FOR THOSE THAT HAVE LAID GRASS MATS AROUND MUDDY GATEWAYS ETC...

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equestriangal

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How do you prepare the ground before laying grass mats? I’ve heard lots of stories of the mats simply sinking into the mud! Should I use sharp sand, rubble, a membrane?
Any advice much appreciated
Thank you xx
 
found the mats to be pretty rubbish TBH soon sank into mud even when laid in May onto grass,when winter arrived they just trod them in, then they break up. the best thing is a layer of silage wrap with holes picked in it with a fork to drain and a load of stone dumped on top. stand up well eve nto the tractor.
 
I've just put some road planings down infront of the stables which I'm really pleased with. Would that be an option? I think it actually turned out cheaper than grass mats.
 
I put scalpings under the mats and this works perfectly. I have " hippo" bags delivered into gateway, split bag down the sides with stanley knife, then rake out, leaving the bag underneath. Saves a lot of shovelling effort!
 
I think it depends on the area you are laying them on. I have laid them in front of stables and made a path upto the field that previously was a like a slip and slide. The mats directly outside the stables are on hardcore that has been wacker plated and the path to field went straight onto grass. All have made it through the winter with horses walking over twice a day (in and out of the field). the grass is now grossing through and you can barely see the mats.

However the matts I put in the gateway did sink quite a lot. For me though they were still effective as my/horses feet didn't sink in the mud and they still provided a stable ground to walk across.
 
I used old bedding from the field shelters nearby - aubiose or similar, then a membrane to limit grass growing through. That worked very well. I pulled everything up once a year to remove any grass which had made it through, bang out deposted mud from the mats with a rubber mallet, then relaid everything. Membrane alone rippled and mud seeped through. Friend used wood pellets to make a trackway, but is clearly richer than me, as it wasn't used, first!
 
I laid mud control mats, the hard plastic ones, over a heavy clay swamp and they held up well and didn’t sink...
 
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