Hardstanding/woodchip areas.....

[Supertrooper]

Your experiences would be very much appreciated,

My friend owns four acres of field, we have two horses and one pony on it. She had a very good building with internal stables which is a huge bonus.

We were chatting today about making the area around the building into either hard standing paddocks or woodchip paddocks, meaning when it's wet they are not churning up the main field.

Even split into two (which it would have to be as big lad and pony don't get on) there would be enough for them to mooch around, stretch their legs and eat their haynets in the fresh air. They would then be stabled overnight.

So can anyone tell me if you've done this, what you've done, costs, how you find it works etc etc

Many thanks (oh and any pics would be great)

 

[*hic*]

I fenced an area 35m x 17m because that is what was available, laid Terram for a couple of hundred quid and got a grand's worth of cushionride to put down on top. I have since topped up with another grand's worth and the resulting area is normally good enough, with a bit of tlc and tractoring to ride on. It also means that I can put my five out on it in shifts and keep the grass decent (nothing has been on grass for months) whereas my neighbours five horses on two acres have turned it into an entirely grassfree area.

You need to exercise a bit of caution riding big horses on mine but it's fine for ponies. My big mare is very balanced and I can canter 8m circles on her on it but the new lad with his huge paces I keep to a trot. We are talking two extgremely large horses though.

 

[CathySirett]

wish I could have a riding area -- for now I just have the field but I am looking to do some hard standing or gravel around the water so they get some good stimulation for their hooves - -they are barefoot

A friend of mine used woodschip and that has basically all rotted down into the mud so if its your place I would do something longer lasting

I am doing a membrane then mixed size shingle/gravel

Cathy

 

[Supertrooper]

Thanks for replies so far xx

 

[Supertrooper]

BUMP

 

[Suelin]

A friend of mine did this with woodchip on a small paddock. She only used it for winter and it worked really well for turnout. She had 2 ponies and a cob on it. I think she tops it up every so often but really cheaply from a local woodmill.

 

[Honey08]

We did this last year with hardcore and road chippings. We got rough hardcore for free (had to pay for a farmer and tractor to deliver it and flatten it out roughly) they we paid for a few waggons of road chippings (you have to watch out for road works and ask for hardcore - they will put you on their list of people to call when they want to get rid of it..) We paid £100/lorry load, which were 20 tons. I think we had four loads. Our horses have been turned out on this all winter in the daytime, with hay. It has worked a treat. They mooch round all day happy to be outdoors, and come in at night. We have got through winter, for the first time, with n

no mudrash and not too muddy fields! They go out once or twice a week in the field for grass - they seem to miss rolling most!

Ps. fence is electric around the area, or they'd be out!

I will try and add pics, but photobucket playing up at mo!

 

[Honey08]

Other direction...

Be aware that you should really have planning permission for this...

 

[Supertrooper]

Thanks Honey08, that's really helpful xx