Affordable mud control for **small** area

[endlessclimb]

VERY small muddy area right by the gate of my mare’s paddock. The rest is limestone, and is holding - this small (7’x5’) area is where she spends most of her time, and the limestone is being pushed into the clay below. I put more limestone in, and it lasted a week.

I was looking at mud control grids - I would need 15-20 approximately. The problem is shipping! They want to say it should be shipped LTL and want $200.

Any other sources for grids (or other mud control ideas) that won’t break by back on shipping?

[Simkie]

Man, I’d just toss a couple mats over that and call it good

[Jealoushe]

Gravel is your best bet, just add more if the mud stays.

[endlessclimb]

I wanted to put something down with more big pieces and fewer fines, but BO nixed it. Limestone screenings only.

@Simkie it’s right at the gate, I’m hoping for something a little less slippery. Do those rubber mats with holes in them last long enough to try?

[Simkie]

@endlessclimb

Do those rubber mats with holes in them last long enough to try?

I’d certainly give it a shot! They’re cheap & worth a flyer.

If that doesn’t cut it, you can pick up the heaviest duty non woven geotextile cloth you can find locally and use that. Dig out all the muck, lay that down, top with a lot of screenings. Might even try geotex, your holey mats, then screenings?

Prep is important with geotex, just make sure the edges are WELL buried. Total pita if they start coming up to the surface!

[endlessclimb]

What about something like this:

Yard Saver FGLLI01874-5PK Drive-On Lawn Grid, 38.5 x 19 x 1.25, Black (Pack of...

Or maybe this?:

Techno Earth ( 1.9" Depth Permeable Grass Pavers for Your Grass Parking Lots,...

[wsmoak]

I would lean towards the mud control grids. They’re meant for this. You might post on the local horse group on Facebook and see if anyone wants to go in on a pallet of mud control grids and split the shipping costs. You are probably not the only one.

Or talk to your local feed store if they are not a large chain, and see if they might stock them or at least survey their customers and see if there is enough interest.

The “ring mats” are generally meant for wash stalls. I have seen them used for mud and it’s “okay”. It does stabilize the area if the mud isn’t TOO bad.

[endlessclimb]

I’d like to mention this is not my property. My mare has 3D frog support pads on, and I’m really fussy about mud/wet and pads due to a really bad experience in the past.

The barn will be getting a big load of screenings in the spring, but I need something to hold me over for a couple months.

[Simkie]

Heavy duty geotex is actually used for this purpose (go look at cow carpet.) So it’s not unreasonable to go that route. Laying holey mats over the top of it will stabilize further, and help prevent the edges from surfacing. All of that should be available to you locally, at pretty minimal expense.

[wsmoak]

Given it’s not your property, both the mud control grids and the ring mats have the advantage of being removable – pull them up, hose them off, and sell them (or store them for next time it happens…)

[Jealoushe]

I’ve heard people use old carpet?

[endlessclimb]

Do you have a source to buy geotextile in not-giant quantities? Everything I’m seeing is a monster-sized roll.

Also, I needed to add the “geotextile” to that [cow carpet] search, or my mare will end up with a cow-skin rug LOL

[Simkie]

@endlessclimb

Do you have a source to buy geotextile in not-giant quantities? Everything I’m seeing is a monster-sized roll.

Home Depot or Lowes. You might be able to buy it by the foot from your local landscape supply store?

[endlessclimb]

I’ll take a look. Maybe their online stuff only had the monster rolls, but that’s all I saw. Local landscape places are a dime a dozen around here, lots of options to try there.

[Simkie]

What are you defining as “monster”? There are plenty of 25-50 ft rolls that are 50 bucks or less.

50 ft - 25 ft - Landscape Fabric - Landscaping Supplies - The Home Depot

Heavier weight is more likely to hold up well. This is a 4 oz:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/VEVOR-Garden-Weed-Barrier-Fabric-4-OZ-Heavy-Duty-Geotextile-Landscape-Fabric-15-x-20-ft-Non-Woven-Weed-Block-Gardening-Mat-TGBW15FT20FT4WPAQV0/320812991

Or you could go with the 8 oz 50 ft roll:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/VEVOR-6-ft-x-50-ft-Garden-Weed-Barrier-Fabric-8-oz-Non-Woven-Weed-Block-Gardening-Mat-for-Weed-Control-Cloth-Black-TGBYCYCWF6508Y6CNV0/320813091

Amazon has plenty of options as well.

[endlessclimb]

Maybe I’m just not searching right. Thanks for the links!

[2DogsFarm]

Try asking for roll end pieces at the big box places.
I have geotex in my smallish drylot - ~50X150 - under 9" road base gravel, it’s been down over 10yrs & no mud

[luvmyhackney]

Call a local landscaping company they always have stuff leftover from jobs they sell cheap or they can order for you when they place a large order and avoid freight charges.

Usually it’s a smaller amount but the area you are looking at fixing isn’t that big.

Personally I use rubber mats over landscape fabric and they work fine.

[Jarpur]

We repurposed a couple of ring mats from a wash area to a muddy spot at a gate. This gate opens to a pasture, not a limestone paddock, so the grass was able to grow up through the holes, as we hoped it would. Solved the mud problem.

The mats have held up fine, and it’s been several years.

[lorilu]

if she wears shoes you probably should rethink the ring mats.