Poached/muddy gateway: WWYD?

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

OK, so in common with everyone else...... I've got this situation where the horses are turned out in a lovely 10 acre area which basically consists of two fields with a gap through which they have to go.

There used to be a gate in this gap, but there isn't one anymore, and its just getting hopelessly muddy & like a swamp. I'm worrying their shoes are going to be pulled off by it, its clay soil, and really sticky and gunky. Their grazing area is actually quite dry, BUT they have to go through this muddy swamp every time and its getting worse by the day!

It WOULD be able to be reached by a tractor or quad bike, which doesn't help coz I don't have either! But a contractor would have one, no doubt.

So........ what would you do peeps? i.e. how would you tackle it. What materials would you put down for a base layer, and then what would you put on top???? The area is approx 3m wide X 10m long, say.

Any advice welcome! Thanks.

 

[ROMANY 1959]

Had similar problem years ago at a friends field , she got a farmer to scrape top layer off and pile it up in field, then she ordered a lorry load of crushed bricks, laid it down, rolled it, then put road planning s on top, it's quite firm now no mud. She didn't do it till it was dried out a bit. Her gateway was clay .

 

[Nugget La Poneh]

I had this with the gate way to my old field. The only way I got it manageable was to get the rubber mesh, put down at a depth of 8 inches, then put the remaining mud back, then top up with course sand (about 10 inches worth). It will be raised slightly, and will still get wet to a degree, but not sticky enough to pull off shoes. It gets firmer over time as well so the following year was only 'loose' on the top inch or so.

 

[flirtygerty]

I have had this problem, compounded by underground streams running through the fields and converging at the barn door, it was my intention to put a weed control fabric down, then top with dolomite rolled tight, then road planings or pea shingle, however, we are having to move house next year, so not worth the expense of doing it, so once again my lot will have to plough through mud to come in, hey ho, roll on next year