Creating all weather turn out area - suggestions please

[taraco]

I have a small area (approx 20m x 10m) paddock that is used for quick or restricted exercise in summer, but would be very handy if I could convert to all weather so it can be used in winter as well. I have a stallion who fractured his neck as a 3 year old and I get very precious about turning him out in heavy rain and mud when winter arrives....!

Any suggestions? I have put three land drains running down the paddock into three big and deep soakaways that reach chalk, but because the ground is clay, in heavy rain the rain just logs on the surface and takes ages to drain through to the drains and soakaways....

I am therefore toying with the idea of taking off the top 6 inches and replacing with a layer of hardcore and then hard-wood chip surface to create a safe surface all year round....

ANY suggestions welcome (that dont cost the earth!) .....

 

[Doris68]

I have a 20 x 40 manege which I used to ride on (Cushionride). I retired my mare a few years ago and it's now only used for turnout. Had it topped up with Cushionride woodchip last year and it's really great. Never had problem with it freezing, even in the harshest winter. We level it every couple of months. Found that Cushionride were cheaper, delivered, than a relatively local supplier!

 

[luckilotti]

We have an extra little turnout pen that we made when one of our liveries ponies needed to be in due to lami but out due to COPD!
basically, we use Cushionbed woodchip, when people take a lot of the 'wet' cushionbed out they sometimes put in on the turnout area as its usually only got a small amount of urine on which the rain washes off, it keeps it topped up nicely plus saves some going on the muck heaps.
It's on a concrete base but that is slopped so it does drain well in our case.

We did an outdoor school with woodchip (specially bought from an equestian surface company) and TBH, we wasted our money with it as it just didnt last and the cost of top ups were silly, esp as it wasnt ever used in winter as we have an indoor. If you go down that route please be very careful as in our case, what they unloaded did not match the samples in any way, wasnt the correct quantity and then they turned very nasty with us when we complained. i am not so sure how wood would stand up if the area doesnt drain that quickly?