Need somewhere dry for horses - solutions please.

[Beatrice5]

Okay we have use of 3 very wet boggy paddocks.

Built a corral had membrance, scalpings, membrane then wood chip put down. All worked okay for first few years but now it is boggy and sodden as woodchip mulched down and now just like mud.

What to do? Another problem is corral is in the corner of the field all the water naturally wants to run off field to as lower lying. Only built it there as there was an excisting field shelter and the water supply is there so to make use of what I had.

Field shelter has scalpings down but for some reason water is coming up from the ground and it's constantly mushy and wet.

Farrier just been and it was no fun as nowhere dry and hard to stand not helped by the rain admittedly.

I have had enough but such limited funds what can I do to drain water away from corral already have ditches on two sides or do I give up and try and build another one in a different corner of fiel but then have added expense of another field shelter as current one static.

Just feeling low as sick of mud and horses frogs suffering not helped also by lame mare but thats one for the vetinary bods!

 

[Frumpoon]

Concrete apron?? Not sure how much £, but would be long term solution.

On greenbelt you are supposed to apply for planning permission but nobody i know ever has done....

 

[Beatrice5]

What is a concrete apron? Concrete is £60 a meter squared I think !! What ground work need doing first?

 

[Ladylina83]

we've got recycled tarmac chippings in our gateway and they provide a good dry hardstanding

 

[Super_Kat]

My yard has hardcored around all gateways, it's worked a treat

 

[Frumpoon]

Ah u a concrete apron is just an area where your pour concrete [I think?]

As for prep work - not sure, you might need to remove the top soil which would need a JCB or similiar?

Ring someone for a quote, they should give telephone quotes free of charge....

 

[SophieLouBee]

Those rubber grass mat things have worked quite well as a temp solution, as has gravelling in the past. We also found that building up the areas by the gates with more soil (almost like a ramp) so they were higher than the rest of the ground helped, don't know if this would be an option for you. Eventually they will be concrete though.

I've heard that woodchip needs to be replaced every 4 or so years when it's used as a surface for arenas and the like, as obviousy being a natural substance it will break down.

 

[Archiepoo]

we had the same probs with our school and weve added tonnes of sand and mixed it in to the mulch,really worked to dry it out -loads better now!

 

[Beatrice5]

I did wonder if sand would help with drainage so may well be worth costing up.

Yes concrete would be an ideal solution but think it may be the most expensive but yes I shall ring around and get some quotes. The other problem is a jcb will make an almighty mess in the current conditions! Damned clay soil.

I think I need to try lots of different things in test patches to see what works.

I guess I need to know from those who have solid clay fields what they found best.

I am also looking into field mats which again seem a very good idea but worried they will sink into the clay. Some seem very thin 11mm sounds like nothing. Which mats are the best wearing and are they slippery when wet?

 

[WelshD]

I guess the ideal would be to dig the coral out and make the chippings base deeper

Or maybe just add a load of fresh woodchips on top (lots of tree work being done round here at least and many tree workers are happy to drop off woodchips often for free) it would at least buy you some time and may get you through the winter

Solway recycling do some really good deep plastic grid tiles which could be used on grass and then filled with soil and seeded or even filled with gravel, they do them in a few different depths, you could make a separate area of these or surface the coral with them http://www.solwayrecycling.co.uk/farmers-and-smallholders/ecogrid

(they do some really good products including a nifty portable hay feeder for the field)

 

[Katd66]

How about these sorts of mats

 

[Beatrice5]

I want one Those mats look good but how have the coped with the current weather and horses stomping on them ?

Yes I did wonder if I should get boggy woodchip out and put new on top but it would have to be done carefully so as not to disturb membrane and damage scalpings underneath.

Plus getting anything into my field over winter isn't easy slop slop and more slop

 

[Frumpoon]

Yes, in that case do not have the concrete thing - the jcb will sloosh out what little grazing you might have...maybe a combination of sand/woodchip.hardcore/what others suggest is the answer.

Then maybe something sturdier come march/april?