Wood chips work great. They will eventually
break down but what you scrape off over the years makes fine
compost. Just be sure there is no black walnut. Very very
bad stuff.
For those that don't have their own trees to
chip, try contaacting tree trimmers in the area. They often have more
chips than they can dispose of easily you can get for a good price.
Again, be sure no black walnut.
How about wood chips?? We have a few dozen
very large cedar & douglas on our property and need to be trimmed ALOT.
If we put them in a wood chipper and put them around gates and near
feeding areas--does that help mud?? We need to trim anyway so the cost
would be minimal. Any body else use wood chips??
You are exactly in the same boat (pardon the pun) as the
rest of us in rainy country. I, too, will not allow the horses
out to pasture. Their favorite trick is to hike up to the top of
the hill for water, then gallop full bore downhill until near the
bottom, then slam on the brakes and shred 12-foot long slices out of
the turf. I know it's miserable standing in mud, but I cannot
allow horses to destroy the land, and they will do that. We've
never attempted to control the mud by any other means than lots
of shavings, which we produce. Shavings don't do the job, either,
unless in a shed, where they build up such a hard-packed layer that it
cannot be broken down. In one place, in front of a feed bin
(homemade, the size of an orchard apple bin), my husband placed some
half-round logs together for the horse to stand on. They're a
little unsteady, but perhaps a bit of rearranging will help.
Also, I've seen people use old belting from factories, as much as 4
feet wide. I have some and plan to try nailing it on the logs to
help keep them from spreading apart and to create better footing.
I think mud is a fact of life.
> > > > > Rain and more
rain. I started building an Ark but stopped because I would >
only be able to take two horses. I won't let my horses out on
pasture when > the ground is soggy because they would ruin what
grass is available. I > keep them in corals and everything
works out well except the more it rains > the deeper the mud
gets. It looks like they are all standing in about a > foot of
muck and water and it will seemingly take forever to dry out even >
if the rain stops. I'll probably be doctoring for Thrush before it
is all > over. I'd be interested in learning how others deal
with muddy corals. > Logically, I would think mixing truck loads of
gravel in with the soil > might help but I have no idea if the
gravel would do more harm then good. > If you have had a similar
problem and were able to fix it, I would > appreciate the benefit of
your experience. Thanks, Bob > > >
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