Temporary gateway mat

[Po Knee]

Does anyone have any ideas for a temporary solution for providing a dry footing for shoeing in this horrible wet winter please?

I do not have stabling or hard standing, so I'm looking to put something down as a temporary measure to help out the farrier. The area I usually use is just outside
my gateway, so not actually a part of my field. I was wondering whether something like an old piece of carpet or a large rug would do the trick?

Has anyone tried anything like this please?

 

[rabatsa]

Some Mud Control slabs will make you a bit of hard standing and they can be moved around to suit as they are not permanent.

 

[Redders]

I use rubber grass mats, the ones with holes in. Works well, but works better when put down before it gets soft. 4 gives a good size area for one horse. If you leave them there they get better the longer they are there

 

[Highmileagecob]

If the ground is already muddy, you can stamp straw into the mud first to absorb water. Old hessian backed carpet laid upside down makes a decent base for mats.

 

[Po Knee]

Thanks everyone.

Some useful information there. Whilst mud control mats are the holy grail, I need something cheaper right now, so I will investigate the options mentioned.