Flooding in my yard/stables

Sprogladite01

Sprogladite01

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Due to the delightful weather we are currently experiencing, my land/school/stables have hit their limit and reached saturation point. As a result, we now have 2-3 inches of flooding in the yard which is going under the doors of my stables and into my horses beds.

I am concerned about keeping beds dry enough to keep their feet protected - they are out in the mud/rain all day and really need to come in to dry off overnight. Due to bedding absorbing the flooding, the beds are...damp. They aren't terrible but not what I would call dry. One of the stables has rubber matting so it's sort of seeping through the joins, especially at the front. The other stable has no matting so the water's going straight into the bed :eek: I've been drying their feet inside the stables once they're in with cloths (after picking out), spraying with iodine (on advice of farrier, apparently this help to dry out and harden hooves) and just keep chucking dry aubiose down towards the back where it's the least soggy for them both.

We have a puddle pump going constantly but as it's also raining constantly there's not much improvement. It's proper stressing me out. No real point to this post except to vent and to see if anyone has any ideas about keeping my horses dry and toasty when they come in?!
 
Thinking back I also used to bank up pellets or sawdust- something really absorbent around the edges of my leaky stable and just leave it. It got really wet but seemed to stop it seeping right through the entire bed.
It was a nasty heavy job when I did clear it but If, for example the rain was forcast all week I just didn’t touch the edges until the weather had dried up a little
 
I’ve temporarily made defences out of old haynets stuffed with old hay. Pull them really tight and double them over. Normally 2 is enough for a temporary’sandbag’ against your door. Once things dry up, is it worth getting someone to concrete a little lip at the door to prevent it in the future?
 
So I tried sandbags but my welshie decided it was great fun shredding them and licking all the sand/slop that resulted. He is a devil pony!

I've used a megazorb and aubiose mix to 'dam' the entrances as best I can for now - best I could come up with with limited resources! Just need it to dry up enough so I can replace the beds now...
 
We are using gel filled flood barriers, lighter than sand bags and very effective! You would need to put them somewhere your horse can’t reach tho.
waterandpest.co.uk

Osmo Door Flood Barrier | Water & Pest Technologies

Osmo Flood Barrier is a water activated flood control product for your garage. The barrier absorbs water and binds together to create flood protection sock.
waterandpest.co.uk waterandpest.co.uk
 
OlderNotWiser said:
We are using gel filled flood barriers, lighter than sand bags and very effective! You would need to put them somewhere your horse can’t reach tho.
waterandpest.co.uk

Osmo Door Flood Barrier | Water & Pest Technologies

Osmo Flood Barrier is a water activated flood control product for your garage. The barrier absorbs water and binds together to create flood protection sock.
waterandpest.co.uk waterandpest.co.uk
Click to expand...

These look perfect for stopping my tack room getting flooded, thank you!
 
tatty_v said:
No suggestions from me but just to say you’re not alone. I’ve just been out and cried at the state of my beautiful school (now underwater) and my fields (now a river). I hate this weather so much and now the wind is howling again 😢
Click to expand...
I am liking in commiseration, not because I like this lol. At least the wind will help dry it all up...as long as it's not also raining!!

In other news, my puddle pump has stopped working. Think hay/horse bedding has clogged it up. Back to bailing out water manually. Did I mention I have a full time job?! Ahhhhh
 
Sprogladite01 said:
Due to the delightful weather we are currently experiencing, my land/school/stables have hit their limit and reached saturation point. As a result, we now have 2-3 inches of flooding in the yard which is going under the doors of my stables and into my horses beds.

I am concerned about keeping beds dry enough to keep their feet protected - they are out in the mud/rain all day and really need to come in to dry off overnight. Due to bedding absorbing the flooding, the beds are...damp. They aren't terrible but not what I would call dry. One of the stables has rubber matting so it's sort of seeping through the joins, especially at the front. The other stable has no matting so the water's going straight into the bed :eek: I've been drying their feet inside the stables once they're in with cloths (after picking out), spraying with iodine (on advice of farrier, apparently this help to dry out and harden hooves) and just keep chucking dry aubiose down towards the back where it's the least soggy for them both.

We have a puddle pump going constantly but as it's also raining constantly there's not much improvement. It's proper stressing me out. No real point to this post except to vent and to see if anyone has any ideas about keeping my horses dry and toasty when they come in?!
Click to expand...
We use one of these, pumps all the water off the yard to a safe place with the special hose that goes with it.

in fact it lasted years just ordered a new one. https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-csv2a-1-and-a-quarter-inch-submersible/


1704217343262.png
 
OP, You have my sympathies, my stables and tack room flooded today too. Usually I use a pump like in the post above in the rare and extreme circumstances like today, and it protects the stables beautifully, but today it stopped working after an hour, I dashed out and bought a new one, but in the time it wasnt working, flooded stables! Its just vile out there.
 
My stable is high enough that the water won't get in, but we had to wade through a flood to reach it. Vile is right!

I am seeing water where I have never seen water before, including the route of an old stream that was diverted in 19th century to the edge of the fields is now merrily wending its way right through the middle of the fields, where it used to go.
 
Probably not what your thinking, but what about a spill kit? they are really absorbent, or try more readily available options like cheap cat litter?
 
Is there any way of creating a slight slope on the yard to funnel the flood water away? It might mean digging out an area where you want the water to drain, but once you can get the water flowing it will naturally head for the lowest point. If it's any consolation, our ancient land drains have given up the ghost and water is shooting out like a fountain. We have a river running down the summer field.
 
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