Carpet as a field mat ?

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Frans

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It’s mid-November and we are having to do a sudden change of plan for our winter arrangements!
I need a cheap, short-notice solution to cutting down the mud in a small paddock which will have four ponies in it and be used intensively – at least around feeding areas and gate but the bigger area I can cover the better.

Ground is hard and dry at the moment but is almost bare of grass and will quickly get muddy when it rains. Its uneven though flatter than the rest of the field so is our best bet for when we need to restrict access. Hardcore is out of the question for now.

I’ve read on this site that old carpet can work - has anyone else tried this? (can’t remember now who made the suggestion) Does the thinner green “outdoor carpet” work? Anyone have any other suggestions?

Also thought of wood chips but apparently these just sink into the mud?

Whatever we use will probably just be for this one winter as we will probably have this field long term so will plan to work on a better solution for next winter.

Help and advice greatly appreciated!
 
Don't do it ! it will sink into the mud, they will eat it, it will be a night mare that you will then have to try and pull out of the mud and dispose off - it will be then be heavy and smelly.

Try to find someone to deliver some road planings.
 
BigRed said:
Don't do it ! it will sink into the mud, they will eat it, it will be a night mare that you will then have to try and pull out of the mud and dispose off - it will be then be heavy and smelly.

Try to find someone to deliver some road planings.
Click to expand...

^^this. ... also you can end up with grass growing through it... so gets impossible to remove.
 
woodchip - my local farmer said not to - it degrades so you end up with more mulch and it gets worse.

Martin Collins - Clopf - when we did our school they said a lot of the european clients use it for their gateways

we have put some left over road planings in our gateways - there are some big lumps so its not ideal but its a start

good luck
 
we had a small turnout area 25x25ft that was hardcore put down & platewacked before carpeted, thin layer of sand before woodchipped. didnt mush down & gave quite a good base. but as with all surfaces if the drainage & groundworks are not done it will sink in time & become a mudbath again.
 
Roadplanings. yes.

Carpet. ugh no. it will sink, degrade, stink, get eaten, get torn, trip them and you up, be waterlogged, mudlogged, and be so heavy that it's impossible to lift and remove when you've had enough of it!
 
Our yard put road plainings near the gate, great at first but we now have a 'lake' behind it which just never seems to dry up. Sounds daft but its as it they have somehow stopped the natural drainage and 2 years on the area where they were put is still dry but the area behing it is now lower too so no chance of the water going anywhere.
 
As you don't have any mud yet, best thing to put down would be honeycomb mats (dont know what they are actually called!), the type you get at kids playgrouds. Basically matts with honeycomb shaped holes in, stops the horses trashing the ground but grass can grow through it (although if there is none there atm you may have to reseed for this to happen) Not cheap but if you are planning on staying it is a good, longer term, solution.
 
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