MudControl Clip & Ride - surface slabs

HappyNeds

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Has anyone bought and used these? What are they like?

http://www.mudcontrol.co.uk/

We feed hay in our winter paddock, against a hedge and the last few years it's been so wet and the mud is beyond terrible. I was thinking a square section of these for where the horses stand to eat would be brilliant, they are expensive but they claim to last forever (20 years) and be non-slippery etc.

Can you lay them on a slight slope? Are they non-slippery? Do they actually work, or do they move and sink into the ground etc?

Has anyone used them in a gateway and driven a tractor over them regularly?
Are they worth it?!
 

ester

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Our old HHO friend Kerilli has been posting about them elsewhere, she says she has had them down since septmber and she has been really impressed.
 

HappyNeds

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Thanks for the posts so far guys, this sounds really promising so far! I’d love to hear from Kerilli if she’s used them.

I was assuming this winter was too late, and that we would lay them on dry ground after we’ve harrowed in spring.

To those that have used them, did you lay them small holes up and just leave them as they were, or did you brush sand/gravel into the holes?
 

Fiona

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I have ordinary holey field mats in my pony paddock gateway with some stone underneath and I'm very impressed so far. Not sunk in the slightest.

Fiona
 

kerilli

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Hi all, sorry, had to hear my name three times before I got the call! ;) Weird to be back!
Yes, I have had these down since September. The rest of the field around them looks like The Somme at the moment. Heavy clay, the sort that tries to pull your wellies off...
No, they don't sink. They really honestly don't. I know that's hard to believe, but then, I didn't quite believe that they would float, either. They are 7kg per slab (50cm square slab) and they FLOAT on water. (Photos and videos on the facebook page that prove it.)
So they won't sink in mud. I laid some last weekend and they are rock solid, with 16.3 heffalumps on them. Of course they are a lot easier to lay when the ground is hard and flat, no denying that, there's a bit of a knack to laying them in gloopy clay mud, but it's doable, albeit a really good workout! The slabs are VERY strong (withstand over 60 tonnes, certified), made of recycled plastic, and interlock. Guaranteed for 20 years, UV stable, totally inert. Have been on the market for ages in Germany, very successfully. They can easily be removed and used elsewhere. They aren't cheap, they are definitely an investment, but they definitely work! I had tried everything before (planings, carpet, woodchip, you name it) and nothing did the job, it just made an awful mess... but these work. Full details at the www.mudcontrol.co.uk website.
There are lots of photos on the Facebook page, including from very recent happy customers.
I had a pallet delivered a couple of days ago, laid them straight on the lawn and drove my lorry onto them as a test. No problem, parked it there for a bit then reversed straight off. The next day they had a crane parked on them to lift roof beams into place. An instant 'hard standing' that can be removed immediately. :) Photos of that too.
Please send me a message on there (or here) if you want to have a chat about them. Or, I will answer any questions on this thread, happily... go for it!
 

kerilli

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It is disgustingly wet here, we are on heavy Northants clay... I got a digger driver to dig down 2 summers ago (I wanted a soak away put in, they laughed at me... they were right!) and he got down to 13' deep and was still on solid clay, nothing else!
We got a small Partner van stuck on the lawn a few weeks ago, it's THAT wet. The fields are pretty horrific tbh.
Anyone is welcome to come and have a look, and a coffee, and a chat... and I have spare slabs here if anyone wants to take some to try etc. :)
 

kerilli

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To answer HappyNeds' questions:
They will last a lot longer than 20 years, tbh... they are warranted for that long but being solid (recycled) plastic they will probably last 200 years or more!
Yes, you can lay them on a slight slope. They cope fine with undulating ground. The photos on the Facebook page of them on my lawn are on a slope. They have a special non-slip pattern on them for horses, with a double 'nub' for hooves to catch on. We do advise spreading a bit sand over the top, but lots of customers haven't and their horses have been fine, shod and unshod.
Yes, they work. They move a tiny bit (especially when first put down, before they are bedded in) but they do not sink into the ground. The tops will need sweeping or scraping, as horses carry mud onto them and really liquid mud squidges up through the holes, but they won't disappear never to be seen again, and they won't break, crack, trap hooves, or anything else. They are incredibly heavy and heavy duty. 7kg per slab is a LOT (says the person who has been carrying them around for months!) I've used them in a gateway, and alongside a fence with hay feeders on. I have driven the gator along them a lot, but not a tractor (don't have one any more). In fact, because they felt so rock solid under the gator, I managed to forget how bad the rest of the field really was and tried to roll it, and of course got the gator and roller completely stuck, right beside the slabs... argh.
Happy to answer any more questions! We rent them out for trial too, in case anyone doesn't want to place an order until they are convinced!
 

HappyNeds

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Hi kerilli,
Thank you so much for replying, I’ve been checking the thread hoping you would!

Can I ask how they lock together, I can’t really tell from the pictures (and unfortunately we are too far away from you for me to come and have a look!) but presumably they must connect somehow as if they are on a slope wouldn’t the bottom ones drift downwards? Perhaps they are heavy enough not too?

I didn’t realise until I read you message that I assume it’s your company?! I thought from the other messages you were just a previous customer.

How much would the rent scheme work out at, and then presumably you can buy the ones you’ve already rented if you get on ok with them?

I’m thinking how we’ve lasted this long through the winter if they go down better after the ground has dried and been harrowed in the spring, it’s probably worth waiting until then to do it, and then they can settle over the summer and we’ll be in a good position for next winter. Want them right long term if that’s how they go down best.

Our winter fields and the area round where we feed hay in the field is so bad, just terrible. And it seems very wet winters are the normal now so these sound so very promising.
 

kerilli

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Hi, it's not my company (I wish!) I am just a sales agent because I really believe in the product, hopefully to make a little bit of money to go towards eventing this year!
They have tabs that stick out on every side, that fit into gaps between the tabs on the sides of every other slab. All sides are equal, any can connect to any. If you look at the photo or video of the floating slabs you can see them very clearly. Yes, they are heavy enough not to drift but they interlock to help spread the load, ideally staggered (like bricks) so only 3 slabs meet at 1 place (2 corners and a middle) not 4 corners.
I don't manage the rental scheme at all, I think it starts at £100 and of course you can buy after trying, or return the slabs. Please contact Paul@mudcontrol dot co dot uk if you want rental details.
Are you going to the Hartpury IEF on Monday? If so, can take some along for you to see if you want?!

As for putting them down now... tbh, it's not easy but it's perfectly doable. On flat unpoached ground, it's a walk in the park. I laid a whole pallet worth (104 slabs) in about an hour last week. Just make a row, start the next row, slot the next one in, wiggle them all into place. Slightly move one away, slot the next one in, etc. But in deep sticky or poached ground it's a bit of a wrestle, especially the wiggling part (because the mud sticks them down and holds them) but they do go down and form a solid platform, it's just a good workout! If you could get the area scraped or rolled first it would help hugely if you wanted to lay them now. I even did one area in totally liquid mud by scraping it a bit at a time with a spade, laying that slab, scraping the next bit, etc. That area is rock solid and the pony in that field loves standing on that bit, on the firm part not in the gloop!
 

HappyNeds

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Hi kerilli,

I won’t be at Hartpury unfortunately, all your information has been useful though, thank you. I’m going to go for it - I will measure up a section and place an order. Is there any advantage to you if I order through you as a sales rep, otherwise I will just use the phone contact on the website. I can name-drop you when I order, if you like! Just happy to help out a fellow h&h if does you any good.
 

kerilli

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Excellent. It depends entirely on where you live, who gets the commission... if you are in my area then it's me, if not it's one of my colleagues. What's the first part of your postcode please, so I can check and tell you who to contact with an order. Thank you! :)
 

OldieButGoodie

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We have heavy clay and a big horse which likes to turn any gateway even temporary ones into churned up mud (my other horse is fine!). Just the fact that these are moveable might help alleviate this issue as we have to restrict his grazing so use temporary fencing - unfortunately his habit of hanging around the gate quickly turns any gateways into mush. He is also capable of destroying a hard standing made of planings - as we discovered.
 

poiuytrewq

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I think these are what I did know as bog boarding?
We use them on the farm for lorries to get in wet gateways to drop off fertilisers.
I got my hands on a few last year in my gateway and they really don't sink or move..... in fact I could do with more!
Literally the only drawback I found, and this was quickly sorted was that the horses were a bit worried by the noise when they walked over them. Soon got used to it though.
 

kerilli

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If anyone wants to see the slabs, have a chat about them, etc, we will be exhibiting at The Game Fair at Ragley Hall on July 27th -29th, please come along. Stand Number 1559. Hope to see some of you there!
 

HappyHollyDays

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They are the same as the Huebner Lee mats made in Germany. A friend has had hers down in her non grass turnout paddocks for well over 20 years and are used day in day out. They are as good as they day they put them in.
 

B. D

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Hi, Mud control mats are the best thing ever. I bought some last year and now intend to buy more. Perfect for gateways and as hard standing for horses or vehicles. Can be laid directly onto mud or dry ground and just like a carpet follow the rise and fall of the land. I would recommend to any one needing a good surface for anything.
 
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