Help Me Build a Drylot ASAP

[Fence.Hopper]

I need to lay down some footing (likely sand, unless I’m priced out) behind our barn as a drylot/ run for a horse with laminitis. I have put out ISO posts in my local area groups looking for a good contractor that can come in and do all the work as I don’t have much time at the moment with a family crisis happening. However, I got to thinking if I really need a contractor/ extreme amounts of dirt work to get this drylot/ run up and going in the first place. We plan to sell this place soon (3 years at the longest) so it doesn’t need to be something that will last forever. But the area in question IS slightly sloped and uneven. We have a tractor and were planning on using a box blade to take the top level of dirt off, lay day geo tex, then put down the sand maybe adding in some timbers around the edge, but no longer have the time and are somewhat in a rush to get this done so the horse can have some sort of SAFE turnout.

What say you and your experiences? Can I just dump a load of sand down and call it a day? Hire out the contractor? Other?

[Jealoushe]

how big is the area? How many horses? Will you be picking the poop out often or no?

I personally have had success with just dumping and compressing gravel. Over time it packs down nicely and drains, easy to clean and maintain. We turned a swampy area into the horses favorite dry spot just with adding gravel.

[QHEventer]

I would go with screenings (stone dust, minus, whatever it’s called in your area) over sand. It’ll give you a firmer surface. You can absolutely build it with your tractor, I think your plan sounds perfect as far as grading with box blade and laying down fabric, then footing. I’d also rent a compactor and wet the screenings and compact the hell out of them before putting a horse out on it. It’ll hold up WAY better.

[lenapesadie]

I’m guessing you want the sand bc it will be more comfortable for the laminitic horse?

What’s your location/native soil like?

Where I’m at a lick and a promise with the box blade and dumping some sand on top would be very useable for many years. But my native soil might be way different than yours.

[Fence.Hopper]

1 horse on the area due to the size we have available being extremely limited (and only horse that really NEEDs the dryly experience, though the others would benefit I’m sure). Picked every day and always fed netted hay (though any dropped hay would be picked as well, I am going to minimize that to the best of my ability).

The gravel and even screenings is too much for the horse at the moment. Our barn aisle is screenings and he isn’t comfortable on that at the moment (this is part of a multifaceted approach I promise!). I am thinking/ hoping the sand being softer and more conforming will be more comfortable for him. It was also the recommended footing by the farrier and the vet.

@QHEventer Unfortunately, we just don’t have the time to go at it with the tractor at the moment (and likely for the next several weeks) and I’m trying to get him some form of turnout/ outside time ASAP (I’d love to turn this around in the next week or so, ideally this weekend) as he is losing his mind inside but everything outside is currently muddy and wet (and trying to grow grass).

@lenapesadie Yes we are hoping the sand will be more comfortable. Our soil is clay based, however the area in question has quite loose top soil for the first 3 inches or so, likely due to that area not being mowed/ maintained for several years prior to us moving in.

[lenapesadie]

Is the area in question already fenced? Do you have other horses? If you do what happens if you confine the other horses to the area? Like will your ground compact or churn up into thick mud? I’m on clay/sand mix and my dirt just packs down if I put horses on small enough area they’d stomp it to nigh on brick hardness pretty quick.

What about a round pen or small area with stall mats? Could be a quick and easy but mats are spendy. Sand isn’t cheap either sooooo

[Fence.Hopper]

Not already fenced, we have round pen panels we are planning to use as fencing. That way we can make into 2 separate areas (or smaller) if needed.

If we put any horse on the area it would get churned up into mud. Unfortunately we have just had WAY too much water/ precipitation over the past month. Over a foot of snow + several inches of ice/ sleet + several inches of rain, so everything is just so overly saturated and gross.

I would worry the mats would be slick when wet, which would be often as we move into spring which is typically very wet in this area.

[lenapesadie]

I see. Yes those sorts of conditions aren’t as easy to convert to a dry lot. From your description it sounds like you’ll need a full project to make a solid footed area as it sounds like if you just chuck sand on the native soil the sand will disappear into the dirt once in use?

Mats can get a bit slippy. Depending on budget and timeframe, a matted stall sized outdoor with some sand chucked over the mats might be an interim solution?

Otherwise sounds like your other options are wait until you have time to do the tractor work yourself to do a full project or wait until you can get a contractor out to do a full project.

Maybe someone will have a different idea though!

[fourfillies]

I’m living in your spring thaw world. I’d mat a small area and let everything dry up or you will have a mess. Hopefully just getting out of the stall will do wonders for his mental state even if it’s 244 sq feet. If you are judicious with turnout hours mat slipperiness is manageable and you can always repurpose or resell mats. Sorry about your guy.

[lenapesadie]

Hey @Fence.Hopper what about mulch? Would that be big enough pieces to not disappear into the native dirt? Seems like it would be comfier than rocks at least.

[MsM]

If the horse is painful and you need to get him cushier footing asap, I would go ahead and dump some sand in an area you box off with the panels. I would also leave a portion and put textured mats there. That would be useful for feeding and giving a choice of footings. May not last long, but might help the immediate problem.

[NaturallyHappy]

Uncomfortable laminitic horses are so difficult and heartbreaking. We made a quick dry lot by mowing the grass so short we actually scalped it (it may be too wet for that for you), dumped sand, and fenced it with Fiberglas step-ins and electric tape. The grass didn’t grow through the sand initially. It only came through when we no longer needed the dry lot and tore out the step ins. Even then, it took quite a bit of time. Mats were very painful for this horse. Sand was a lifesaver. Good luck!

[Demerara_Stables]

I don’t know what your budget is like, but I have VERY heavy, thick soil with a lot of clay, and I’ve been using this and I swear by it: http://www.amberwayequine.com/products/stabalization-grid/.

You can put that down yourself (a small area would take two people a few hours, it’s very light and easy to snap together), and then put some sand on top.

I would also recommend, as a soft footing on top of the grid or the sand, old shavings. I only put my manure in the pile to haul off and all of the wet shavings from urine get chucked on top of the grid or out the other side of the barn that has a steep slope, to keep the mud down. Works like a dream.

Good luck!!

[luvmyhackney]

How is horse in boots? Still sore?

For short term, I used round pen panels to make a tiny area and started with shavings as I already had it on hand. Worked great until I got the bigger area ready.

Then made a larger space with panels and packed stone dust and used boots.

[S1969]

What is the reason for the laminitis/foot soreness - do you expect this to be very temporary? (I would hope?)

Because if you have a short term laminitis issue, I would do something like the round pen with shavings.

And then I would consider a true drylot that really does need professional excavation. It requires a lot more than just scraping off the top layer and putting down geotextile fabric - horses are heavy and they will punch through a few inches of sand into that fabric and rip it up in hours.

You will want the entire top soil layer removed, and then may need a compacted gravel base.

But, it really depends on what you’re working with.

I feel your pain, I really do. I have nothing but clay, so when it’s soupy snow melt, it’s 6-8 inches deep in places. I have a crushed stone paddock around my barn as well as an arena. But that’s why I built them, because without them there is no relief.

If the growing grass is the contributing factor of the laminitis, I would muzzle him in turnout.