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  Discussion on Control of Pasture Mud
Author Message
Member:
Canter

Posted on Wednesday, Dec 1, 2004 - 8:58 am:

Hi All,
Just a couple of weeks ago (I think), there was a discussion of some products recommended by members to control wet/muddy footing. I read it, but didn't pay too much attention. Just two days ago, the owner of the barn where my mare is boarded was lamenting about the deep mud at the gate to the mares' pasture. I tried to find the original discussion thread, but couldn't. Can anyone guide me to the original thread? I'd love to share everyone's suggestions with my barn as I'm tired of scraping all the muck of what WAS a gray horse!\clipart{crazy} Plus, my horse is the only one that wears shoes--so far she's managed to keep them on, but with the depth of this mud, I'm sure that it's only a matter of time before they start getting sucked off.

Thanks so much!
Fran
Member:
Suzeb

Posted on Wednesday, Dec 1, 2004 - 9:32 am:

Hi Fran,
I think I found the discussion you were looking for. Go to Equine Diseases, Urinary System, Discussions on the Urinary System not Covered Above. Click on the discussion "Controling Urine Smell". There were a few products mentioned that might be helpful to you.
Hope this helps .

Susan B.
Member:
Annes

Posted on Wednesday, Dec 1, 2004 - 11:21 am:

Fran, I saw your question and updated my post in the discussion Susan references above. While I am very pleased with the Dry Stall product, if you have a deep muddy area at a gate, I would still use gravel with stone dust on top. The gravel really works its way down into the mud to provide a hard base and then the stone dust will give a smooth surface for the horses to walk over. My horses are barefoot so I always use the stone dust on top. Hope this helps you.
Member:
Sunny66

Posted on Wednesday, Dec 1, 2004 - 11:30 am:

Fran,

The above advice is very good...but depending on how deep this mud is, you may want to put down gravel, let the horses work it in, put more gravel, then stonedust (or roadbase in my neck of the woods) (;) It really does work...but the owners must be diligent about picking hooves for a while. Obviously, the rocks get imbedded, but the stone dust causes cement in the hooves.

The other thing you could do if your barn has a tractor (I wouldn't attempt it if they don't) is to remove the muck from the pasture, then put down gravel, then stone dust.
Member:
Canter

Posted on Wednesday, Dec 1, 2004 - 1:29 pm:

Susan, Ann & Aileen:

Thanks so much. I never thought to look for that thread under anything but "Pastures, Fences & Buildings"...thus the reason I couldn't find it prior to you pointing me in the right direction.

I appreciate the excellent advice from all and will pass it along to the barn. The mud is about mid-shin deep on me so I suspect that a couple of loads of gravel w/ the stone dust will probably be the best solution, but the barn owners will have to decide if they want to try that or the Dry Stall product.

Thanks!
Member:
Paul303

Posted on Thursday, Dec 2, 2004 - 1:41 am:

For a quick fix in a pinch, I'm still amazed with the dry stall. The first batch I put down in a panic in October's heavy rains is still performing wonderfully. The gravel and stone dust is a wonderful permanent fix ( although the dry stall looks like it may turn out the same ), but it's hard to get delivered in a storm, and yucky work to be doing in inclement weather.
Member:
Aannk

Posted on Thursday, Dec 2, 2004 - 1:20 pm:

Would this work in my back yard for my dogs? I have a new home, and the back yard wasn't seeded until a few weeks ago. We have had lots of rain, and our back yard is a mud pit. I have a Greyhound and a Collie puppy, and they tear big holes in the yard. Would this work for that? If so, is it cheaper than buying gravel (I can get 22 tons delivered for about 370 dollars)?
Alicia
PS - Sorry not horse related!
Member:
Albionsh

Posted on Thursday, Dec 2, 2004 - 1:42 pm:

Are you sure this price is not $370 a ton? I am putting in a new covered arena, and this would make awesome footing if I could get it for such an incredible price. What is your supplier? Are they available via internet? BTW, and other suggestings for effective yet inexpensive arena footing? Thanks all!
Member:
Aannk

Posted on Thursday, Dec 2, 2004 - 1:55 pm:

No, it is pea gravel (which would not make a good footing, I don't think) and it costs 11.25 dollars a ton plus 5.50 dollars a ton to deliver. It is a local company, however. I live in the DC area. A fellow Greyhound owner in PA recommended I use it and she paid 250 total for 22 tons to be delivered, so it is actually more expensive here. I would just suggest calling a local place and find out if they deliver.
Alicia
Member:
remmi

Posted on Monday, Apr 14, 2008 - 10:38 am:

Does anyone have experience using geotextile fabric to prevent mud? Apparently you remove the top soil, put the fabric down, put gravel over the fabric and then limestone over the gravel and pack it.

Any information on this would be much appreciated.

Thanks.
New Member:
cjlewyn

Posted on Thursday, Dec 4, 2008 - 10:06 am:

Please forgive me if this is a dumb question...I have a mare who is 34 and I have always boarded her until now, so I am a newbie when it comes to property/barn planning and maintenance. She has fallen twice in the last year and was unable to get up without help(once in mud, and once in grass). I just had gravel poured in the area between the pasture and her shelter to help with winter mud. She must walk on this area daily, and it also must be solid enough to drive on. I'm wondering that given her history of falling was it a mistake to put gravel in that area? I would feel terrible if she fell and was injured. I have read some of the other comments, and no one seems to have such an entry level question. Should I have put something else down, or should I mix something with the gravel? Thanks so much in advance!
Member:
mrose

Posted on Thursday, Dec 4, 2008 - 11:14 am:

Cindy, what caused the mare to fall? If it was insecure footing then I think the gravel might help her. Whether it is good overall might depend on what size the gravel is and how hard it is packed. Something I'd be concerned about if the gravel is very small is that it could work up into her hoof or get stuck in the clefts of her frogs, so I'd keep an eye on her feet and check them each day. If the gravel is hard-packed, maybe some sand or stone dust on top of it would be good.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Dec 4, 2008 - 6:31 pm:

Welcome Cindy,
This is a often discussed problem you just missed the proper topic by a little bit, check out Horse Care » Horse Pasture, Fencing, Barns » Bedding, Flooring, and Footing for Horses where I and others have often posted responses to your questions.
DrO
New Member:
cjlewyn

Posted on Friday, Dec 5, 2008 - 9:15 am:

Hi Sara, Thanks so much for responding, and for the advice. I will try what you suggested.
Dr O:Thanks for the direction-I will follow up.

A little history...
My 34 year old mare is recovering from being starved by someone I was sending board checks to. I was unavailable at the time, and I trusted this person (who I thought was reliable) to care for her. Her health was absolutely perfect for all the years prior to that, even though she was in her late 20's.
At the time I discovered her condition, 2 vets suggested I euthanize her, but I wanted to give her a chance to recover.For the last couple of years I have devoted myself entirely to trying to make up for what she went through. It has been a long journey for both of us.
The first time she fell, I thought it was a freak thing. It was very traumatic for her and she ended up being hospitalized @ UGA for two weeks after. She was very ill, and had multiple issues going on, mainly related to kidney function. I don't know if she was weak from being ill and fell, or if the fall brought out an underlying condition. That was almost a year ago, and she has steadily become healthier and happier.

Since she fell this time, she has become VERY depressed. I don't know what the connection is-all her labwork is normal. They did note when she was hospitalized that one ear flopped differently than the other and that there was likely some neuro stuff going on. I don't want to keep her from her freedom (contained in a small area) in order to watch her more closely, because that makes her more depressed. ...Any thoughts? Sorry this is so long...thanks so much for letting me get it off my chest.
New Member:
cjlewyn

Posted on Friday, Dec 5, 2008 - 9:17 am:

OOPS-I just realized that this was not the right area for this topic. Forgive me-I've never participated in a forum before...
Member:
erika

Posted on Friday, Dec 5, 2008 - 10:35 am:

Cindy, don't worry, just copy and paste your health question under the proper topic where you'll find "Start a new discussion" at the bottom of the page.

As for the footing question, I put a couple of rubber mats at the gates where mud always forms. No problem since. They've been there for years, can drive over, and the electric wire that is buried under doesn't get chopped up by hooves. This wouldn't be practical for a large area, but it works great at those points that always used to be knee deep in mud!
Erika
New Member:
cjlewyn

Posted on Sunday, Dec 7, 2008 - 8:22 am:

Hi Erica,
-I will try that-thanks SO much!!
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