What would you use?

[madhouse]

Our horse paddock is wet to the point that there is a 5" layer of muck. We have been above freezing temps for the most part. Next week the bottom is going to drop out of the thermometer and leave us with an extremely rutty paddock that is very hard to walk on. In the past I have used my FEL to cut and backdrag to smooth out the ruts, but it is extremely hard on the FEL and tractor. I have had to replace the light brackets that vibrated to the point of failure. I had a hydraulic line crack do to the vibration.

I'm looking for input on the best attachment to use to smooth out the Paddock. I'm using a 30hp compact utility tractor.

 

[NoTrespassing]

How big is the paddock? Can you have a couple truck loads of something hauled in to promote drainage? We built up a couple of areas with lime in our paddock. I don't know if it's recommended by vets but had seen it done before and had seen it used in stables.

Kevin

 

[jeff9366]

Usually drainage is poor in hoof-packed pasture in some part. Paddocks are worse.

A single shank Subsoiler will allow you to rip 12" to 14" deep with a heavy 30-hp tractor. Ripping should correct standing water/mud.

Putting material on top will just displace water to a different place temporarily. You have to break up compaction for a cure.
VIDEO: subsoiler ripping - YouTube


If you get a Subsoiler, keep your Top Link fairly short. It Top Link is too long, draft force on the Sub-soiler can snap one or or both of the Top Link threaded portions. (Ask me how I know.)

 

[dieselcrawler]

Agree with Kevin, but...

Do you have a box blade? Much better suited to smoothing/grading than a bucket loader.

 

[madhouse]

I will have to try a sub-soiler next summer. It's entirely two wet to get enough traction this year. I do not own a box blade, or rear blade. I'm looking for input on what to purchase to smooth out the frozen ruts. What is my best option?

 

[DJ54]

Do you have much fall to the outside of the paddock, to shed water..?? It won't take much... If you have a limestone quarry near, cut the slop off, and replace with 5" to 6" of limestone screenings. Grade them so you have some slope to shed water. Water the screenings down well, then roll with your tractor a couple of times. Then let the horses on it. They will pack it even more. As long as the water will shed, it will get pretty hard.

I've done this in both paddocks I've built in the last 20 years. I just skim across the surface with the Bobcat, like it's concrete. Last one I did 5 years ago, and it's still holding up fine. But, what I get is saltwater limestone, and does not turn to mud like fresh water limestone.

I'm not so sure I'd do the sub-soiler thing... Sounds like a good way for a horse to break a leg. JMO... Take it for what it's worth...

 

[Gary Fowler]

Frozen ground cant be worked with anything. It is just as hard as concrete. When it thaws, I think a box blade with scarifiers down to break up the soil and the back blade to smooth it out would work.

However if I were to buy just one thing, I think a regular old heavy disk harrow pulled diagonal to the ruts would be my choice. You would need a pretty heavy one to break up deep ruts, a drag type would work best but a heavy tandem 3 PH type I think would also work. Depending on the depth of the ruts, you may want to make a pass or two in the direction of the ruts, straddling them with your tractor prior to going diagonal.

You can use the disk to prepare soil for planting also, something that a box blade doesn't do well if at all. A box blade is limited to just moving dirt whereas a disk harrow is a bit more multi-purpose.

 

[jeff9366]

Frozen ground cant be worked with anything. It is as hard as concrete.

However if I were to buy just one thing, I think a regular old heavy disk harrow pulled diagonal to the ruts would be my choice. You would need a pretty heavy one to break up deep ruts.

OP has a 30-horsepower Bobcat CT230. He will barely have tractor weight to pull a Disc Harrow with 18" diameter pans. Too light a Disc Harrow to correct anything.

 

[WM75Guy]

How big an area are your paddocks? If all you can do is go straight in or back in would make a difference on the implement. My turnouts are an acre each so there is plenty of room to move about as I work it.

If it is frozen I would go for a box blade with ripper shanks. Before it freezes something as simple as a chain drag harrow with the spikes turned forward for the aggressive bite will work. It might take several passes. An added benefit is you could also use it to break up manure piles year around.

 

[adventure bob]

our paddocks are roadbase with 6" of builders sand on top. The paddocks are at about a 6% grade. The water and urine flow through the sand to the roadbase and out the end of the paddocks. The sand stays pretty loose and rakeable during the winter. Were at 7600 ft and tonight it was about 14degrees, still rakeable. The poop frezes solid and sometime freezes to the ground but in general the ground is still pretty moveable.