Dry Lot Construction Question

[Dressage59]

So yesterday we got our box blade and I’m really having fun with it. My husband and I marked off a dry lot and I started scraping. The shape is a little irregular due to the fencing (about 65x54x65x45). That looks the best. One fence goes off at an angle, otherwise the pen would jut out at a weird angle in our 1-acre pen. It’s for 3 horses that basically get along. We’re on sandy loam in a flood plain and the dry lot and existing pen have been really wet. Obviously it’s was a problem for the previous owner as he has two ditches that flow into drainage pipes plus we had 10" of snow this winter and lots of rain. I have lots of questions. Unfortunately, this dry lot will also cover one of the drainage pipes along the fence line. I thought it was corrugated metal pipe and when I looked yesterday, it’s plastic.Because of the flood plain, I didn’t want to dig down 6 inches, just a couple to make t smooth, plus that plastic drain pipe is only about 2 inches deep.

I plan to put down Geo-textile and rock. Do you have layers of different rock or all the same rock? What kind/size of rock? What did you use as a border for your rock? Obviously I don’t want the rock overflowing into the pen as we use a zero-turn for mowing. Should I get some railroad ties to put on the inside of the fence posts, just regular boards??? What else do I need to consider? Thanks in advance for all the help!

BTW, we’re outside Atlanta. Thanks again!

[Bluey]

I don’t know where you are, but here laying railroad ties to hold the ground or as edging ends up with mice nesting under/in them.
The problem then is, the snakes that come to the mice buffet, rattlers mostly, that we don’t really want around where human and their animals live.

We try not to have any rock piles wood piles, any mice can make themselves at home and railroad ties laying there is a perfect mice home.

I would use something that is more sharp edged, not making a hidey hole underneath, like wood planks on edge.

You may not have our rattler problem where you are.

[Dressage59]

Thanks @Bluey. We’re in Atlanta and in GA (for whatever reason, it’s illegal to kill a rattlesnake). We won’t go with the railroad ties, just the boards on edge will work. Any ideas on rock size? Thanks!

[Calvincrowe]

Does your lot slope at all? If you can put even a slight slope toward the drainage, away from any structures, that would be a great starting point in all your dirt moving.

I have an irregular, sloping mud free paddock/dry lot area for 3 horses (though one of mine is a total a$$hat to the other two, so it’s now separated into two paddocks…sigh…) as well. In mid-summer, we laid down geotextile, and then put about 6 inches of “screenings” down (very small, irregularly shaped gravel, basically what falls through the “screens” during gravel production). This packs beautifully but still remains soft under foot, and doesn’t roll. Easy to clean manure and hay off of as well, which you’ll have to do daily, rain or shine.

I didn’t place barriers along my edges, though fencing on the “house” side is no climb and holds in the gravel nicely. I do have RR ties as a border along my overhang which opens to the paddock off the barn. They work great. I’m in the PNW, land of eternal rain, and my paddocks get wet, but not muddy and dry quickly. I do have to replenish the gravel every few years.

[ElementFarm]

Like Calvin, we use screenings in the high-traffic area of the drylot, and some plain sand in the high corner that doesn’t get much water run-off during rain. We use rail road tie border along the ring, between paddocks, and in/around the landscaping at the front. We’ve had no issues with mice moving in or any other problems that made us wish we hadn’t used them. They are solid enough to take a beating and last decades.

[Dressage59]

We were looking at the slope. It’s almost flat, but not quite. We’re going to slope away from the barn and make a pathway to the storm drain. I’m pretty excited. It turns out that both Home Depot and Lowes set the geotextile fabric in 12.5’ width, so really happy we’re not paying freight. Have enough bills anyway! Now I know how many inches of screening to put down. Thanks so much!