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Conference noted::equitation

Title:Equine Notes Conference
Notice:Topics List=4, Horses 4Sale/Wanted=150, Equip 4Sale/Wanted=151
Moderator:MTADMS::COBURNIO
Created:Tue Feb 11 1986
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2080
Total number of notes:22383

1274.0. "Mud!!!" by LANDO::AHARRIS () Wed May 23 1990 12:30

    Is anyone else experiencing the worst mud in years?  Last year I
    thought it was bad that I had to wait until June before my ring was dry
    enough to ride in. Now it looks like I'll be waiting even longer.
    
    What's really bad right now is my husband's horse's paddock. We have
    two small paddocks that open directly off the two stalls. Mine isn't
    too bad--it gets muddy then dries out. But the other paddock is a mess!
    The mud is about a foot deep, there are pockets of water wherever
    you step, and it just doesn't dry out. The horse in that one is very
    large (compared to my 14.1 guy) and he seems to churn it all up. The
    poor guy is going nuts! The doors are open 24 hours a day, but he just
    stays inside and goes stir crazy.
    
    Has anyone ever dealt successfully with something like this? What about
    having bark mulch or something dumped in? I wonder if that would help
    or if it would just get mixed in with the slop.
    
    And the forecast says more rain...
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1274.1DELNI::KEIRANWed May 23 1990 12:407
    I have the same problem with mud, I think its a combination of hay, 
    manure and whatever else getting mixed in!  What I do every few years
    is have someone with a backhoe come in and scrape out all the mud,
    and take the whole manure pile.  Then I have them bring in a couple
    truckloads of dirt or sand.  This way you are removing the mud and
    adding a surface that will drain.  This has always worked well for
    me, as I don't really like my horses walking in the mus! 
1274.2CSC32::M_HOEPNERRemember to drain the swamp...Wed May 23 1990 12:5412
    
    Funny, its nice and dry here.
    
    It is real temping to try to 'dump' in straw or shavings to try to dry
    out a muddy lot.  But it actually slows down the process because
    organic matter is GREAT for holding moisture. 
    
    When I lived in Iowa, we had mud for months.  The best I could do was
    dig little channels to help the water run off.  Yup, digging and
    redigging and redigging and...
    
    Bringing in a backhoe or front end loader is a good idea. 
1274.3CURIE::GCOOKSave the SkeetsWed May 23 1990 13:0212
    We have this problem *in spades* in the back of the barn.  The horses
    (9) are free to come and go all the time.  Hay and shavings get tracked
    out and mix in the with mud and stuff and it is one unholey mess!
    We keep it picked up all spring, summer and fall but when it snows
    and freezes we sort of give up.  By spring it's over my ankles.  So
    we have a really good person with a bobcat come in every spring and
    scrape.  This year he got us a load of stuff he calls starpack (sort
    of looks like stone dust but coarser) that he filled in with right
    near the doors and made a channel for the water to drain.  So far,
    so good.  And it's so wonderful to get rid of the muck!
    
    
1274.4What we do.....BOOVX2::MANDILEWed May 23 1990 13:1216
    No on the woodchips, etc.....All you will get is a boggy mess!
    Try making it higher in the middle so it drains off to the sides.
    Add sand to lighten up the soil and make better drainage.
    We have 1 section that gets "yucky", as its the corner he chooses
    to be his "litterbox". (Yes, my horse generally only goes in this
    one corner-makes for easy paddock cleanup!)
    We remove as much of the manure as possible, spread the wet mud
    around with the tractor, and try to make it higher in the middle
    so the "liquid" will run off.  I add sand and some lime to increase
    drainage and cut down on odors.
    We have decided, though, to block off this area completely, as it's
    in a good spot to make it into a small pen for injured horses.
    Always have to have a Boo-Boo pen, you know!  Beats having a horse
    stuck inside in a stall for weeks on end!
    
    L-
1274.5DNEAST SOLUTIONDNEAST::DOSTIE_GREGWed May 23 1990 13:176
    I USE TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM EVERY SPRING UP HERE IN CENTRAL MAINE.
    I REDID MY PADDOCK AREA WITH EXTRA FINE GRAVEL THAT I BOUGHT FROM A
    LOCAL DIRT DEALER. I PUT DOWN ABOUT 8 INCHES OF THIS GRAVEL, THEN USED
    A ROLLER TO PACK IT DOWN. I HAVE NOT HAD A MUD PROBLEM SINCE.
    
                             GREG