Horse Paddock Drainage - Clay

[SGBotsford]

Put down geotextile fabric, then a 6" gravel pad. The GF will keep the gravel from mixing into the mud. Should work with wood chips too. If you have some slope, it may help to put down 2" of gravel, then GF then more gravel. This will establish a drainage plane, but I think the lower gravel will sink into the mud.

 

[BigEddy]

Google ecogrid. Not cheap but perfect for what you need.

We excavated 6" of soil, put 6x6 on all 4 sides under the fence lines and filled with 3/4" drainage stone. Its round like pea gravel but larger. Doesn't compact and the water flows through. Took a week before the horses were comfortable on it but they don't mind now. I don't have clay though. Sandy Loam under the stone.

Works well year round although it is impossible to separate from droppings. We left the high end of the sacrifice pen as dirt and fortunately that's the preferred spot to "go"