Any experience of grass mats?

[alsxx]

I'm looking into getting a mobile field shelter for next year, however the field gets very wet and I dont want them standing hock deep in bog (ok its not quite that bad!!) whilst in their shelter.

I was wondering whether grass matting would work? I would want to matt the whole area by the gate, move the trough there (not right on top of the gate but along the fence a little), and have the shelter there also, so would be looking at probably a ten metre ish square area that I would like to mat. I could then also use the area for hay in the winter (mine all eat from the same pile).

Would matting work for this? I'd probably look to get some secondhand (have seen loads on ebay going quite reasonably), cost not so much an issue, but don't want to get some only to find mid-winter that it hasn't worked?

 

[Vicki1986]

IMO - no !

I have what you want and its still muddy!

Ive got a shelter, i put hardcore down then rubber mats on top (the stable ones) i have a bit of a squidgy bit inside where its not draining as well as the other areas but its not too bad at all

outside i have grass mats, there almost covered in mud now just from her walking it in from the field.

The mud here is so sticky, i have put some wood pellet bedding (once used !) down in the gateway for now and its made things so so much better.
Then in spring I will scrape the bedding off with digger + get rid and going to dig up the gateways and get some good soakaways in.

IMO the mats will only remain mud free if on a membrane and properly prepared ground, mine are on top of hardcore but the mud soon spread in over/under them, they are still visible/sort of helping but they arent the solution.

 

[alsxx]

If I do it I would want to do it properly, i.e. with the membrane and in summer when its hard and can be rolled flat etc, and I would also like to try and dig some channels and fill with gravel as a sort of drainage channel.

We are on clay, and whilst its not too deep, the water just sits on top when it gets poached and doesn't drain - hence my thinking about using mats to stop it poaching and allow the water to drain, plus giving them an area to stand out of the mud.

 

[Vicki1986]

good old Kent clay. I have same problem, didnt have time to do the drainage before winter, hence just bunging them down on hardcore. I think seeing as they are so chap they are worth it as they do aid things, and would be even better if laid out with some thought as youve said above.

Next year once i've done my gateways properly i will have them in the gateways, I cant cope with the mud !

 

[Sarah Sum1]

Hmmm, i put grass mats down at my field entrance and within days they were just swallowed up in mud! To be fair they were cheap ones, but i wouldn't bother getting them again.

 

[alsxx]

Yep good old kent clay! I hate it!! I desperately want to sort an area out for them/their shelter as their entire winter field is just a poached clay mess at the moment!! Their field is on a slope and it just does not drain at all now they have poached it, but their summer field does - also sloped (but not as much) but not poached - I think that's the key as the water cannot sit!

Any other comments welcomed, I want to investigate as much as I can - happy to invest in doing the job properly but want it to work!