Wet and Rough Area Near Barn and Horse Area

[bobm6996]

We went most of the summer with no rain and in the fall to current we are getting an enormous amount of precip. We have 3 horses and they are tearing up the area outside the barns and the small pasture we use for winter months. Does anyone have any ideas on what I might be able to do to improve the situation? Thought about getting a couple loads of lime for the area right outside of the barn, but don't wanto to use on small pasture area as it will be worked up and seeded in the spring. Have a larger pasture that will be used by next summer after it is seeded and well established.

 

[Johndeere3720]

We went most of the summer with no rain and in the fall to current we are getting an enormous amount of precip. We have 3 horses and they are tearing up the area outside the barns and the small pasture we use for winter months. Does anyone have any ideas on what I might be able to do to improve the situation? Thought about getting a couple loads of lime for the area right outside of the barn, but don't wanto to use on small pasture area as it will be worked up and seeded in the spring. Have a larger pasture that will be used by next summer after it is seeded and well established.

There are quite a few different things I have seen tested to solve this problem. Hog fuel lasts about 2-3 years, then turns to slop. Pit run works great, just compact it well with a roller and it will be a great solid base. Also, putting down fabric and 3/4" drain rock also works well. These have been tested in facilities that turn out between 20-75 horses per day, mud is a huge problem here in Oregon. Hope this helps, it's a few ideas at least.

 

[BeezFun]

Thought about getting a couple loads of lime for the area right outside of the barn, but don't wanto to use on small pasture area as it will be worked up and seeded in the spring.

I have two suggestions. For short term use (a few years), wood chips work well. We started out doing that in the paddock areas, but after a few years it turned to compost/mud and we moved on to limestone screenings. But for your application, I would say putting down about 6" of wood chips might work well for 6 months. We can get chips for free around here if we take it by the truckload, not sure about your area. The other nice thing about chips is they compost so you don't have to worry about getting rid of them. Next year you could just put them in the manure pile.

My other thought is limestone screenings, maybe that's what you meant by lime. We finally gave up on wood chips because they only lasted a few years and put down about 4" of limestone screenings. The screenings are almost like dust, and they compact pretty well once it rains a few times. They also drain well and are really good for healthy hooves. Only problem is you'd have to dig them out next year to do your reseeding. They're also pretty expensive, I pay about $225 for an 18 wheeler delivered.

Good luck, wish we had a problem with too much rain. It was dry most of last year and stayed that way right up until now.

 

[DJ54]

I agree with the limestone screenings. That's all I use in my paddock area. I just built a new barn and paddock. Fill material was bank run gravel, then put 4" of screenings on top. I let it rain in them to make them wet. Then spread, and rolled with my small Bobcat. It is holding up well, and we've had a lot of rain in the past month. At the other farm, I put them down in early fall, and compacted. After a month or so, I could scrape the paddock with the Bobcat, and it was like concrete.

Depending on how bad they have it cut up, you may get by with adding some now, plenty thick. If the mud is over 6" deep though, you may pump the mud up through, compacting them. I always top dress in the fall, to make sure it stays nice and solid.

Screenings here are like $9.75 per ton at the quarry. I haul them myself.

 

[bobm6996]

Thanks for the suggestions. I am going to check locally on getting limestone screening and will give it a try. It is frozen right now and when it thaws it will be pretty muddy, so may have to wait untill things dry out some. Plan to try a small area first to see how it does.

 

[aczlan]

We are having a similar issue, but in the stalls (in a pole barn style lean to added onto the barn). The stalls are in a low spot which needs to be raised up. Is something like limestone chips the best way to do that, or would concrete be better?

Thanks

Aaron Z

 

[BeezFun]

We are having a similar issue, but in the stalls (in a pole barn style lean to added onto the barn). The stalls are in a low spot which needs to be raised up. Is something like limestone chips the best way to do that, or would concrete be better?

We had same problem, we raised it about 4" with limestone then put this geotech like material over limestone. The stuff in the link isn't exactly what we used, ours is about 5 years old and I can't remember where we got it, but it looks like the same stuff. It works great. Without the fabric the limestone gets mixed in with manure and urine when you clean up, also with bedding if you use it. In the winter the urine used to soften the limestone, then they'd step in it and make a deep imprint, then it would freeze and it was like a battlefield in there. This stuff stays flat and clean, everything drains right through it.