Ideas please, on dealing with a swamp of a stable.

J

Janette

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My stable has no drain. I do know why, but there is no solution, and it will continue to have no drain. It DOES have other benefits so I shan't be moving.
So.
All of the wet runs to the left hand corner at the front, which means that this part of the box develops a puddle. Enough to splash about in and sail little boats if left and ignored!

Horse likes to soak her hay in the drinker, splash about in it, drink and not swallow... you get the picture - more water going into the box. sigh.

Mu current solution is to put a bale of Laysoft down at the front, and top it off with straw. The back 2/3 of the box is deep littered. The front can't be, because of all the wet in there.
It squelches at times, badly. When the squelch becomes noticiable, then it's time for The Big Dig, clear out the sodden Lay Soft and start again.

Can anybody recommend a REALLY absorbant bedding which I could try instead of LaySoft?
 
I think wood pellets might be more absorbant than any sort of shavings. Or how about something like Megazorb?

I have a similar problem - the rain comes into my stable at the back. Nothing I hate more than throwing away clean but wet bedding...
 
I'd not be going down that route, unless there's a puddle outside as well I'd be punching a hole through at the lowest point to let out some of the liquid.
 
We had a stable that drained badly to one corner, we knocked a hole in the bottom, floor level, at that corner brick so that the pee drains out there..
 
The YO (farmer) has got the idea that the wet from a stable is 'Toxic Waste' and he has ramped concrete both sides of the door to create a 'dam'.

How he stops the said 'Toxic Waste' from contaminating the fields when he takes the muck heap out to the field to decompose is byond me, but I dare not ask because I'll be there til next year listening to the explanation. :D
 
I'd also try to knock or drill a hole through if you are allowed

Failing that try Megazorb which is great stuff
 
One thing that might help. If your mare's hay and water are not on opposite diagonal corners try moving them so that they are. My hay dunker and consequent swamp dweller gave up doing it when I made it harder for him.
 
Lol do'd, mine just drags the water buckets to the position of her choice, and uses her head to knock her hay to a place she deems best.
 
In very wet weather my stable gets a good soaking. I *think* the water runs down off the field and under my wall into the stable resulting in a very wet bed and on occasion a few inches of water all over- last winter this cost me an absolute fortune removing the entire bed every time.
This year ive used wood pellets with a good bank of them along the suspect wall. Ive found best not to disturb that bank at all where possible and just add to it now and again. Even with the crazy wet winter we've had this winter ive saved hell of a lot on bedding and time spent throwing away clean bedding so i'd highly recommend giving them a try.
Pellets are not my favourite bedding but they have virtually stopped my stable from being a soggy mess so get my vote for that reason!
 
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