Anyone tried this? My guy lives in a dry lot, and shockingly the area near his run in and gate is muddy. I’ve tried mats, but the ones I have get fairly slippery when wet. Last year I added some sand, but it didn’t last long.
I would dump a ton of gravel and then let it grow over with grass
No grass, he lives on a dry lot. He’s also in a boarding situation, so looking to keep the budget small.
What do you think perlite will do that sand didn’t? I’ve never heard of using it for mud, only for houseplants?
Probably better to scrape out the mucky stuff and or add quite a lot of rock. If there’s a drainage issue, fixing that would also help. But so often it’s just extra organic stuff holding on to water.
Perlite is just going to wear down into powder, very rapidly, and become mud along with everything else.
Heavy duty landscape fabric and a ton or two of crusher run mixed with stone dust, screenings in most areas, would work wonders and keep the budget down.
The short answer is no. As others have said, the only solution for mud in a run is creating a barrier (like geotextile cloth, grids, etc.) between the soil/base (native dirt) and your footing material (gravel in most cases). In a boarding situation, where you aren’t the owner, this creates a huge dilemma. It is never cheap to do this right, and if the space is very small like a 12 x 24 run off a stall, the only solution if you cannot install that barrier, is to put in gravel (1/4 minus is forgiving to feet and packs well) when all the mud is dried up. Then clean it every single day. Every bit of poop or hay or any organic matter must be removed daily. Does the barn have gutters or does the rain just pour off into the runs?
They are not cheap, but you can buy horse paddock footing grids. They require minimal “installation” and they can be pulled up and moved. I’ve never tried them, but have been reading about them. I think they would be a good solution for a boarder.
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Perlite also floats. In a potted plant, the perlite is often sitting on top of the soil.
Would not be my choice.
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Another vote for the grid footing mats. We use them at all pasture entrances. They keep the mud away and they last forever.
What about large wood chips, bigger than mulch. I know an indoor arena that puts this on the ground on the north side of the building to keep it from being icy in the winter. They have a wood chipper, not a mulcher, so they have a large pile to use year round. Not sure how it would help with mud but maybe worth a shot especially if you find a place that you can get it cheap. Like maybe if your city has cut down some trees and shredded them??? I know you’ll have to replenish periodically but might be a cheaper alternative. Again, it will need to be larger pieces of wood. Also keep in mind any trees that might be toxic to horses.
I have one gate to a pasture that is muddy a lot, the ground is lower at this gate so hard to keep dry. Every spring I rake up the pine needles in our yard and put them under this gate. It’s not perfect but it does work.
