What type of footing would you recommend for a sacrifice area that will be used by 3 Thoroughbreds, one of which is VERY tender footed?
We are located in Minnesota, so the footing will see 4 seasons: lots of winter snow, wet springs, dry summers and (at least this year) wet falls. The sacrifice area will be used for overnights in the summer, and full time in the winter.
Would love to hear suggestions/comments from anyone on what has worked well for their tender footed horses.
Thanks!
To hold up to that much use (you don’t say how big it will be), I think your only choice is a fine gravel. I’ve set mine up as a 60 x 70ish area that has geotextile cloth directly over the dirt (though mine does slope away from the barn slightly), then 6 inches of “screenings” gravel–the stuff that essentially falls through the screens at the quarry when they make gravel. It looks a bit like arena sand/gravel footing. It packs down nicely, water passes through it, and it is kind to feet. You MUST pick manure, hay, organics off of it daily. My horses have ranged from weanlings, yearlings, and very aged TBs with crappy feet. Everyone is happy, including my farrier!
Another vote for limestone screenings, it’s crushed stone and very fine, no big chunks of rock. It drains great, even when the water tank is allowed to overflow or we get a large amount of rain… I did not put down the geotextile cloth but we have clay soil so we just compacted the dirt and took off the top layer of grass then framed in the area with railroad ties and added the screenings. It’s built up about 4-6" from the top of the ground.
Just as CC said, you will have to pick any organic matter (hay, manure, etc) off it or it will just create ‘mud’ on top of the rock.
Thanks so much for the suggestions! I’m checking the web site for our local gravel/sand supplier and they offer a 3/8" minus limestone or a 3/8’ minus granite (although they may offer some things not listed on the web site, as well). Does 3/8" minus seem like it would be fine enough?
Right now we have a large paddock that is the “sacrifice area”, but the outdoor arena and 36’ x 36’ barn are going in the area. Looking at the birdseye view, I’m guessing the actual area we’ll need to put down footing is between 8700, and 13,000 sqf. Any thoughts on how to calculate how many yards of material that requires?
Still a bit big…ask if they offer crusher run or screenings or pea gravel…the names are so different region to region. Honestly, horses do so well in fine gravel, foot-wise, that I’d seek out fine gravel. Maybe a trip to the supplier to see it before you order it?
How big is your space? Do you know how much you need yet?
I’ll have to call or stop by and check to see how fine they can get. The approximate area that I think we need to put in footing is in the album linked (I think it’s the 4th photo - the other photos were planning barn placements and paddocks). The photo is an approximation of where the barn will go, and the outdoor.
Guessing on square footage based on the county’s measurement tool and the overhead view is between 8700 and 13,000 sqf
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