improvement to sand turnout paddock needed. advice/ideas needed

[china]

we have a sand area fenced off that we use as a winter turnout paddock. It was just a pile of sand that was taken off the old turnout paddocks (we now have pea gravel turnout) it was level out and a fence put around. The problem is, when it rains alot the paddock is very wet and slushy and is not very pleasent for my mare to stand in, usually i can find a dry patch for her but its still not nice. This is the only paddock she can go in as she cannot be turned out next to others (complete baggage and recks the joint being a moody mare!) Now the sand isnt any special sand, just plain old crap stuff. I need to think of something before the winter so that it doesnt get into such a wet mess! Any ideas? i cannot afford to be doing anything special with it. It is to big to rubber mat the lot and i think they will just sink!
Was thinking of getting hold of some teram (easily done) and then putting a cheap mat over the teram so she has somewhere dry to stand and eat her hay?? Any thoughts?

 

[flyingfeet]

The best thing would be to dig it our use a liner and refill with your chosen surface

However in the absence of that being an option the hefty holing grass mats or a roll of grass protector is probably your best bet, but still not cheap

http://www.pro-mats.co.uk/grass-mat.html

 

[Luci07]

Nothing on the actual sand but if she is eating off the floor at the moment, its a good idea to keep an eye on her for sand colic - ie. they pick up sand when eating off the floor which then sits in the gut. Easy way to test - get some fresh droppings, put them in a bucket with water, swirl it round and then tip out the liquid. Any sand will remain at the bottom. If there is any sand, then if you feed something like Sand out, that will keep your mares gut clear.

 

[china]

she doesnt eat off the floor. She eats out of a rather large haylage tub. she pees on it if it goes on the floor. bless her!

 

[OWLIE185]

Yoh have stated that the area becomes very slushy. This is because water can not drain away. The only way to solve this problem is to remove the entire surface, hardcore liner/membrane etc and put in drainage to take the water away. Depending on the height of the surrounding area will effect the height of the drainage and the final height of your turn out area (water has to flow down hill!)