Field shelter - hardstanding area advice please

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Field04

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At the moment I have lots of natural shelter in my field, but really want to get a proper field shelter put in. My original idea was to get a 3.5 sided shelter so I could close it when needed, with a hardstanding area inside and extending to the outside of the shelter. Then to the side a roof covered hardstanding area. I am now rethinking, as will sometimes go on holiday and leave the local farmer to look after the ponies. This leaves me with a dilema:

If I have a hardstanding box type shelter this will need to be mucked out, so am now thinking of getting a normal field shelter and put a hardstanding area near the tack shed, so I can tack up on a dry surface.

So my next dilema is, how can I make the area around the shelter less muddy?? I am thinking wood chip.

Has anyone got any bright ideas on how I should design this area??

Thanks
 
Woodchip is ok, but if doesn't last all that long and to keep a good surface down ou would need to put more wood chip down every year if not it just disintegrates into the ground. Could you not put a hard surface outside the shelter as it shouldn't get too muddy inside the shelter as it will be covered overhead. I rent a field and put down a concrete base in front of my stable, but now I have had a bigger stable built as have a new horse and we are concreting inside the new stable and outside to meet up with my other area of hardstanding outside. Spin will have 12x24 ish concrete are outside my stables, hay shed etc? For the long term I would just concrete the whole lot? If it were me? Hope this helps
 
Wood chip will just get mushy over time and rotten. I'd go for road planings. They're about £100 a lorry load. If your ground is not wet usually, I would risk putting them on the grass neat, as long as you put them think enough (think at least 6-8") they should stay. If the ground is wet, put hardcore underneath before the chippings.

Another quick fix on reasonable ground is actual stable mats. We have them in gateways that are in muddy fields, and they have done about 5yrs, and are still working. Grass mats in the same area have sunk.

ps. Re the shelters, we have two on the yard that we use for big bale storage when they're open etc. We had regular shelters, with the wide door at the front, and we had a regular stable door made for them, with a side door that fastens to them - so the shelter could be used as a regular stable if need be. The door could be taken off when you go away, so it becomes a regular shelter..

ps, have some photos of the various types of hardstanding we have, and how they have aged/worked if you like I will try and dig them out.
 
You would only need to muck out the field shelter if they poo'd in it - I find mine very rarely do - unless it's pouring down and then I put my hay in it.
In the summer (which is when they use the shelter most) they never poo in it at all.
Would you need to shut them in when your farmer friend was looking after them?
 
Honey08 said:
Wood chip will just get mushy over time and rotten. I'd go for road planings. They're about £100 a lorry load. If your ground is not wet usually, I would risk putting them on the grass neat, as long as you put them think enough (think at least 6-8") they should stay. If the ground is wet, put hardcore underneath before the chippings.

Another quick fix on reasonable ground is actual stable mats. We have them in gateways that are in muddy fields, and they have done about 5yrs, and are still working. Grass mats in the same area have sunk.

ps. Re the shelters, we have two on the yard that we use for big bale storage when they're open etc. We had regular shelters, with the wide door at the front, and we had a regular stable door made for them, with a side door that fastens to them - so the shelter could be used as a regular stable if need be. The door could be taken off when you go away, so it becomes a regular shelter..

ps, have some photos of the various types of hardstanding we have, and how they have aged/worked if you like I will try and dig them out.
Click to expand...

If you find some photos it would be really helpful to have a look. Thanks
 
Polos Mum said:
You would only need to muck out the field shelter if they poo'd in it - I find mine very rarely do - unless it's pouring down and then I put my hay in it.
In the summer (which is when they use the shelter most) they never poo in it at all.
Would you need to shut them in when your farmer friend was looking after them?
Click to expand...

No, I would leave the shelter open for them to go in and out of.
 
moodymare_1993 said:
Woodchip is ok, but if doesn't last all that long and to keep a good surface down ou would need to put more wood chip down every year if not it just disintegrates into the ground. Could you not put a hard surface outside the shelter as it shouldn't get too muddy inside the shelter as it will be covered overhead. I rent a field and put down a concrete base in front of my stable, but now I have had a bigger stable built as have a new horse and we are concreting inside the new stable and outside to meet up with my other area of hardstanding outside. Spin will have 12x24 ish concrete are outside my stables, hay shed etc? For the long term I would just concrete the whole lot? If it were me? Hope this helps
Click to expand...

This was the other option, to concrete in front of and to the side, then leave inside without concrete.
 
Just remember you'll need planning permission for hard standing - if you get a shelter on skids you'll be fine. I didn't put any hard standing in mine and it stayed lovely and dry in there!
 
Found a few...

This is the road plainings area. By far the best bit - has done two winters with the horses on it all day as turnout area, will probably need topping up this year, but better to spend £100 on that than vets bills for mudrash. Has to be poo picked and hay scraped off it regularly.

winter2012011.jpg


This is a bit of the yard that was hardcore, but with the horses walking on it for the past, and dropping bits of hay on it, it has gone muddy, and also puddles a lot, whereas the road chippings don't get any puddles. We plan to cover this area with planings next year.

You can also see what I mean about the doors on the shelter - the door on the left folds out bolts to the floor and top of doorframe, and the regular door bolts to that, giving us the use of the shelter as a stable if need be. When open, the shelter doorway easily allows a big bale of haylage in.

winter2012010.jpg


Finally, this is a walkway across a small turnout field. There are two strips of stable matting, which you can still see, and a grass mat inbetween, which you can't see at all. To the side, you can see how the field churns where there are no mats. These mats have had people and horses walking over them for over 5 years.

winter2012013.jpg



Sorry these pics are so big.
 
I've got roadplanings (scalpings) in front of my stable/trough and gateway areas.

The stables are used as field shelters (doors permanently open) and I've had deeplitter shavings on the earth/hardcore floors but one floor developed a sunken hole in middle (because both neds pee in one stable?!) so I infilled it with crushed limestone.

I'm really pleased with the crushed limestone. We compacted it down with a thingie (handheld machine that vibrates) and it drains beautifully and stays in place underneath the shavings.
 
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