I just read something on FB tonight about using upside down carpet to keep mud in check in paddocks.
Has anyone done this? I’m in a very swampy area in Ohio
I was going to do this as well but was talked out of it by the carpet guy. He said that the carpet would basically rot over time and it would be even more of a mess. I haven’t talked to anyone who has actually used it though (successfully or unsuccessfully).
I’m planning to buya roll of geotextile cloth eventually but for this pending winter I’m likely going to dump a load of screenings in my paddock and wait until Spring.
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The previous owners left a couple of rolls of old carpet, and we put it down in front of the garage and covered it with gravel and screenings. Honestly the gravel and stone dust are the important part – the carpet just functions as cheap ‘geotextile’ to keep the expensive rocks from disappearing into the mud. I wouldn’t just lay down carpet, it will rot and shred and make a big mess.
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Most carpets have plastic backing. I have put carpet down to suppress weeds and it’s still there years later. It doesn’t get trodden by hooves though - the gravel if laid thickly will prevent it breaking up due to trampling I’d think.
Have successfully used carpet for years in the pasture, but most of it lives under sheltered mats. It is hardly ever wet, no rain under the shelters, and only a few parts are exposed where the mats don’t cover. It works great in that limited capacity. In the uncovered area it gets wetter and has frayed a bit. I just cut off the frayed bits, and I don’t worry about my barefoot horse, but it is certainly something a shod horse could get a shoe caught up on.
The best thing you can do to keep mud at bay is to first dig out all the mud, then not feed hay on the ground, and pick up any uneated hay. Almost all the mud I have seen around barns and paddocks is decomposed vegetable matter. I have always dug it out, down to the hard pan, laid down crushed fine bluestone, and kept the area raked DAILY of any left over hay (or leaves). No mud.
Even is you dump screenings over the existing mud, if you then rake up your hay, you keep new mud from forming.
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I have used carpet with gravel on top. Didn’t put it upside down, though. Works great and it’s very cheap (only paid for the gravel).
Carpet used to have a Jute fiber backing. (A plant fiber that rots) For the last 20 years, the carpet industry has used polypropylene for the backing. The very same material used in geo-textile. The face fibers are nylon, acrylic, or polypropylene.
Some expensive carpets are wool or other natural fiber in the face. So cheap carpet is the best for keeping your gravel from sinking in the mud.
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I put some right side up carpet with stone dust on top on some areas that were consistently muddy and it helped immensely. That was probably 4 years ago, the carpet is still fine and I just need to get a load of dust to put more back on again.
Has anyone grow grass over the carpet or geotextile fabrics?
I used it at the main gate to help with erosion and for years just replaced it when it turned to a mess, However last week had horse issue at late at night (no lights) we were working just inside the gate and as I turned to leave my heel got caught on a string of fiber, down I went face first!
Odd how you can do something for years and even recommend it only to get twisted knee and bruised face.
So I’m done with the carpet.
Well not here in Florida. We have sandy soil over limestone/or gumbo clay here in Ocala - either you ahve a sand pit near your water troughs, or you have mud, depending on season.
