Wood chip on hardcore, good footing? Experiences?

[PurBee]

I’m considering putting down a good depth of wood chip layer over hardcore, in a large dry-lot area where the horses loaf about on the days when the fields are too boggy in winter.
The wood chip i can get supply of is chipped spruce bark - inch wide x 2 inch long pieces roughly.

The hardcore layer is like compact shale - well worn down, barely any loose stones, so very much compact and wouldnt mix with the wood chip.

This area is also a space for light lunging - so im wondering what wood chip is like for footing at trot paces? No canter work or fast turns etc, just limbering up and basic handling.

I’ve only ever plonked wood chip onto muddy bits in the past and it soon mixed in with the mud and became more mud! I’ve noticed mention on other threads that wood chip can be slippy….wondering if thats the case on hard core?

Im looking for options for better footing in the lunge area, that isnt sand as that would wash away with the downpours we have and its on a slight slope, so id be forever raking sand back thats washed down. Rubber chip and other synthetics wouldnt work as they poop there and the synthetic bits would end up in the dung pile and spread on fields. There’s also a couple of feed stations for hanging haynets so dont want them potentially at risk eating synthetic footing.
I’ve tried washed pea gravel in the past on an area and that needed 2 x weekly raking to keep it loose, and became a compact layer within the year. I had high hopes for that but was shocked it compacted so readily under their weight.
So now im considering wood chip! Once its rotten down some, i would scrape it off, compost it and re-fresh with a new supply. Any other suggestions?

Irish coffee for all participants! ?

 

[cauda equina]

I have a woodchip turnout area over big lumpy limestone and it certainly is slippy!
The longer it goes (it's been down about 15 months now) the less slippy it gets but I wouldn't want to work them in there and it's sometimes heart in mouth time when they're just messing around
It's wood, rather than bark though; maybe bark binds together better
Also because of the free-draining base there's been very little rotting so less well draining might mean more rotting and a more stable surface

 

[AdorableAlice]

I have wood chip down in a barn (covered) on hardcore floor. In the wet areas where the weather drives in through the big doors it is slippery. In the dry areas it has turned into a dust bowl. I would never use it again

 

[PurBee]

I have a woodchip turnout area over big lumpy limestone and it certainly is slippy!
The longer it goes (it's been down about 15 months now) the less slippy it gets but I wouldn't want to work them in there and it's sometimes heart in mouth time when they're just messing around
It's wood, rather than bark though; maybe bark binds together better
Also because of the free-draining base there's been very little rotting so less well draining might mean more rotting and a more stable surface

Thats a good point you make - bark V’s wood pieces wood chip. I wonder if that does make a difference?

The supply i get is mainly smallish pieces of bark, from the local spruce forestry operations, where they skin the trees and chip up the bark. There’s also quite a bit of tiny mulched dusty pieces which may well help bind the larger pieces.

It’s a well draining sub-layer of hardcore as its on a bit of a slope overall.

Hmmm…ive been mulling it over as an idea and think i’ll only know by trying and see how it works, i can just scrape it all off and use it elsewhere if its a complete failure!

 

[PurBee]

I have wood chip down in a barn (covered) on hardcore floor. In the wet areas where the weather drives in through the big doors it is slippery. In the dry areas it has turned into a dust bowl. I would never use it again

What type of wood chip do you have? Is it large/small pieces of wood or pieces of bark, or a mixture?

 

[RHM]

Yard has a turnout area which is woodchip on hardcore and it’s awful. Really really slippy, wouldn’t lunge on it. I would be tempted to board up the lower part of fence and try sand.

 

[SEL]

Friend worked at a yard where they had woodchip turnout pens. After the first winter they were all dug up and sand laid on top of the hardcore instead. It looked like slimy compost when it was being removed.

 

[Mrs G]

I was at a yard with a woodchip arena surface. When I first went there is was ok - had been down a long time, was bedded down and compact with a thinnish dry layer on top. Owner then topped it up and made it virtually unusable - it got very deep and boggy and the woodchip was large pieces which just sort of slid over each other making it very unstable and slippy. I would never work a horse on that sort of surface.

 

[lizziebell]

I have a woodchip turnout and don’t find it slippy at all. The woodchip I have is produced for equestrian use - the size, shape, type of wood etc is chosen so that it’s not slippy and doesn’t decompose as quickly as your garden type mulches.

 

[PurBee]

I have a woodchip turnout and don’t find it slippy at all. The woodchip I have is produced for equestrian use - the size, shape, type of wood etc is chosen so that it’s not slippy and doesn’t decompose as quickly as your garden type mulches.

Can you describe the type of wood chip pieces you have? Do you have a close up pic?

From the sounds of it , it seems it really does depend on the type of woodchip.

 

[tristar]

i use sand worked really well

 

[Lintel]

Loved my wood chip when I put it down.
4 years on…

It’s rather boggy and rotting down and I cannot wait to replace it, but this will involve pulling it all up from a 30mx15m and replacing so I have put it off for now.

Its still fine in the summer when it dries out but the winter is a mess, and it’s mostly used for winter turnout. I’m lucky that I don’t have hooligans, a Hipo and shitland, so I don’t have to worry about slipping etc, and honestly I haven’t ever found it slippy- the issue is it’s now boggy

 

[AdorableAlice]

What type of wood chip do you have? Is it large/small pieces of wood or pieces of bark, or a mixture?

It was a mixture and it had unwanted debris in it, despite assurances that it was clean.

 

[lizziebell]

Can you describe the type of wood chip pieces you have? Do you have a close up pic?

From the sounds of it , it seems it really does depend on the type of woodchip.

We have Melcourt equichip,
https://melcourt.co.uk/products/equichips/

but if you Google equestrian woodchip there are several companies that offer woodchip produced for equestrian use.

Woodchip is always going to breakdown to dirt as that’s the nature of the material. Ours has been down 4 years and I think probably can do one more winter before it needs a revamp and top up.

Personally I don’t like sand as it does freeze, but woodchip just goes a bit crunchy.

 

[cauda equina]

I avoided sand as it is so abrasive but wish I'd looked at wood fibre - more shreds than chips - as it might bind together more
Something like this
https://www.safersurfacing.co.uk/pages/equestrian-wood-fibre-surfacing

 

[PurBee]

Thanks for your views folks - it really helps as i didnt realise the type/size of woodchip matters….all wood chip is not created equal it seems!

I shall trial some local suppliers - thankfully its not an arena where picking the wrong footing would be disasterous and costly, so i have the chance to trial and see how we get on.