hardcore - keeping it looking smart, poo picking etc

[NeverSayNever]

i am fighting a losing battle? i got roadplanings laid for hardstanding and its such a huge hit with my 2 ponies that they refuse to leave it and go onto the wet and soggy field at all despite having free access to it.

Im finding that poopicking Im ending up with half a barrow full of stones as well though and I can never get all the poo up so it looks messy Im brushing whats left with a stiff broom to break it all down really small so that hopefully it will just wash away with the rain.

Any other tips though? Despite hay being in nets, there are untidy bits of hay everywhere too

 

[Spring Feather]

Sounds like you didn't have the hardcore pounded properly.

 

[Jingleballs]

Outside of my stable has recently been all hardcored - it's a nightmare to keep tidy and like you say, if I try to sweep it up I end up removing loads of the hardcore.

I've taken to scraping over the messy bits with some of the cleaner hardcore just to cover some of the mess.

If you have a hose and it's sloped you might be able to hose some of the worse of it away with out moving any stone.

 

[NeverSayNever]

it is hard to keep it looking tidy..

springfeather it was pounded with a vibrating plate but I didnt want it solid like a road surface for fear of it being too slippy.

BB covering over with the cleaner stuff might be a help too, i think i ended up doing that today tbh too

 

[Floxie]

I thought this thread was going to be about what a die-hard yardworker you were, out in all weathers at any time of the day or night, shovel in one hand and rubber gloves in the other...

 

[NeverSayNever]

I thought this thread was going to be about what a die-hard yardworker you were, out in all weathers at any time of the day or night, shovel in one hand and rubber gloves in the other...

that too of course!! ... you forgot the headtorch

 

[Honey08]

Sounds like you didn't have the hardcore pounded properly.

We did exactly the same with ours, as we didn't want it like tarmac, more like pebbles..

I find the easiest thing to poo pick with is one of those things you skip an arena out with - those kind of bucket on a stick thing with a little rake. I have one of the old fashioned ones, and it works best the wrong way up, with the smooth side pushing the poop in rather than the rake, as it glides over the stones..

I pick the hay up with a regular straw fork. Another tip - if you dump the droppings on the edge of the hardcore, in a corner somewhere, the horses tend to go to that area by themselves to do their droppings..

If I'm home I poo pick etc every day - it takes 15 mins for two horses - easier than doing a field or a stable! If I'm away it gets left a few days, but even then isn't so bad.

The chippings don't stay in pristine condition - we got a bit of grass growing this year from the hayseed, although the horses ate it. If you left the horses walking over the droppings, it would break down and you'd eventually end up with mud..

 

[peaceandquiet1]

It's a battle but I found that a lightweight snow shovel works best for me though you do have to develop a sort of "sifting" type of style.

 

[NeverSayNever]

thank you!

 

[Nicnac]

one of those things you skip an arena out with - those kind of bucket on a stick thing with a little rake. I have one of the old fashioned ones, and it works best the wrong way up, with the smooth side pushing the poop in rather than the rake, as it glides over the stones..

Known as a pooper scooper

 

[FfionWinnie]

I use one of those rake and bucket things as well. And at a previous yard we raked the gravel to lift hay. It was a mahoosive yard as well and needed raked twice a day fan rake type thinger...