So I have a brand new paddock on the farm I am building. For footing I put a layer of larger rocks and then crush on top. It’s working out great. Nice and dry and no mud. Pretty soft too without being too sandy. Anyways… picking poop is serving to be a challenge. I do it twice a day but the poop leaves behind so many tiny peices that I simply cant get. I spend ages getting as much as I can but now after having the horses home a month there are so many tiny peices mixed in with the footing in the more used areas that I can see it turning into a mus issue in no time.
any tips? Or do you just shovel out the ruined footing once a year?
thanks!
My overnight dry lot is gravel screenings that the horses have packed down. It drains well and dries quickly after even inches of rain. No mud. We pick up all manure every morning but don’t get 100% of it by any means. I don’t see yours turning into a mess if it drains well?
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My drylot is setup similar to yours. I pick manure 2 times a day as well. I am 3 years into the set up. I will have to top off the stone dust on top in the next year or so, but that was due to an epic rain that came 2 days after installation. The footing hadn’t been compacted yet and some of it washed out of the area. I haven’t found that bits of hay, bedding and manure have caused a significant issue. If we get a significant rain, the hay and bedding tend to float to a spot together. I pick those areas after rain events.
A manure pile, even if it’s just manure, will be 1/2, or even 2/3s, it’s original size after it composts. If you think of it this way, the bits you’ve left behind are pretty insignificant.
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Thank you both! This is all so new as I havent had the horses at home before. I am doing my best to do what is best for them but I was worrying about this. I feel much better now. 
I use a leaf blower on mine every couple of weeks. If you get it at the correct angle you can get all of the little bits of manure and hay without blowing away the footing.
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We have a several paddocks set up like that. We need drainage and the small rocks or sand just washes away. I pick as much as I can off the top, rake it a little with the manure fork, and pick up a little more. There are some rocks that go into the wheelbarrow, but they will need to be replenished every few years anyway. The little scraps are raked around so they will dry out. It’s the larger, moist pieces that yield fly eggs best. Don’t sweat the crumbs.
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Another one with a similar set up. I also muck daily and don’t sweat the tiny bits that escape. I do, however, have very neat mares who almost always poop in the same two places. I put rubber stall mats down in their one preferred spot. They have made the clean up much easier.
Star
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I have same footing, four horses, and pick the 200x200’ area 2x/day. The footing has held up well for 2yrs. I could see adding a bit every few years or so. I also use mats in the lounging areas - inside the run-in sheds and around the hay feeder which helps so they can’t stomp the poop into the footing.
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Oh I could try the rubber mats! That’s a great idea. Around my feeder is a disaster. The one horse is fine but my pony is a stress pooper and makes all kinds of mess.
Agree with the others - assuming you have good drainage and the base is decently packed the little “crumbs” left behind shouldn’t be an issue.
I also highly recommend rubber mats around feeders - one of mine is a super hard fly stomper and was starting to wear away at the footing. I put in mats and it helps with that and clean-up.
I can’t use clips/anchors because I don’t want to punch holes in my geotextile, but I’ve seen them recommended to help prevent shifting.
Pre-made: https://stallmatklips.com/
DIY version: https://www.equisearch.com/articles/stallmats_102606-20261
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