Mud solutions

[Sandstone1]

Has anyone any good solutions to mud! I know about mud control mats. They look good but are expensive, any other good cost effective ideas? Fleece? old carpet etc.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I've tried hard core. Didn't last long and it was put down correctly. I've caved in and gone for the mats. My gateways have been really dangerous this year. Hope you find a solution.

Eta, there are second hand mats on the mud control fb page sometimes. Might be worth keeping an eye out although they do hold their value.

 

[Patterdale]

Don’t use fleece! It’s the biggest ‘oh that looks great I’ll recommend it’ rubbish you’ll see on Facebook. No one who has worked with sheep or wool would ever dream of putting it down for mud control.
It forms ropes, sinks, tangles, and never ever rots ever. You will never get rid of it!

Carpet just sinks.

 

[rabatsa]

I wasted a lot of money on alternatives before admitting that it had to be mud control slabs.

Start small and buy in as you can afford to. If you live close enough to collect even better.

 

[Surbie]

Mud control slabs are the best thing - this is against yards I have been on that tried chalk/road planings/hardcore/rubber mats (that one was pretty dangerous) and, revoltingly, barrows of fresh manure, which just turned into stinking slop.

The slabs hold value so I know my investment could be sold off quickly if I needed to get rid, I can move mine easily from one yard to another, and right now they are making safe what would otherwise be a very deep gateway.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Wish mud control slabs had been around years ago, best thing we have ever used. We only have 100 but shift them around as needed.

 

[FitzyFitz]

Don’t use fleece! It’s the biggest ‘oh that looks great I’ll recommend it’ rubbish you’ll see on Facebook. No one who has worked with sheep or wool would ever dream of putting it down for mud control.
It forms ropes, sinks, tangles, and never ever rots ever. You will never get rid of it!

Carpet just sinks.

fleece used as a membrane underneath stone works, (they use it for paths on boggy moortops) but yeah just chucking fleece in the mud? no hope.

 

[FitzyFitz]

I've tried all sorts of grass mats and all sunk without trace.

Scraping back and adding hardcore does work but needs topping up particularly in really soggy high traffic areas.

Mud control mats really can be plopped down on top of a filthy slurrypit of a paddock and stay on the surface. They are a bit slippery though and it really needs to fairly level ground.