High-Traffic Areas (aka mud pits)

[Kaitlyn]

You know those areas right in front of the gate/ run-in shed/ barn/ etc.? The ones that all the horses stand at every day, that get churned up and turn into mucky grossness after it rains? What do you do to keep the mud pit at bay? I've got a lake growing in front of my stall doors and I don't know how to get rid of it!

 

[Marty]

I have gravel inside my gates about 4 feet in for that very reason.

 

[LittleBittyBritches]

We place our hay near those areas, and our horses always so graciously spread it all around, used to make my hubby mad, but now he sees how much it helps control the mud. So its not thought of as wasted so much anymore!

 

[MindyLee]

I wish it was only in them spots, my poor horses cant get away from the mud. Im so tired of winter then spring then winter then spring then winter then spring and so on and so on!

Will be for sure putting in drainage tiles this yr!!!

 

[wingnut]

Do you have rain gutters on the building where these areas are? We had a similar problem and when we finally installed rain gutters on both buildings (two 12x12 run sheds with tack rooms that we've created two stalls out of in each, that face each other and are 12ft apart), that area stays much drier now. We too plan to put down more stone and are likely going to use some kind of pea gravel as recommended by another forum member.

 

[Equuisize]

We have two main doors where the kids come in at night and out in the morning. There is a lot of milling in that area the closer to dinner time it gets when everyone is jockeying for position to be the first one in the door.

Plus we live at the south end of the Olympic National Rain Forest. No more description needed, right? LOL

We brought in a load of smaller sized hog fuel, a load of sand, then a big load gravel and laid it in a strip several feet out from the doors where the milling happens. Did that 3 years ago now and have only had to add a small load of gravel since. It is pretty hard packed and is only shifting slightly now. They've made other mud bath areas for themselves other places but at least like Mary Lou said, you don't get sucked knee deep into mud.

 

[susanne]

The best thing we ever did was to lay down an 8'x50' strip of weed barrier and about 5 inches gravel over our muddiest area. We used semi-rounded small gravel -- I could walk barefoot on it -- yet it packs firmly enough to stay in place. The weed barrier (roadway geotextile is even better) prevents the gravel from being swallowed by the clay. This gives all of us great drainage and a mud-free zone. The only downside is that the horses this it's their toilet, so we need to pick up poop daily.

We also dug a french drain outside the uphill side of our corrals, but after a ton of work this seems to have done nothing.

 

[Hessel]

We use crushed asphalt on the heavy-used areas. It needs to be done when it is dry though.. I have heard good things about seashells in muddy paddocks and on training tracks, but some have problems with the shells nicking the hooves and lower legs. It could be stamped/crushed to minimize cutting and still retain it draining abilities.

 

[dannigirl]

This winter was really bad at one of our doors. We layed paper feed sacks (make sure there is no plastic liner--only paper) on top of the mud 2 or 3 deep and then put corn stalks that the neighbor had in big round bales on top--about 3 or 4 big wheel barrows full. Then let the horses run thru it and it packed pretty good for a while then we did it again. How many sacks and how much corn stalks would depend on how deep and wide the mud hole was. We use all empty paper sacks and cardboard boxes for muddy spots. Great way to recycle and since it only goes in really muddy, messy areas, it disintegrates and goes out with the manure spreader.

 

[Helicopter]

I have a lot of "muddy grossness" around at the moment. Even the horses try to avoid walking through it. I'm replying to get this back up the top in the hope of getting more ideas.

Any suggestions for rehabilitating erosion gullies would also be appreciated. I've tried filling it with stones but that just resulted in the gully being wider as well as deeper.