Pea Gravel

[Tammytoo]

I have been recommended to have an area of pea gravel in my turnout area to help toughen up my barefoot horse's feet. What size pea gravel do I get and what depth?

 

[wench]

who has suggested that...

 

[Tammytoo]

Rockley Farm use pea gravel for rehabing. It has also been recommended on here recently, but I can't find the post. I'm sure someone will remember!

 

[YasandCrystal]

Rockley Farm use pea gravel for rehabing. It has also been recommended on here recently, but I can't find the post. I'm sure someone will remember!

Why not ring Rockley farm?

 

[Dry Rot]

I use pea gravel to "bed" my stables and field shelter. It is good free draining and fairly easy to keep clean. Didn't know it was good for feet though.

Size? Erm.....how about pea sized? See what you local quarry can supply, you need the small round pebbles as you might find on a beach, not crushed rock which will have sharp splinters in it.

 

[Tammytoo]

Thanks Dry Rot - there are apparently two sizes of pea gravel, 10mm or 20mm.
Apparently it's the change of surfaces, say from woodchip to gravel which helps harden the feet, rather than standing on soft (or soggy at the moment!) surfaces all the time.

 

[Dry Rot]

Thanks Dry Rot - there are apparently two sizes of pea gravel, 10mm or 20mm.
Apparently it's the change of surfaces, say from woodchip to gravel which helps harden the feet, rather than standing on soft (or soggy at the moment!) surfaces all the time.

It's 10mm I use, but I would have thought either would do, whichever is the cheapest. I get an 8x5 Ifor trailer load full, back it up to the field shelter and tip it in. I would think just keeping hooves off the wet would be a help and that gravel is very free draining.

Just a point about drainage, you really need to work out where the water is coming from. Mine was running off the field shelter roof, then downhill into the shelter. I put up a gutter and piped the water under the floor to the nearest ditch. Much drier now. Just a thought.

 

[Crugeran Celt]

I was on a laminitic thread and was recommended pea gravel instead of wood chip, spoken to my vet about and he agreed it is good for unshod horses.

 

[ClobellsandBaubles]

I think the paddock paradise people recommend pea gravel for barefoot horses

 

[Oberon]

http://uknhcp.myfastforum.org/about3904.html&highlight=pea+gravel

 

[Pale Rider]

You really want 10mm pea gravel at a depth of about 6 inches.

Not a new idea, Xenophon stressed the importance of caring for the horse's feet. He suggested that the flooring of the stable should not be damp and should not be smooth. The stableyard should be of pebbles to strengthen the hooves, and should be surrounded by a skirt of iron so that the pebbles do not scatter. These surfaces are intended to strengthen the hoof wall, frog, and sole of the hoof.

 

[Tammytoo]

Thankyou all - I now have a plan!

Oberon - is there anything you don't know?

 

[Mainland]

Definitely 10mm. Although be careful to ensure it is rounded. Not all areas of the country have rounded 10mm.

 

[Oberon]

Thankyou all - I now have a plan!

Oberon - is there anything you don't know?

I know pretty much nothing useful or worth any money

 

[ester]

we have 10mm. do go and look at samples though, we had 3, all supposedly rounded pea gravel but one was much better size and roundedness wise!

don't be surprised if they spend more time rolling in it than standing in it though!

 

[amandaco2]

I'm thinking of an area in and around a field shelter.....I guess I will need something to contain it?like rounded wood...