on the top this summer to top it up.

In reply to the above post, scalpings are so so easy to poo pick. Plus I find mine have a corner they go to do a lot of their droppings.

 

[Hayjay]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

Really great to hear that it works Honey08. I have a very small scalping yard off the stables now and yes it's very easy to keep clean. Poo comes up easy although mine usually go in their stables and poo! And yes the mud from hooves and feet and seed from hay means it does grow bits of grass in the summer They will have access to the field at some time everyday through winter so will hopefully do their running about then.

 

[measles]

We have two sand turnout paddocks of the size that you are planning, OP. We do feed hay in them and remove droppings. They are invaluable and we are only unable to use them for a handful of days during the winter when the temperature is below -3 for a sustained period. You will wonder what you did without one!

 

[Hayjay]

We have two sand turnout paddocks of the size that you are planning, OP. We do feed hay in them and remove droppings. They are invaluable and we are only unable to use them for a handful of days during the winter when the temperature is below -3 for a sustained period. You will wonder what you did without one!

Thanks measles. I wish I liked sand...but I really don't. I tolerate it for the kids in summer! Does it get everywhere when they roll? I assume you need boards all around to stop it going everywhere? Was it silica sand you used. My little girls would love a 15m x 30m sand pit

 

[MillionDollar]

All of mine are silica sand, I fed hay in big containers in the corners with no problems. I went through all options but sand is def the best for a turnout area IMO.

 

[Hayjay]

All of mine are silica sand, I fed hay in big containers in the corners with no problems. I went through all options but sand is def the best for a turnout area IMO.

Thank you milliondollar. How deep is your sand? Does it get everywhere?

 

[Landcruiser]

Watching with interest as I'm in the same situation on clay, and have a 20x20 area to use as turnout. Someone on a previous thread mentioned sand with some sort of addition, plastic beads or something? My barefoot trimmer advises against pea shingle as a standing area. She says it can get stuck into their hooves - embedded - especially if mixed with clay and held there. She uses "4mm to dust" which provides a hard surface that still drains. I want something softer as I want to ride/school on mine in summer.

 

[Hetsmum]

I used a Flexiride school as a turnout paddock when it was very icy or snowed and it worked out really well! It's not much more cost wise than good sand I think but it drains really really well. Its a bit too soft in a way but mine ran around and played in it and my youngster was in it overnight for 3 years. I would really recommend. Mine was a depth of about 6" but I am sure you could do less and if I have heard of cheaper options but same materials mentioned on this forum. Another thought is that you could use different surfaces in different parts of the area. So for example you don't feed the hay on the sand but provide an area of sand for just rolling in?

 

[snowstormII]

Just thinking aloud here so I may not make sense! Does any one have an area of all weather turnout which leads directly onto a a sand school, and do they turn horses out so they can use both? I am thinking you could feed hay on the crushed tarmac/ scalpings area and they could roll on the sand school part, and bonus of bonuses, you have a school to ride in as needed? I just don't have enough land to lose 2 lots of 20m x whatever. There would be hardly any grass left!