Grass-mats

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colouredhat

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Do anyone have any? What do you think? Positives and negatives?

My field gateways get really boggy (losing wellies in it!) in the winter, so want to try and sort something out ready for next winter.
Grass-mats were suggested, as they spread the weight, help reduce mud, and if done early enough could have grass growing through by the winter! Plus, I rent my yard - so they could be taken with me if needed!!

Just looking for people's opinions/hints/tips!

Thanks x
 
I bought grass mates for this winter and they have been fantastic, where others have had to grind through ankle deep mud or worse I have had a reasonabley clear entrance to my paddock (we have our own separate paddocks)
 
Hey,

Yes I bought two of these as a trial and they have been great so far. I was worried they might just sink in the mud but they are really the only bit of the gate way that is good to walk on and they don't move around with either tractors or horses going through. I put some grass seed down with them but that hasn't germinated yet (they've only been there about 3 weeks and one day its hooning it down, and the next its baking hot). I'm so pleased with them I'm going to buy some more and tie them together with those plastic ties so they'll cover a larger area.
The only thing I'd say is they work best it occasionally you go along with a spade and move the mud off the top.
 
I bought mine off ebay too so they weren't that expensive. I mean still quite pricey for what is essentially a mat but I recon so long as they don't get pinched they'll be good value.
 
I thought about getting these, but a friend of mine said they had used them at one of her old yards and they sank in less than a week- she said they spent more time digging the mats out than they would have done just ploughing through the mud everyday- don't know how early they put them down though- maybe it depends on the type of ground?
 
Hi,ours have been down in some gateways for 2winters now(rest of the gateways have concrete grids down,which are brilliant but v expensive to do!) The recent downpours have really shown that they do improve a gateway-the bits round the edge of the mats have almost washed away but the mats have held firm&tho mud did develop on top,it was not as thick as elsewhere &was stable to stand on(no sinking!) I was initially sceptical but am now glad we got them. We got Fieldguards thicker ones-expensive but holding up well-have seen cheaper ones just rip when put under strain(like some big warmbloods leaping back&forth & doing full speed skid-stops on them...) ;)
 
Also,Fieldguard assured me it'd be fine to lay them onto mud(depends on time of year you get them I guess,tho they said it's preferable if u don't lay them on mud) so I did and they were fine. The are lashed together with cable ties. I didn't put any grass seed down on them (wrong time of year) and it just grew up itself,(tho I spose if u did seed,would probably speed it up.)
 
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