Dry lot wash out conundrum

[danacat]

I’m thinking of revamping my dry lot area / want to make it more level so that the stone dust surface doesn’t constantly wash out / have big ruts etc. due to the torrential rains we are typically having in NYS now.

In order to build up the down slope area (about an 80’ stretch) my contractor recommended using those large concrete bin blocks (one course high) as a retaining wall to hold back the fill — and then re-fence on the high side.

The blocks would work well (last forever, never fail) but one of my pastures is directly on the other side (down slope) which means my horses have the potential to either break a leg if they accidentally kick one of these blocks while playing around, 0r scrape themselves up (break a tooth?) because these blocks are pretty rugged. No attractive affordable solution to pad them up that I can think of. Planting a row of bushes in front of the blocks won’t work either = deer food or toxic to horses.

A second fence in front of the blocks seems like the only option. But all that double fence!

Maybe the horses will be fine, will ignore / stay away from the blocks and I’m worrying for nothing. WWYD?

[Simkie]

I think they’ll likely ignore the mafia blocks. Do you often have horses on both sides of this fence? If not, there’s really no reason for a spat.

But–if you’d really like to be sure-- you could pile fill on either side. It would probably grow weeds, and need whacking.

Or, a line of hot fence, a foot or two in, on either side? That would also need whacking.

Would you feel the same way about a stone wall? They’ve been used as fencing forever around here. This is kinda the same, just easier to install.

[danacat]

You’re right about the stone wall – thinking ‘England’ as well; stone walls everywhere. Nope I wouldn’t mind. No horses on both sides.
Thanks! You’ve talked me off a ledge. I really need to do this.

[danacat]

Plus I can get those caps/tops for the mafia blocks (love that you called them that) to dress them up a bit + they have smooth edges.

[Demerara_Stables]

If your horses aren’t chewers you could screw some thick plywood into them, that’ll be softer than concrete if the horses kick. Plus you can paint them a dark grey or black so they’re more attractive.

[Pico_Banana]

Just commiserating with you. The spring nor’easter has caused some significant wash outs in one in/out and in my gravel lane between paddocks. Both are known problem areas so this may be the incentive I need to really fix the underlying issue rather than just dump more stone dust/gravel on top.

[danacat]

I thought of that too but my horses are beavers + plywood will eventually delaminate when outside.

[4horses]

Won’t the water find a way around the blocks? My property is on a hill and the neighbor comes once or twice a year to move the dirt back. I’ve taken fence boards and just put them up on the ground to block the dirt from washing away. The rain washes the sand piles up to the top of the boards and sometimes the rain washes a hole underneath but better then everything floating away down the hill.

Think of where the water will go after it hits the blocks. It has to go somewhere.

[NaturallyHappy]

@4horses

Think of where the water will go after it hits the blocks. It has to go somewhere.

Agreed…,been there, done that and have the re-grading bill to prove it on my outdoor ring.

[trubandloki]

@4horses

Think of where the water will go after it hits the blocks. It has to go somewhere.

This is my first thought.

You are going to end up with one wet side where all your footing goes (which is better than it floating away I suppose).

[Pico_Banana]

@4horses

Think of where the water will go after it hits the blocks. It has to go somewhere.

@trubandloki

You are going to end up with one wet side where all your footing goes (which is better than it floating away I suppose).

I think this will be fine. In my dry lot, it has a gentle down slope, but then it slopes back up at the edge of the lowest part. The water will sometimes puddle there, but it will drain in the dry lot. So as long as the drainage is decent, it should be fine.

Another thing I’ve done is I just collect rocks from the paddocks (in NE, they just appear ) and I’ve created a little dam of sorts on the edges of the paddocks where water flows. It doesn’t hold the water in, which is not my intention, but it does disperse the water on the way out, so that it doesn’t cause as many washouts. Other than when we have torrential rains like last week, it actually works really well.

[danacat]

The blocks don’t create a solid water barrier like a swimming pool. Run-off can drain out between them (every 6 ft.) and underneath them; even over top of them, plus they will be set on a drainage ‘footing’ of 2" gravel.

I currently have a bin block retaining wall alongside the driveway to my barn (exact scenario I would create in dry lot – similar amount of slope) and it’s never wet or holds water. Been there for years.

^ Initially some stone dust washed into the spaces between the blocks and out the other side creating some little piles, but eventually larger particles got wedged in there creating a kind of sieve – water washes through but retained material up slope stays put now. In hindsight I should have put some geotextile fabric on the inside of the blocks.