Every winter - DISASTER! Need a tarp for particular application.

[danacat]

At least once during the winter in my area, it snows (5-8 inches) then… the day AFTER the snow, it gets freakishly warm and rains!

The snow will partially melt – and THEN the temperature always drops to freezing or below freezing that same night (cold lasts for days !!) and the snow/slush/standing water turns to a frozen, slippery, moonscape mess of tire tracks, hoof prints, with miniature ice skating rinks in between. Sound familiar? :eek:

It’s an impossible surface for horses and people to walk around on. :mad: I can’t take it anymore!

So, for next year, my plan is to keep a big pile of stone dust on hand that I can spread where horses and people need to walk, such as gravel driveways/walk ways and also in my sacrifice paddocks (that already have a stone dust base) so horses can get from run-in sheds to water trough – and walk around safely.

Question is: how to keep a 8-10 yard pile of stone dust from freezing into a solid block.

Obviously I will need to get the stone dust sometime in late summer so it has a chance to dry completely-- it always arrives in a damp state off the truck–

– and it will need to be covered for the duration.

But with what?

A tarp is the obvious solution – but tarps from Home Depot, etc. are not 100% waterproof for any length of time. They degrade from sun/wind exposure, etc.

I’d of course like to get a cover that will last for more than one season – won’t develop weak spots/holes from being folded up and stored until I need it.

If anyone has used a tarp long term – one that is still going strong insofar as remaining water proof and in one piece – please let me know what kind it is (manufacturer), what weight, what material, etc.

Thanks!

[ShotenStar]

We use a tarp to cover our sawdust. The first several came from a place that made custom store awnings and sail covers. When they closed, we shifted to FarmTek. Their 22 oz custom-made tarp is what we have at the moment and it is holding up nicely. We have averaged about 6-8 years per tarp - the sun and heat do eventually kill even the best tarp.

star

[HungarianHippo]

Even though covered by a tarp, my pile of road base became quite solid. I did my best to keep the pile covered and dry, but it formed a frozen “cap” just with ambient moisture. I could loosen the surface of the pile with a mattock (looks kinda like a pickaxe), but that only got me 1-3 shovels at a time. Eventually I said screw it and gave up til springtime.

My plan B the last 2 years as been to have the drag harrow sitting at the ready during the transition from fall to winter. I drag the barnyard nice and flat when a hard freeze is forecast, and then put the horses in stalls or in another paddock that night so it can freeze level. As winter deepens, there are always a few more thaw-freeze cycles, and I take advantage of any mushy ground to knock down the bumps and hoofprint ruts. It’s not perfect but now that the ground is frozen solid, the horses can walk freely without tiptoe-ing around.

[candyappy]

If this is a place that you walk on daily why not just plow the area out after the snow is over? Push it into a area where it can melt and drain away from the barn. Easier than spreading stuff on ice over and over .

[danacat]

Even though covered by a tarp, my pile of road base became quite solid. I did my best to keep the pile covered and dry, but it formed a frozen “cap” just with ambient moisture. I could loosen the surface of the pile with a mattock

I had a feeling the pile might freeze anyway. Plan to use my tractor bucket to loosen it up and smash chunks. Might work. ??

Do keep harrow at the ready and smooth out paddock before night freeze – timing is everything – but that snow/rain/freeze scenario is a whole different animal. :mad:

why not just plow the area out after the snow is over? By the time I plowed all the driveways (paved) it had started to rain – and once I got to the horse and path areas I was pushing freezing slush around – made everything worse unfortunately.

[Bluey]

You could try using material with more coarse sand in it, here called non-spec road base.

The coarse sand keeps it from freezing solid and it flattens easy when working with it as slush.

We have that in one place in the horse pens with a little slope, that used to be dangerous when iced over and it seems to break that ice fine under their hooves, so it is not a frozen ice rink any more.

Not sure how that would work in your situation if that is a mere flat boggy spot.

[2miniB]

How cold does it get where you are? Here, there’s no way to keep stone dust from freezing solid. None of our heavy equipment can move it once it freezes. Even if you get it during summer, it’ll get rained on which will cause it to freeze. We normally go through weeks in the teens & single digits and go all the way to -30F. Also, tarps will get covered by snow/ice.

It’d be a pain in the butt, but you could get a couple trash cans. Fill them with stone dust and keep them in a heated area. Might be more work than its worth.

I’m in the same boat you are. We’ve had a couple snow storms, then rain and back to freezing so everything is ice. My horses are locked in their 31’x40’ run in now. Not ideal at all, but its the easiest way to deal with the situation.

[danacat]

All good ideas everyone - but alas winter is just going to be a pain no matter what we do or think about doing. The best laid plans…