muddy gateways/tracks - woodchip or what...?

[tobiano1984]

I've got a small turnout corral that has already turned to mud, and want to do something about it as I use it in winter for ponies at night and TB to stand in during the day if it's horrible weather, it's just a small fenced area about 6m x 20m. Also pre-empting the winter livery paddocks getting muddy in gateways and on the narrow track.

I saw someone else locally had used woodchip on tracks/gateways and wondered about this as I think it's pretty cheap. Has anyone else used this? I know it doesn't last forever but if it's cheap doesn't matter too much. Or any other ideas? Nothing expensive...

And where does one get woodchip from?

 

[Honey08]

I'd use road planings. Woodchip would be very short term on an area that is already muddy.

 

[Dusty M Yeti]

The problem with woodchip is that it very quickly turns to mulch (being an organic material) then it actually make gateways etc worse, and it all mixes in with the mud. As Honey08 says you would be better with road planings or hardcore, rubble, something that doesn't rot down.

 

[tobiano1984]

Ok great - there's a demolition company down the road who do road planings/recycled concrete etc. It's £220 exc vat for a 20 tonne load, but that sounds like a lot (of weight)! Any idea how much you need per sqm? And can you just put it straight down? I don't have the time or facilities to start doing anything too fancy/diggers etc!

 

[9tails]

Best to put a membrane down over the mud then planings on top, otherwise they sink into the mud.

 

[JillA]

A 20 tonne load isn't a lot, it's heavy stuff - I had one to do my yard and it went nowhere. Short term if you can get cheap bark chippings that is better than wood, it doesn't rot as quickly.

 

[Princess Rosie]

Woodchip will indeed rot fast, be cautious with bark chippings as some can be slippy, demding on how much bark is left on the chippings I would definitely go for hardcore.

 

[PeterNatt]

To be honest if you want to sort it out you need to get a proper job done as otherwise I am afraid you will be just spending good money after bad.
Woodchips won't work for more than a few hours.
You need to get a 'reputable' contractor in to dig out the existing surface and lay down drainage, a membrane and some cleaned and graded hard core (all metal etc. removed) and then machine compact it.
This is the only way you will sort it out once and for all.

 

[Honey08]

We used three twenty ton loads to cover a 25mx15m turnout area. It was put on rough hardcore. I wouldn't waste money on a membrane. Personally I'd put it over rolled earth too if it was put down deep enough.

We had a local farmer do the work. He brought rough hardcore which was free, then flattened it with his tractor bucket. That was put down about 2' deep over really wet boggy clay ground. Then the planings were spread about half a foot thick on top, again with the bucket. We got the planings for half the price you did, but it was from a firm that was working locally. To buy them from the company when they're not working locally (so have to load them and deliver especially) it's a similar price to yours.we paid the farmer a couple of hundred.

It was worth every penny. Our horses go out on it all day throughout winter. We are coming into our fourth winter of using it this time. It has saved many mudrash bills that we used to get. It would be the first thing that I would build on a yard if we ever had to move. Horse and Hound even featured it in their winter turnout feature last year.

 

[horserugsnot4u]

I have used 40mm crushed clean stone in the gateways (about 3 tonne per gateway) and it worked very well, even though grass has grown through it is still firm underfoot. I wouldn't use builders rubble as you can get all sorts of dangerous materials such as wire, glass, ceramic tiles etc. I also agree that wood chip is very a very short-lived solution and you end up with a very deep, soft and wet mulch.

 

[WelshD]

'40mm down Limestone' is the best and a bulk bag's worth is actually cheaper than most woodchip.

If you can get road planings direct then do so but buying through a third party wont be much different to the limestone above and at least you know exactly what you are getting with the limestone

 

[Slightly Foxed]

To be honest if you want to sort it out you need to get a proper job done as otherwise I am afraid you will be just spending good money after bad.
Woodchips won't work for more than a few hours.
You need to get a 'reputable' contractor in to dig out the existing surface and lay down drainage, a membrane and some cleaned and graded hard core (all metal etc. removed) and then machine compact it.
This is the only way you will sort it out once and for all.

This. I actually do have woodchip hard standing areas but they were properly dug out, then filled with drainage stone, then a membrane with woodchip -arena grade - on top. They've been installed for 10 years, the woodchip is now mulch but it's fine as there's drainage underneath and after all this time the limestone's compacted.

 

[Suechoccy]

20 tonne of road planings bought from the plant hire people by arrangement for delivery on the night they are working local to you will mean you get them cheaper (£160 inc VAT here) as their drivers are saving time (delivering to you rather than going all the way back to the yard and then back to the road they're working on) and diesel. Only downside is the lorry arrives around 10.30-11.30pm so it will be dark and you'll need torches to direct them where to drop it off!

 

[CBFan]

Road planings for sure... they last years and even if grass does start growing through them, it is still a firm surface underneath... I'd be tempted to dig out your gateways and fill with hardcore and then plannings on top...

 

[Antw23uk]

Does anyone have any before and after pics? Im struggling to get my head round this

 

[WelshD]

Does anyone have any before and after pics? Im struggling to get my head round this

I'll take a pic later of my gateway for you, its not a posh dug out one, its just gravel on mud but its really clear where the gravel begins and ends so will show the difference it can make - I just threw down some basic rounded gravel in one area and some granite chippings in another - the areas that have the aggregate are absolutely solid and stable

 

[Charmel]

I had road plannings laid followed by woodchip and it works perfectly well. what used to be a muddy area between stables now is a great turnout for fat ponies or horses convalescing.