Stop Water Trough sinking in mud

[winchester]

Last year my Field Water trough sunk in the mud and became unlevel - so because it was an automatic one was constantly leaking over the side making it very muddy..

Any ideas what i can do? Thinking of putting paving slabs under it - or will these sink too (on clay).

Should i dig the area out and re-lay it - or move the trough to a level part of ground and start again?

 

[Darkly_Dreaming_Dex]

I put a load of road planings down, 6" deep, with slabs under the trough itself. The planings were rolled flat aprox 10' diameter around the trough- that stopped all the poaching and encouraged the water to drain rather than sit on the surface. The horses loved it and it became a favourite place to hang out rather than squelching in mud

 

[Gluttonforpunishment]

If you want to stop it permanently - dig it out to about 2ft, put in hardcore and then sand to fill the gaps and use a whacka plate on it to make it firm. Then you can put the paving slabs on top for a nice level surface to sit your trough on.

Yup, you guessed it, we're on clay too and have the same problems!!

 

[winchester]

DO your troughs then stand out above the mud (i.e over ground level)?

 

[Gluttonforpunishment]

Yup, mine is an older style galvanised metal trough - approx 2.5ft high x 4ft long - situated throught the post and rail so serves two paddocks.

 

[Darkly_Dreaming_Dex]

DO your troughs then stand out above the mud (i.e over ground level)?

Mine are plastic troughs that sit on breeze blocks so are clear of the ground underneath.