Field Mats for gateways etc

J

janicesponies

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I need some advice please. We need some field mats for gateways that badly poach in the winter (on clay here) and I am thinking of buying Fieldguard M52L mats ie 22mm Honeycombed mats so grass can grow through them. Any feedback? Also, we have a field shelter with a big area of hardcore outside (road planings that works great except that planings come up and get in their feet.) Thinking of putting same type of mats or perhaps the M52LO (seriously heavy duty mats) on top of the hardcore to stop these stones coming up. Anyone with any experience of these mats on clay and hardcore? Do droppings go down holes or are the holes not that small? Green or black mats?
 
iv not put it in field but on paths and that worked great ! depending on how much it sank in, the holes might fill with droppings though
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Then again a yard down the road has it all around there muck trailer so it can be removed by tractor even in muddiest conditions, and its always immaculate! no dropping stuck there!

X
 
I have used these to create a round pen laying them over turf and then spreading a mixture of seed and soil on top brushing it into the holes .They have grown through a treat and made a really cushioned surface This has grass up well .
I did find that you need to tie then together with cable ties (I think they were 1 meter square and needed tying at each corner and several down the sides) just to keep them in position while the grass grows through.
I have also used roles of ground re enforcement mesh to construct a walk way to our riding arena again pegged down over grass which has been mowed and then a mixture of soil and seed brushed in over the surface.
The rolls worked out a lot cheaper .It all needs to be done when the grass is growing well and we have mowed the surface several times to encourage grass growth as well as keeping the horses off until it was well established
There are a few sorts on the market and i managed to get a good deal buying 3 rolls and pegs and got delivery free!
They were happy to send samples so you could check the size of the mesh and the thickness.
If you grass them through then they look really nice and there is no cutting up in the winter.
I have used the round grass pen for a whole year including a winter with no problem
Hope this helps
J
 
I used the honeycomb mats (although not sure what brand) in a seriously muddy area and lost them in the mud within two years. While they were there they were not really up to horse traffic in the winter.

For your hardcore have you considered a blinding layer? If you lay some 5mm to dust stone, then (ideally) go over it with a roller it turns into the most perfect surface for gateways, paths, etc.
 
Fieldmats can work but they won't if you just drop them in the gateway. The ground needs to be leveled & brought back to the oridinal height with a base layer. If you don't do this the water will continue to sit there & as someone else has posted the mats will end up getting lost under water & mud.
 
Fieldguard recommend that the mats are put down in the summer on a level surface then the grass grows through them and stabilises.
 
As I said in previous post I have used them and grassed them through.
If your gateway in a dip you need to raise the level .Soil rolled really flat or better still turf then lay them using cable ties to keep them tied together (lots of cable ties )
Then scatter small amount of soil on top mixed with grass seed .I have found that to get the best results you need to keep your horses and yourself off them whilst grows through.
For this winter you would need to get them down asap as you need to get them grassed up .We find weekly mowing once the grass is up to encourage a thick mat of grass before the winter.
 
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