When putting down gravel...

[Libby2563]

I just had a dry lot put in over the last few weeks. I put some before and after pictures up on my blog, as well as a bunch of the construction process. You can see them here if you’re interested: http://thesmallhorsefarm.blogspot.com/2016/10/dry-lot-construction-with-lots-of.html

The person who did it also did my arena. He is a horseman as well as an engineer so he is very knowledgeable on multiple dimensions and has been doing this a long time. He stripped the topsoil then added stonedust and compacted it. I’ve asked him about geotextile and he has never recommended it as worth the cost. He did use flexible grids across the middle of the dry lot and around the lower edge, since it was built on a slight slope. The hope is that it will slow down water running across the surface and reduce erosion.

This (minus the grids) is the same way he made the small runs behind my barn, which have been in for almost two years and are holding up great. The stonedust is very easy to keep clean and there hasn’t been significant erosion or footing loss. My only concern is that it compacts quite hard, so I do want to put in a sandbox or something so the horses have somewhere soft to nap when confined to the dry lot.

This is all in contrast to when he made a feeder pad for me on a spot that was already muddy in the middle of winter. Since it was already muddy, he used a large quantity of CR-6 (basically gravel with fines). Then in the summer I added stonedust on top myself, because it was a pain in the butt to pick manure out of the CR-6 and not take all the rocks with it.

[Leather]

[QUOTE=Libby2563;8890465]
He did use flexible grids across the middle of the dry lot and around the lower edge, since it was built on a slight slope. The hope is that it will slow down water running across the surface and reduce erosion…[/QUOTE]

Do you happen to have the specs of the grid he used? (Cell diameter/depth)

We’ve got a steep slope in the paddock that the horses use constantly (the opening to the barn is a tuck-under) that needs reinforcement.

I’ve looked into Lighthoof, but it’s $$$. I’m guessing there’s a less expensive non-horse version that would do just fine.

Thanks so much for sharing your blog!

[Libby2563]

[QUOTE=Leather;8890659]
Do you happen to have the specs of the grid he used? (Cell diameter/depth)

We’ve got a steep slope in the paddock that the horses use constantly (the opening to the barn is a tuck-under) that needs reinforcement.

I’ve looked into Lighthoof, but it’s $$$. I’m guessing there’s a less expensive non-horse version that would do just fine.

Thanks so much for sharing your blog![/QUOTE]

Yup, this is a non-horse version. I don’t know the brand but will ask my builder after his daughter’s wedding this weekend. Will you PM me to remind me if I don’t report back by the end of next week?

I can tell you it cost $2 a square foot, not including installation. How does that compare to Lighthoof?

[TheJenners]

Libby, thanks! Our “hoof damage” (love the phrase) is a bit more severe than yours pictured, due to being in the Pacific North Wet :lol:. So we may suffer more loss to footing? Where my horses are now there is a grid, but it is squares maybe 2’’ across? Not very large at all. Holds up to traffic but the edges have already eroded away and exposed the grids. It was NOT professionally installed, and in fact the person who dug down to install the grids screwed it up and made it worse because now it’s lower than the rest of the surrounding ground, and now’s a mess supported by grid (yay?). I’ll try to snap some pics today, which works because we just got hammered with a left-over typhoon.

[Libby2563]

[QUOTE=TheJenners;8892039]
Libby, thanks! Our “hoof damage” (love the phrase) is a bit more severe than yours pictured, due to being in the Pacific North Wet :lol:. So we may suffer more loss to footing? Where my horses are now there is a grid, but it is squares maybe 2’’ across? Not very large at all. Holds up to traffic but the edges have already eroded away and exposed the grids. It was NOT professionally installed, and in fact the person who dug down to install the grids screwed it up and made it worse because now it’s lower than the rest of the surrounding ground, and now’s a mess supported by grid (yay?). I’ll try to snap some pics today, which works because we just got hammered with a left-over typhoon.[/QUOTE]

If it’s currently a muddy mess, you will have to do different prep than my builder did. I intentionally planned my project for late summer/early fall so it would be dry. Actually it was almost TOO dry. The ground was like powder and didn’t want to compact. But my builder gets the stonedust with some moisture in it, so that compacted very well.

It sounds like your grid should be pulled out and the ground built up under it and graded properly, basically flat and compacted but with a slight slope for drainage. Then you could put the grid back on top of a proper base and backfill it with stonedust or something similar. But if it’s all a mucky mess, that will not be a fun job and I don’t envy you!

[TheJenners]

Sorry, maybe my OP and subsequent posts were unclear: where my horses are now is different than where I am putting down gravel. I’m in the process of building a farm; a very slow process but it means I have extra time to research and get ideas instead of throwing them out and then having to redo anything :). My horses are boarded; I’m building on raw land.

[Libby2563]

[QUOTE=TheJenners;8892138]
Sorry, maybe my OP and subsequent posts were unclear: where my horses are now is different than where I am putting down gravel. I’m in the process of building a farm; a very slow process but it means I have extra time to research and get ideas instead of throwing them out and then having to redo anything :). My horses are boarded; I’m building on raw land.[/QUOTE]

Ohhhhh okay. Probably lack of reading comprehension on my part, sorry! That’s good then! You can try to do everything right the first time.

[TheJenners]

It’s ok, I read my OP and it’s unclear… I’ve talked about it on other threads and made a bad assumption that everyone is as clued into my life as I am haha.

[foggybok]

[QUOTE=TheJenners;8882900]
Oh I definitely cannot afford this to be “engineered.” I have a tractor, and some friends with other equip who I can ask for help if I need it, and a dump trailer… so I hope to do most/all of this myself. Thank you so much for weighing in!

My property is not wet, which is a bonus, but I do not want to create any mucky areas and I want the shelters to have good footing around them. Where the shelters are going will be the high points in the paddocks. Can I scrape back with the bucket (or not), put down the geo-tex, and dump say 5/8 minus? I can get locally enough for an approx 10’x10’x3" (what he said a sq yd covers) for $35. So two sq yds per shelter won’t be painful at all, if I can do the work myself or in trade for pizza if I need dump it and decide I need to compact it. Mats on top inside, but I’d like an apron around it too. Does this sound doable or am I fooling myself?[/QUOTE]

Talk with your local extension office. In Clallam and Jefferson county, they have grants available for this kind of work. They also will help you design it for free even if they don’t have grant money.

We used geotextile with 5/8 on top and we installed some drains (since the barn is in a low point and we had no choice about moving it…) It has held up well to traffic and stays nice and dry now. But we put in a lot of gravel… you might consider more than 3" if you can.

Stay dry!!!

Edited to add, we did not apply for a grant but we got a huge discount of the geotextile through the county program, so ask your supplier if they have something going on.

[TheJenners]

Amazing advice!