Outdoor Cross Tie Set ups?

[RoyalRain42]

Hello all!

I am hoping to be able to build a good cross tie/bathing set up outside my tack room. I have the gear and the money to do it, but now I am stuck on something.

How big should this think be??

I am wanting it to be good sized, something easy to move around in, but not take up an extreme amount of space.

I was starting to think going with one that would be a standard size barn or wash stall in with, then maybe the same in height. But I am trying to not have to spend an arm and leg on mats for the dang thing.

Posts being used are 12 foot tall old telephone poles. So around 8-10 inches in diameter, plan to dig them down at least 4 feet and add some cement. Do 4 corners then lay one smaller post between then about 4 feet off the ground.

But how wide and how long is where I have a struggle deciding, so any suggestions or even designs you have would be amazing!!

Thank you!

[GallopHer]

I have a similar set up. Rather than laying mats, I have 4" of gravel. It is on a slight slope, so water drains away naturally, and I’m not standing in mud.

Best of luck.

[netg]

[QUOTE=GallopHer;8194062]
I have a similar set up. Rather than laying mats, I have 4" of gravel. It is on a slight slope, so water drains away naturally, and I’m not standing in mud.

Best of luck.[/QUOTE]

Gravel is a great idea! Since mats can get slippery, I have been torn on what I want to do. I love that idea.

[SmartAlex]

My cross tie area indoors is 12x12. I think 12 foot is appropriate for the depth (nose to tail) but 12 foot wide is probably not necessary. 10 foot wide would probably work fine, give you enough room to move around and the horse less room to wiggle.

[RoyalRain42]

The only issue I have with using any gravel, is how windy it is here. For the most part we have natural sand around the area. When the wind blows, the gravel would probably get covered in a layer of sand. I thought maybe the mats would be easy to sweep off in needed.

But maybe if I keep it wet down enough around the area and the gravel itself, I would not have as much of an issue.

May I ask what kind of gravel you used? Cleaned pea gravel or something else?

Thank you!

[RoyalRain42]

[QUOTE=SmartAlex;8194089]
My cross tie area indoors is 12x12. I think 12 foot is appropriate for the depth (nose to tail) but 12 foot wide is probably not necessary. 10 foot wide would probably work fine, give you enough room to move around and the horse less room to wiggle.[/QUOTE]

That was what I was starting to think haha. Length should be good but I don’t want a lot of wiggle room for the brats ha.

[Jumper_girl221]

I’m building a wash stall that’s 10x10 (pouring concrete, hated gravel when I’ve had it in the past ). Separately I’m going to have a grooming stall that’s 10x8…had one in the past and yeah it was narrow but fine for general tacking up. Both of these will eventually have roofs but will be airy underneath since we get some steamy temps here.

[Jim_in_PA]

Whether you use gravel or matts, be sure that you prepare for proper drainage away from both the “wash stall” and your barn. A good French drain system should do the trick in most cases, but that’s dependent on your ground topology, etc.

[RoyalRain42]

[QUOTE=Jim_in_PA;8194114]
Whether you use gravel or matts, be sure that you prepare for proper drainage away from both the “wash stall” and your barn. A good French drain system should do the trick in most cases, but that’s dependent on your ground topology, etc.[/QUOTE]

The funny thing is, I am building this all on a down hill slope. Tack shed was build up on cement off the ground with a small trench system around the back. Even then the cement is a good 6 inches off the ground on the up hill side, and more on the down hill side. Just for those 4 times a year it does rain ha. So with the was rack, it will be leveled and raised up. Able to drain down onto the pasture.

[Jim_in_PA]

That’s the thing…you’ll want to be sure that the draining water goes exactly where you want it and follows the path you want it to follow so it doesn’t tear up the soil, etc. That’s why I mentioned the French drain.

[LauraKY]

I did gravel (crush and run) with ring mats on top. It’s been a while, it was 12 x 10 or 12 x 12. I’ve dissembled it and just use the indoor wash stall now. When I had boarders it was nice to have both.

[VCT]

I have a 12 x 10 wash stall… concrete floor, drain in the back corner which out flows through a pipe down behind the hill behind the barn. There are posts in the corners, and one horizontal board at about 4 ft high on both sides. Back and front are open. Cross ties on front posts. I have wire basket type things on the outer side of one of the horizontal boards, which holds products and scrubbers, sponges etc.

[SmartAlex]

was just thinking… I wouldn’t set your tie posts at the front of your pad. (no offense VCT) My rings are about two feet from the front and I’m always meaning to move them back.

[GallopHer]

I don’t know the name of the gravel. It is larger than pea gravel - and all rock - not like crush and run.

[SmartAlex]

well first, there’s washed or crushed

Then there is the size: pea, #1, #2

What I’d use is washed #2

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

3’ back from the lip far enough? I am building a 10’ wide (well it will be about 9.5’ because of post size) by 12’3" long outdoor wash rack. It’s going to have an arbor. It’s either going to look great or be a big eyesore. Like all my construction projects, I’m sort of winging it.

Anyway, how far back with the tie posts? I guess I was thinking about 2’ from the end, but it sounds like that may not be far enough?

[SmartAlex]

Well, measure your horse from nose to tail and add two feet to squeeze behind. If you have a closed back wall, that measurement is more important than the open front. However, if you just extend your pad forward of your walls and front posts by a generous amount, say another 18"-24", that would give a good buffer. You don’t really need wall in front of the tie posts, just footing.

[Libby2563]

Here is my setup. It’s 12’ deep by 8’ wide, because that was the size of the existing concrete. It works great for me and my horses are large warmbloods. I second not putting the tie posts right at the front like I did, but I actually rarely use them. I usually just walk my horse straight in and drape the lead rope over the back rail.