Did I just mess up?

[Rockysticksfeatherfarm]

We are getting our little bundle tomorrow yay!!! We have everything prepared for our little "paddock" We ordered dirt to fill it in and raise it up some for when it rains. I wanted sand but they told me I needed sandy loam. My hubby did the ordering, I really wish I had spoke with them! So he gets it in and spreads it then we have two or three days of rain ( rare here but it does happen) now it's a muddy mess as bad or worse than the dirt that was in it, slippery like clay. My boot sunk right down to the bottom layer of dirt. This is exactly what we where trying to avoid! I wanted something that would drain and could walk on top of like sand. I have no idea what to do we have been planning this for months, to have everything ready bring him home and surprise my daughter. I asked my husband what he told the guy and all he told him was that it was for a horse. We got a huge load of the stuff and now I am thinking we might have to buy sand also? Any suggestions on making it easier to walk in?

 

[Rhondaalaska]

Oh no it sounds like you will need sand . It will help with the drainage . I have a lot of clay where I live so I get a lot of muck in the rain. And I had to get sand to get it to firm up. I hope others have ideas for you. I also know that new dirt takes time to firm up as well.

 

[Helicopter]

Sorry for your situation but that probably will only be the first of many ''mistakes'' you and yours will make along the joyful trail to horse ownership.

Not being a smart****, just speaking from painful experience. At least you have a husband you can blame.

Is the paddock you mention going to be for pasture or a dry lot?

 

[Rockysticksfeatherfarm]

It's for a dry lot and I think that's where wires got crossed... Poor hubby was so upset today when he stepped into it, I think you are right it should firm up after it dries. This could be a no-no but what about spreading hay on top so it's easier to walk on? I used to do this for my chickens when would get days of rain. It's tough when its drought all the time then on the occasion it rains its like WHHAATT??? Lol! It's like we forget ha!

 

[shorthorsemom]

I did a couple of those whoops in my dry lot. One had craters when it froze. I tripped in the crater carrying water to the horses and dislocated my thumb. Decided on pea gravel. Had to dump quite a few loads to find " bottom" in the goo. I also put some rubber mats down in my feeding area. Oh the joy of owning horses. Enjoy. Every day an adventure. Tell hubby not to be hard on himself. Happens to all of us some time or another. Chalk it up to an experience. Take care.

 

[Carolyn R]

Yep, been there. Shale is a no no also. Sharp pieces, various sizes, turns to wet clay like mixture when too much wat is absorbed. Best solution I have found is the pea gravel. For areas that really need to be built up and have drainage I have used size 2-4 stone (the size correlates to inches) flatten it out , then a load of pea or nut size stone flattened out on top of that. It smoothes out well and packs down evenly, but gives lots of drainage.

 

[Rhondaalaska]

Dont put hay on it that will only make a composte heap and be worse in the long run. Get some pea gravel or sand that would be better.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I agree with those who say use pea gravel. I would not use sand since no matter how careful you try to be the horses will manage to find things to eat off that sand and ingest it. A horse's system is not designed to digest sand and it can cause problems that are costly to deal with. Good luck and welcome to the joys of owning horses

 

[Rhondaalaska]

That is good to know reign maker , I didn't think of that. I know the stable I go to has sand in some of its correls so I will have to watch for that.

 

[Rockysticksfeatherfarm]

I am just thinking about what I have on hand or access to... What about cedar mulch? Good idea bad idea?

 

[Rhondaalaska]

If you put bio mass in with your dirt you will make compost in the end. Gravel is best.

 

[chandab]

I am just thinking about what I have on hand or access to... What about cedar mulch? Good idea bad idea?

Probably not so good. As already mentioned it makes more of a compost, but it can also be slippery when wet, and some horses are sensitive to the oils in cedar (which is why cedar bedding is not recommended).

 

[hoofhearted]

In desperation, I put hay on the muckky mud..don't do it, lol.

 

[muffntuf]

Cedar mulch is not a good idea if I remember right, cedar is not good for horses - toxic.

 

[AngC]

Hello, Rockysticksfeatherfarm....

Not sure where you're from, so it's difficult to offer suggestions.

We're north of Seattle with about 45 in annual rainfall so we've been dealing with drainage issues. I don't fully understand it all (husband's area of expertise) but I'm learning that you can't just slap a band-aid on things. ....i.e., you can't just dump some stuff down and expect it to drain; it has to have somewhere to drain: either down several feet with appropriate drainage materials and/or horizontal via some sort of ditch arrangement.

One other comment.... I would have to disagree regarding comments on the toxicity of cedar. We have about 30 cedar trees (200 ft tall or so) that happen to be in our pastures. If cedar was toxic to horses, I think we would have three dead horses by now. Our 7 month old baby especially loves to chew on them, dig up roots, rub on them, etc. If anything, the cedar doesn't have as much sap as some other evergreen trees, so it's easier to clean up their hair/coats. Although the cedar "litter" is better than straight dirt, if we din't have the cedar trees, I wouldn't opt to dump cedar mulch out there in the rain, because as mentioned it makes nice compost.

 

[Rockysticksfeatherfarm]

Well, I had to put something down so in desperation I threw hay on it... I am going to rake it up in another day or so. I have used hay in the chicken run like that just to give a stable walking surface then raked it up after it got dryer. I live in central Texas rain here is rare especially in the last few years. I won't use the mulch because no way I could take it up! Thanks everyone for such advice!

We brought our little colt home today, surprised my daughter (it's her birthday gift) and as we all settled down tonight after checking on him several times, I went to let the dog out and didn't see him! I walked into the pen and thought maybe he was just I. The shadows... No he was GONE! I thought we had done everything right, at least right enough in regards to keeping him contained... My heart sank, my daughter freaked, we all freaked! It was dark and we live on many acres of woods. We have one road that leads to a large ranch road highway. I called the sheriff, asked the neighbors for help and my husband jumped in the car to check the road. My tears where shed and prayers said and low and behold we found him! Another neighbor saw him on the road pulled over and caught him (he said it was easy the horse didn't run and was still wearing his halter) my husband spotted them as they where going house to house trying to find the owner. I have him tied for the night. NO IDEA how he escaped.... We plan on just sitting outside tomorrow to see if he shows us. It has been an emotional night and I don't think any of us will get much sleep!

 

[Marty]

Welcome to horse ownership! Sorry you are already in trouble.

Adding my 2 cents here if you don't mind: The ground does have to find a place to drain. Can you get it ditched so you can direct the rain someplace? That's no good if a horse has to be in mud. Is his stall dry? Maybe you can even use some sand bags? I also have gravel in different sizes in my barnyard. Then I have this stuff which I LOVE called "chat" which is a finely crushed limestone, sand and gravel mixture.

Your guy probably ran away simply to find his old herd. Horses are herd animals which is their family, and don't usually do very well without another of their own species. He was scared and freaked out being left alone and was trying to go home.Many horses don't settle in that easy at all. Some can take change well but with others it can take many, many weeks; just like a new kid in a new school. They are completely "lost." If you are serious about keeping a horse you really need to consider a friend for him; an older gelding who is "steady"would be my first choice. Also, don't lock him up without some hay, which will help keep him busy and last but not least, don't ever leave a halter on a horse unattended. I'm sure you are thinking that's crazy considering he already got loose but halters can catch on just about any latch or hook or bucket and he can break his neck like that. I know you thought you had this all planned out and again I'm sorry things are not going well. Best wishes for your family for much happiness in the future.

 

[muffntuf]

Cedar wood - the oil from it is hard on the horses lungs and if they have an allergy - it is worse. I know some people may use it from time to time, but I was always taught to stay away from the darker wooded shavings and chips for equine.

 

[Becky Horat]

A quick fix for muddy situations is rubber mats. We have hauled in lots and lots of white sand/base. (it's not actually white sand) It works great in No. California. It eventually packs down and we have almost NO mud in most of our pens. But, we have had to set up some pens in the Fall and had no time to haul in a good base of this before we had mud. We have been collecting lots of rubber mats over the years. When we have a wet, mucky area we put mats in the worst areas. Put them in the doorways of stalls. We usually have several placed just outside the stalls so they have a dry area to stand on. The mats also help with packing down the new dirt you just brought in. We drag them all over the place. Moving isn't too hard if you use a "C" clamp to grip the slippery things. We use them in stalls and outside. They last forever. I may not have fancy clothes or jewelry, but have lots of rubber mats...haha.

Have fun with your new addition. You will get so much enjoyment.

 

[Boss Mare]

Welcome and congrats on you new boy. Glad he was okay.

Are you able to post pictures of your enclosure and mud issue?