Menage / starvation paddock

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Chumsmum

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This is for a friend
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She has two horses, one elderly very prone to laminitis and a 5yo.

She has her own land and wants to make a starvation paddock for the old guy so he can stay out but it would be good if it could also double as a menage for occasional schooling - she has access to 'proper' schools within hacking distance but would like to school the baby at home too sometimes.

She is trying to work out what would be the best - leave the grass on, but worry if it will be too much for old guy or take the grass off with a digger but would soil be a suitable surface or can you recommend anything to put on the top, sand etc?

This is all being done on a budget of £0
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so what would you recommend?

Many thanks for any help
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Well if she is not prepared to spend sensible money then don't bother to do anything.

If you want to build a decent menage it will cost in exces of £25,000. You need planning permission anyway for a menage.
 
surley if you leave the grass on you wont be able to school as it will harden over the summer. i agree with owlie, i think the best thing to do is at least invest in some sort or surface. ive been at DIY liverys where they have had woodchips as a cheap but cheeful surface (dont like it much) or another had fine grit which was ok but very dusty but the horses loved going for a roll in it.
 
i personally would section it off from the field with wooden post and rail if its goning to be a permanent feature.
 
Thank you.

Do you know if the woodchips or fine gravel were just placed over the soil or was it a proper jobbie with drainage etc? I'm guessing the fine gravel would be best for the main reason - turnout for lami horse??
 
Well one could do that with electric fencing - but not without spending some money on an energiser, fencing and tape which would cost anything from £150.00 -for a decent sytem.
 
Thanks for replies
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Have just checked with friend, she will probably post and rail it as she only has to do two sides as it will be in the corner of the field.

She would prefer to leave the grass on as bar the odd occasion, her grass is good enough to school on now and then, but she thinks it will be too much grass for the lami.

So if she took the grass up (and fed him on soaked hay) would you be happy to school on dirt or would something over the top be better/safer?
 
If the horse is turning out on it dirt or sand might not be appropriate because you can induce colic if they eat it. Wood chip in probably the best bet, I wouldn't want to put stone down for a lami as it would bruise already sensitive feet. I've heard of people with good draining ground using old bedding to school on but I can't understand how this would work really.
 
I've put a wood chip surface down straight over grass. (It was free from a local Tree surgeon)

The grounds' not entirely level so it's not perfect but does the job of being somewhere to school my pony when the grounds hard.

The woodchips aren't a good surface to school on when its wet as they're pretty slippery so in winter/rain we only do walk and trot or canter up the long side, and trot on the lunge, but when it's dry I can canter and jump on it.

If I were your friend I'd fence off a seperate area for the diet paddock than for the schooling because you want a bald area for the tubby horse and grassed area for schooling.
 
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