People who pen horses onto hardstanding areas

[CazD]

Our field has got seriously trashed this winter - it doesnt help that its on heavy clay and that the water from the lane drains through it. I lose my wellies most of the time trying to walk through it and the ponies are forever losing shoes.

I was thinking of putting in a large, rectangular hardstanding area around the field shelter where i could pen the ponies when the weather is foul, rather than letting them go down the field. I have a couple of questions for people who have hardstanding areas:

1. How long do you pen the horses - a couple of hours, for the day or 24/7
2. Do they need a "soft" area for peeing, pooing or rolling
3. What sort of shelter do your horses have? Obviously I will have the field shelter, but they
wont all go in there at the same time and someone will inevitably be left outside.

Any other suggestions/hints would be gratefully received.

 

[Tinypony]

Depends on number of equines and size of area, because you need to allow enough space so that they won't argue. I put bedding down in the shelter for peeing and pooing and laying down, but most of the poo got done on the hardstanding. That's handy because you can just sweep from one side to the other then shovel it up.
I had two who were good friend sharing and surprisingly, even though the shelter was only about 16x10 ft, they did go in and share. I put up haynets all over the place, inside and out, to stop them arguing. I wouldn't ration forage in a restricted area. I didn't shut them on the area, just encouraged them to be there by making that the only place they could go to eat hay. That way they ended up staying on it for most of the time, but if there was a scuffle there was an escape route. If I was penning them in then I'd treat it like a stable in terms of how long I kept them in it.

 

[Cop-Pop]

My horse has a concrete pen during the winter as there is no turnout from October - whenever the fields clear up. Shes only out during the day and comes in to a stable at night. There's a cover in one corner and the rest is open. It's also tucked away so protected from the elements. The pen is pretty huge though as it's an old riding school and it was built so the owner could turn all the ponies out in there during the day to keep them clean. Theres a section thats mud in there - about 4ft by 2ft which she could pee in but doesnt. As for rolling - when it was snowy she rolled in there but otherwise I turn her out in the walkway for a few minutes in the morning so she can have a buck and a roll

 

[Smurphy]

Have you thought about using woodchip? Not slippy and soft enough for the ponies to roll and lie down?

 

[Chico Mio]

For different reasons, I have had two penned in an area 7m x 10m permanently (24/7) except for daily exercise. The ground was basically rock hard, sunbaked mud that was as hard as concrete!

They had an area about 3m square, off the main pen that was roofed over to offer shade/rain protection. Sometimes they would both go in it... The sides of this could have been filled in to wind proof it, but weren't as it wasn't necessary. There was a thick layer of sand (10-15cm) in this.

They had a corner of the pen that had gritty sand spread on it, which they used to roll in.

They do not need a 'soft spot' to poo/wee in and to be honest, it is easier to get poo picked up off the concrete.

I must say, if we move back to the UK, I fully intend to continue to keep my two in pens, probably on a sort of deep litter system.

 

[winchester]

Interesting thread - im too on heavy clay and think along your lines of putting bark down to make a nice area in the field! Has anyone any pictures of there penned areas?

 

[Crackerz]

We have our field shelter on hard standing - we don't pen them in but they stay on it when weathers bad as thats where their haylage is

 

[Honey08]

We have an area 20mx30m that is hardcore underneath, that has grassed over on top. Ours go out on there in winter. Obviously the grass is now mud, but its only a few inches deep, rather than knee deep in our clay boggy fields! Our three go out together in it for 2-4 hours a day. Once a week they go our in the big fields for a day to have a proper blast and a day being horses. I put several piles of hay around the turnout paddock, and they move from pile to pile. The two geldings play fight occasionally, but it is playing, and they never do any harm. I like them to at least have company and contact if they can't go out for long. We had to put electric fencing on the top strand, as they kept breaking out while leaning over for grass.

I think that you'd have to put a heck of a lot of bark down on top of clay - we put old shavings down in a gateway once to try and stop the poaching, but it just got churned into the clay, and ended up worse than before. I'd definately put some hardcore underneath - then woodchip perhaps..

 

[Tinypony]

The reason I would prefer a hard surface is because it gives their feet a chance to dry out and also helps their hooves to keep trimmed. (Mine are barefoot).
This will give you the idea. Out of shot there are also haynets tied up outside. This is a sunny day, in winter this setup was an absolute godsend.

Edited to say that underneath that mud at the front there are grass mats. They have vanished completely, but still helped a bit with the mud.

 

[jendie]

We have a large enclosed concrete area outside out stables and during the snow we kept out mini shet in there, with ad lib hay. They were fine.Pood outside (which was so easy to clear) and peed inside their stables, which were left open for them. Only hassle was making sure the area was ice free every morning, that was hard work.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I've got a "holding pen" for mine - he lives home on the farm with me and its basically an area which used to be part of the farm milking parlour, where the cows used to stand around before milking, so nice and large which means a horse can walk around and not feel too confined, plus dry underfoot.

At the moment my boy's out there; coz the field is way too mushy for him to be out in it - and its an absolute godsend in this weather, or when waiting for vets/farriers etc and you don't want the horse to be inside, BUT need it nearby, accessable, and not looking like an advert for a mud-bath!

Its got concrete down, but over the years mosses and patches of grass have grown up, so he can nibble a bit of grass if he needs to, plus can pick on a hedge which is one side, so does get something succulent if he wants to. Also there's a water trough there - he's a real water baby and loves just playing around with it, sluicing out his mouth and that sort of thing.

What I tend to do if he's out there for any length of time is to put a chip of hay in each corner so he has to root around to find it, so he doesn't get bored. But he can see other horses from there, most of the time, so that's even better.

So yes, our little holding cell is definately a godsend! Don't know what I'd do without it - and its the envy of a lot of my friends.

 

[AndySpooner]

We have an area outside the stables which is about 15 meters by 15 meters. It is an area the horses can walk through before going onto the track around the perimeter of the field. The surface of this area is crush and run. The surface of the field track is earth and gets quite boggy in wet periods. There are only two horses and the stable doors are left permanently open giving the horses freedom to choose where they want to go.

We have found that they choose for the most part to share a stable, showing no particular favorite. They have access to haylage both in the yard and track but choose to stay in the yard when the track is boggy and wet. They use the track in dry weather most of the time. There is a little grass on the track, but they ignore this in bad weather opting for dry feet and haylage.

 

[Maesfen]

I love the idea of something like this but my lot are complete play freaks, they never stop, even the oldies and the in foal mare, she's always game for a play too. It would have to be a huge area with very good surface to accomodate them and their playing so I have to put up with them trashing our 2 acre paddy field (clay!). I've even tried it with some out in the morning, the others out in the afternoons (so I would need a smaller area) but they tend to rush around more because the others aren't out with them and make even more mess. Winter is a no win situation here and likely to stay that way.

 

[liannexsx]

mines are individually penned all winter. they are on woodchip. they get a haynet and tubs of water. the only shelter they have is from the side of the building its made against. the size will be approx 15x15. except youngster who has a penned area inside a barn with the option to go outside, its about 20x30 and has auto water. just muck them out with a shavings fork. its a good education for the babies cos they see all the tractors right next to them during the day. they are all stabled at night.

 

[cobden99]

I have a pen outside my stables. It runs alongside the school so is 40m long and probably about 20m wide narrowing to 10m at the far end. There is a membrane down (over clay soil), with hardcore, and then road planings over the top that were then rolled. I have 2 turned out on it; today for example I found a scab in the heel of one that bled when I was brushing her so rather than turn out and possibly get mud in it they are out in the pen. I spread haylage out and they are happy to potter all dy. They wee, poo and roll on the road planings - presumably because there are no large stones so its not much different than hard ground in the summer.
Definitely worth the money IMO

 

[amandap]

I've got two large gravel yards that I join so the horses have a very big area along with permanant concrete floored barn access. I have kept the horses in this with access to a small paddock (rough part of garden) for six months without using any field turnout when I first moved here. Their feet were fab. My yards, when all open, run right round all the buildings and the horses love to hoon round and round sometimes.
I previously had a field like yours and I opened my yard and stables up so they had hard standing for a few hours each day. That worked well. I fed them hay there etc. to encourage them in.

 

[Wagtail]

We don't have a hard standing area but we do have a sand turnout. This allows the horses to exercise themselves safely. I would be worried about turning them out on hard standing in case they slipped or fell or started to leap around. The sand turn out we have is 18m x 37m so just slightly smaller than a standard manege. We have a larger arena for riding. The sand turnout is no more difficult to construct than hard standing, though the cost of the sand does add to the overall expense. It has been well worth it though. Our horses get out 365 days a year, never have mud fever and can safely run about. Our paddocks are only used when they are dry enough during the winter, but the horses stay out on the grass 24/7 in summer.

 

[Petalpoos]

We are also on heavy clay. Last summer we scooped out 450 tons (yes!) of topsoil from an area about 35m x 15m at the front of the winter field, where the main gate is, to get down to the clay, which was about 30-45cm down. We then dug channels into the clay to put in 4 french drains, membrane, shingle and perforated pipe, all leading out to the nearest stream. We then topped the area back up to the surrounding soil level with chalk and hammered it all down. Then put 12 cubic metres of bark/wood chippings down. The whole area is fenced off but mostly the gate to the main field is open so they can come and go at will.

We got the chalk for free and the bark came from a local tree surgeon at £13 a cubic metre. Even then, it cost around £3,000, with us providing the labour.

We put a double field shelter in the middle (already had that).

Was it worth it? Totally! The best money we have spent on the yard. One of my mares often gets foot problems, so it's great for when she has a poultice boot on. They both love rolling on the chippings as they won't roll in the field when it is really wet and we don't have to struggle in and out of the field through over the knee deep mud. If it gets really bad then they always have an area they can run around in. It got to the point last year where I was having a real battle getting them in or out of the field but no problems now

 

[winchester]

Petalpoos - have you got any pictures of it?

 

[Petalpoos]

Just working out how to add one LOL

 

[Petalpoos]

Try the link and see if you get a picture.
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/picture.php?albumid=1531&pictureid=8446

imghttp://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/picture.php?albumid=1531&pictureid=8446/img

 

[Milkmaid]

I have a scalpings area opposite the stables of about 15 x 30 divided into two individual pens with permanent posts and electric tape that I use to turn out into on wet days. They go out normal times 8am-5pm give or take with adlib hay/hage to keep them happy. It`s been an absolute godsend as I only have just over two acres and we are close to the water table, adjacent to a river!

Cost about £800 for 4 loads of scalping to do a good thick covering but worth every penny.

We are moving shortly and intend to make a similar set up at the new house, but with direct access from the stables so they will be free to come and go as they choose

 

[Horses24-7]

Can I ask, do you put a membrane down or just add the stone/surface to the area?

 

[Milkmaid]

Can I ask, do you put a membrane down or just add the stone/surface to the area?

I just put it straight down onto the earth which is fine as long as you put a thick enough layer down to start with. That said we are on chalky loam which is fairly free draining. Not sure i`d like to do it on thick clay! I wouldn`t membrane it tho, I would get a digger in to 'excavate' the top off before laying the stones.

Yes, the mud does come up a little over time but you can always just 'top it up' with another load or two.

 

[winchester]

Thank you for the pictures they are perfect - just need tro start tackling it ready for next winter!!

 

[Lollii]

We are on clay .... nightmare!

My 3 horses that are stabled at night go out in the day into the sand school, they love a roll in the sand they go very orange! there is a gate from the school that leads onto an acre of winter turnout (mud!) but they tend to stay in the school - I hang haynets around, they just mooch around, it's better than staying in all the time.

I also have two horses that live out, I have fenced a bit of the concrete yard by the stables that they stand on and eat hay, they also have access to the fields if they want to go out - but they don't very often.

 

[Tinypony]

In that picture, there is no partition between the two stables. I think it's handy for the door to be wide enough for an escape route, or have two doors.

 

[Beatrice5]

I have a corral or pen too as only 1.7 acres of clay otherwise!

Cost me about £1000 and field was doing well until we had to wean and mare stayed out 24/7 hence field now trashed!

Scraped top off, membrane, scalpings, membrane, woodchip post and rail all around.

Wish it was bigger but that wasn't a problem till we had 3 as I built it for 2!

It's 17m x 15m approx and had field shelter already resident and ancient hence didn't need planning anymore so corral was built around it.

In retrospect corral probaly needed planning permission but as I have said before most people take no notice of that and if no-one complains then the planners won't do anything about it.

 

[china]

we have pea gravel paddocks. they are AMAZING!! we cant turnout on the fields in the winter as we just dont have enough and it gets trashed. we did have sand winter paddocks that they went out all day everyday but when it rained they got minging! we now have a large pea gravel area (where the sand was) split into 5 turnout pens. they role in it, pea and pooh in it. mess about in it. and not once has it got wet and horrible even with all the snow and rain! My tb lives out there 24/7 as he gets stiff in the stable and he is more than happy. all the others come in at night. it wasnt cheap to be done though.

 

[MagicMelon]

I've got a large hardcored area in our yard between two different buildings with stables in each with wooden fencing round the yard. There are 2 gates to either side which leads into paddocks - so I can effectively leave the gates wide open so they can come and go as they please which works very well. At the moment though I have a very lami-prone pony so she is shut into the yard permanently, which of course then shuts the other horses out so I'm currently letting them in (only have 3 horses in total) with her if its really bad weather purely so they can get into the stables freely. So the time they are in differs but generally the lami pony is in it 24/7 (sometimes going into a fenced off paddock if shes feeling ok). Mine generally are happy to poo/pee etc. outside on the hardcore (which is covered by dirt nowadays) but will also go in their stables - one is a biggish stable with rubber matting, the other is a large stable with concrete & straw on half, I just leave the doors hooked open at all times. Only if they're kept in it long term do you need to give them somewhere to roll, I do let my lami-pony out every few days to have a bomb up the field and a roll. Obviously they need permanent access to hay too if kept in.