Field shelter

[binbons]

Hi
After a bit of advice as the winter is drawing in...
I recently bought my horse a field shelter to help with the summer heat and I know it's going to be invaluable in the winter too! I was wondering what everyone does for bases? It will be my first winter at this yard and you can never tell what the mud is going to be like until it arrives! I can't put anything like gravel or hard core down. I've got rubber mats and was thinking of putting straw down but I don't know if putting the mats down is a good idea or if they'll just sink 😅 open to any suggestions!
Thank you

 

[teddypops]

I put up stables on skids last winter, just onto grass, I put rubber mats down on the grass with a straw bed. Worked absolutely fine and we had the wettest winter ever! Not sure how it would work with an open fronted shelter though.

 

[StableMum]

We put stable mats in one of ours and they were fine during last winter. Our other two shelters are just sat on the grass and they were ok too.

 

[AFB]

Personally I wouldn't want to use a rubber mat/straw combo on an open fronted shelter - the rains going to come in, sit on those mats, not get absorbed by straw and become slippery.

I'd be more inclined to use grass mats and maybe wood pellets (something absorbant that compacts well enough to not get blown out in the wind)

 

[Gift Horse]

I used a shelter without a base over one winter.
I put a straw pad down, poo skipped it everyday and added straw as needed.
It worked well (on reasonably good/well drained ground).
I removed the straw in the spring (which was very big job) moved the shelter and put some grass seed on the area.

 

[Honey08]

Id put mats in before the mud arrives. I use stable mats in one of my gateways, so they obviously get wet, and they're not slippery if bobble side up.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

could you put down ecogrid or something similar-with mats over the top? I found easibed is quite good in field shelters, doesn't move/blow about much although it is quite heavy to dig out.
I've used ecogrid with matting on for a hard standing area-worked well even on my ground.

 

[DD]

field mats the ones with holes in them both inside and outside as an apron. then a thick straw bed on top.