The Bahama product is a coral based limestone type rock it is not harvested as live coral it is basically rock mined like any other rock product and is then shipped and widely used for landscape purposes such as driveways and underneath pavers. As the hogfuel ages and the acid leaches out, it turns sloppy and is a fantastic host for bacteria so again, another problem to deal with.. Thank you for the clear answer , and it is my pleasure to present you an invitation to visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to see the Arabian horses in their first homeland. Awesome feedback! The only other consideration is if you want to bring a heavy truck on the paths in that case you definitely need to go with a layer of 3-inch minus road base, then whatever you want on top of that for your horses hooves. 1.5 tons can cover one cubic yard. One cubic yard contains 1.4 to 1.5 tons of stone. So 6 = .5 feet, or 3 = .25 feet. Or should I risk making even more mud and do it now? Im open to hear any new tips you may have to for my situation. Like you mentioned, it has blunted edges and wont compact as well as a 1/4 minus quarried rock. e.g. Excellent article, and appreciate the before and after pics. Jini Patel Thompson is a natural health writer and Lazer Tapping instructor. Use geotextile for enhanced filtration and erosion control when constructing the arena base. The sand/gravel mix we have used is called Hoggin here and the best description I can find is on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoggin. The cost per yard can start at $30 and go up to $45. Luckily there is a super easy way to convert square feet to cubic yards: 1. Listen To Your Horse Energy, Body & Environment, Stories from Animal Communicator Ginny Jablonski, Trailer Learning (Play) When you Dont have a Horse Trailer, Horses Give Livestream Demo of Animal Communication, Big Mama Aude: Heal Your Heart-Belly Wounding, How to Prepare Bone Broth & Give the Bones to Your Dogs (safely! And next year, I had to spend another $2K to spread 3/4-inch minus gravel on top. If you live in a climate that only gets occasional rain, or a short rainy season, then you may be able to just lay either a commercial-grade shielding fabric or a specialized plastic draingrid on top of the hard pan soil, then layer 2-4 inches of 3/4 inch minus pea gravel and top that with a 2-inch layer of 1/4 inch minus limestone gravel, or crusher dust. This layer of stone is your simulated bedrock, and it's the foundation of your new driveway. Paul. It forms from the accumulation of shells, coral, and other debris of marine organisms, as well as the precipitation of calcium carbonate from seawater. Limestone Screenings - this includes limestone aggregate that is relatively small down to fine particles. Thank you so much for your extended read! In that case, I think it would depend on how your drainage is set up from your stalls A barn with good drainage probably requires a different material under the mats, than a stall with poor/no drainage. The whole idea of having a gravel or crusher dust top layer is to prevent wet organic matter (soil, grass, hay, leaves, manure etc.) NATIVE SOUTH TEXAS RIVER ROCK. Youre very welcome Catherine! Of course, I also have 11 horses and they are young and feisty. Best, And the only thing you can do to remedy it is to pour concrete on top of your gravel thats my ultimate plan, when I have my own place and enough $$ to do so. Nearly all the faces of the fragments are fractured. We dont know if it built up over years of ingesting a little at a time, or if he somehow swallowed a whole bunch at once. Which is less likely to freeze. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I redid an arena 4 years ago and after MUCH research we went the 3 minus with an arena mix of sand and fine gravel on top. and I love the photos!!!! And yes, because horses hooves pound gravel and shift it around unevenly, eventually you will have spots where the geocloth is exposed usually at the edges of an area. The biggest issue is the immense amount of dust generated in the stalls. Then they add 3/4 inch gravel, and then crusher dust. (normally everything here gets wet from rain, but dries the next day to hard surface). I would love to turn one of my higher ground areas into a huge covered area with drainage footing and then 8 inches of sand on top just for them to use to lie down Maybe someday. But again, after researching, I think thats an issue of the existing surface, how much is used, and what the resulting footing is like. Im definitely going to send your article to my boss and see what she thinks. BUT if you can teach them where to poo that could buy you 2-3 years before having to scrape/freshen. Hi Suzy! BUT, what am I going to put on their paddock surface to create a paddock footing with adequate drainage? At the base its currently just packed dirt. Id like something that would be most comfortable as they sometimes stay in there for a longer period of time, like heavy rain or cold windy days. Visit your local nursery or landscape supply specialist to see what's available in your area. When hes building horse trails, he puts down the Nilex geotextile, then 5-6 inches of 3 rock, then 6 inches of road base (3/4 minus). My question is this: When I do the paddock area with the 3 layers of stone like you explained; what do you recommend for inside the run in? parts of the Pacific Northwest and the U.K., is that there is no hard compacted soil, or shale, or rock beneath the topsoil! Several grades from 3/8-7/8 inches will do the job if the color and grade better suits the landscaping. Great info. It is crushed up #57 stone combined with . It also drains well and is easy to hose down. Gravel for paths is sold by type and size. With an older or sedate herd, maybe youd only have to top up once ever 2-3 years. We are going to try a small portion of one horses paddock in a different material and Im considering the drainage panels you mentioned. I only had the farrier out once this entire year and even then one of the horses didnt need anything the rest of the time they either self-trimmed or I helped them out with a touch-up here and there. Its the best info Ive found. I have hired a contractor with a huge tracked skid steer who specialises in fine grading to fill my trench back in and grade and scrape their entire paddock so that it has a nice gentle slope. I am totally disillusioned with any gravelled solution now. What?? That said, you pretty much have to see the different types and as was mentioned by someone else, you have to know how the surface below it will effect it. , Post a before and after pic when youre done Joanna (with your sheep in it!) The question is: what should I put down on the surface of this paddock; what drainage materials will work best and not cost me crazy money? You need the jagged edges and different particle sizes for the footing to pack down well and not just slide around every time a hoof punches down on it. Pea gravel. Occasionally if on slope older spent chips need shoveling up but they can go on ground, gardens, hardcore roads. This is fascinating! Im curious to know if you ended up redoing the paddock surface area this year again? Even though we moved some gravel over from other parts of the paddock, the gravel had sunk down into the soil all over, so there wasnt much left to scavenge. Uneven ground doesnt bother my horses at all. Also goes a long way to keep down the fly/flea population. that would be cool . Both areas were destroyed in a couple of months once the rains started the cloth was either sticking up all over the place (the other woman said her horses would then grab it in their teeth and pull on it we just cut it off), or it had disappeared into the muck. However, on the flip side of that argument, heres what a Farrier has to say about why she prefers crusher dust: As a farrier, my favourite footing in this area is crusher dust. You can also examine the crusher dust and see which suppliers contains the least amount of dust. Limestone fits and compresses better, by digging in deeper is better, then relaying on the plastic edging to keep the blocks and limestone in place. If you have all your rock and gravel delivered and on-site, a guy with an excavator (to scrape down to hard pan) and a Bobcat (to spread the rock and gravel) can get all 6 steps done in a day. If theyre coming end of April, youre well over the worst of it. They can get a little waterlogged mid winter and usually it means they are old and not as absorbant and I take the depth down. First layer of rock should be 40mm crushed rock, with no fines in it. 1. It is still porous so urine soaks through reducing the need for bedding removal. When it rains, you may build a patio, gazebo, or other, However, you will need to replace them with a long-term remedy since they wont last. When I called a local nursery that sells everything (pea gravel, crusher dust, limestone, sand, mulch etc. Post a picture of your horses Id love to see them! It has great drainage, and my one complaint is that it gets dusty in the summer, but I consider that a small price to pay for a dry arena in the winter. Thanks! I want a common sandy area as well so they can enjoy a good roll with no dust. He was stunned by the county thinking gravel is non permeable and says they are dead wrong. Thanks you so much! And yes, that 3 rock is endlessly coming up through the 3/4 minus, and the crusher dust I layered on top! So if you scrape down during a wet season, the rain will just turn the formerly compacted soil into more mud. In the summer. Live and learn! Same issue of course. The farmer who spread the gravel for me suggested I try a load of crusher dust from Upper Fraser Valley Trucking next time he thought it would be a better surface, even spread directly on grass. INC. - Eighty Four 1016 Pennsylvania 519 Eighty Four, Pennsylvania 15330 (724) 222-4303 Get Directions Kirby Agri 500 Running Pump Road Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17601 717-229-2541 Get Directions See more related content in our article about, Pros and Cons of Prefinished Hardwood Flooring. Horses must consume relatively large quantities of the green or dried plants before the toxic threshold is reached. How Did The Paddock Hold Up Over The Year? For a 6-foot- (1.8- meter-) wide trail, this amounts to about 1 cubic yard (0.76 cubic meter) of loose material per 6 . ), they told me that the Cloverdale Racetrack uses limestone gravel for their track. One thing that I did and would highly recommend is after having the 3 minus delivered we rented a 1000 lb plate compactor and compacted the arena surface for a full week, many, many, many times. We just built our barn last fall. I will probably go with the princess option , again thanks a million. So the layers act as a well-draining foundation. 4 inch Dig 2 inches of lime stone compacted. I think the three layer option seems to be the best. Let the adventure begin. This is a debate which could go on a long time, so Im just going to summarize the various positions here and give some examples. Also handy in the shed to clean out all dust. Most of the mud is next to the outside wall of my run in, so the water goes right under it and inside the run in; so in other words when its wet, they have no escape from it. It wouldnt be the most interesting thing Ive ever written, but it might be useful. Especially as 1,000 lbs in concentrated disks punches down on it. Hey Rick, so pleased it was helpful! Horses pulverize the manure on top of the gravel and very difficult to pick up the manure. So for the 1000 lb plate compactor you rented was that a separate machine? Can be used for landscaping, back fill and mixing concrete. Every bit of feedback is useful , Hi! So now that I have all the information needed to make a good decision about what is the best paddock surface for horses in a wet, rainy climate its time to look at what Im prepared to spend! Walking Paths. With my crew, I need to add a layer of fresh 1/4 minus every Fall. It can pack into a hard surface with limited drainage capacity. My mare has Cushings and sometimes laminitis. Remember, I was only looking for this paddock to last a year or two. Thanks for the discussion. Remember, he uses 5-6 inches of 3 rock on top of the Nilex geotextile, then 5-6 inches of 3/4 minus gravel on top of that. It would also seem to be easy to clean. I totally understand that opinions are just that but yours is certainly very informed. Crushed Stone #411. Ground always shifts. Thanks for all the valuable info. I have heard that pea gravel is best although it doesnt pack down. I think your climate is a lot drier though and you get snow/ice most of the winter, right? Multiply the square footage (length x width = square footage) of your paddock by the depth of gravel you want. This was an important step because without it the large 3 minus rocks will slowly start to surface to the top and will need to be picked before riding / turnout. But, I know how stubborn we can be, and how sometimes we just need to find things out for ourselves, so Im going to keep going with giving you other peoples ideas (that wont work in a rainforest climate!) If you have loose or sandy soil, you'll need a base layer. Usually its okay, but one year (same supplier) the crusher had clay in it and it completely packed down and stopped all drainage from happening! However, there's a medium between powdered limestone and massive chunks. But as mine are so hard on footing, and theres so many of them lunging around, I have to level and add more crusher every year or two. Although this can occasionally be effective, there is a saying in the trade that "adding a bucket of gravel to a bucket of mud just gets you a bigger bucket of mud.". Granite Base. Some terms that indicate compacting gravel are: crushed rock, crushed limestone, crushed stone, crusher run, fines, stone dust, aggregate, road base, paver base and decomposed granite (mixed with sand or stone dust). Keep us posted! Of course here in our dry part of California I dont really need it but thought it might really help some of you in the wetter climates? This is the best article I have read on this subject! A. Rutter Company, a provider of . The horses have lovely pea gravel paddocks with in/out access. Sorry I havent seen or experimented with stall footing. However, under the lein-to part of the barn it has the 1" crushed limestone as well. Glass Mosaic Tile (13.26 sq. However, horses hooves are way more punchy than car or truck tires. During my research, I also called BC Parks & Rec who commission the horse trails in the provincial parks here and asked them what they did, as their trails seem to stay in pretty good shape all winter long, with lots of traffic on them. Heres what it looked like after the two truckloads of 3/4 inch gravel was spread out: I was happy with this for a few days, and then I started fretting about the fact that there really wasnt much room for them to move around and exercise, yet stay on the gravel. Ah glad you found it Lawrence! It would probably be fine in a drier climate but on the Wet Coast, it isnt ideal. They dont lie down in there and only really use it for a shelter. It is the clay that especially packs down so hard the water will not drain through well and just runs off the surface. What are the environmental impacts of using a coral reef product? The most common approach to firming up a muddy road is to add gravel. So far so good. Foundation for buildings, roads, parking lots, railroads, etc. Great info Donna thanks so much for sharing your knowledge! Crusher dust is gravel that has been crushed to the size of 1/4 or less. Auburn Hills Main: (248) 338-3310 Oxford Yard: (248) 628-9777 Auburn Hills Scale House: (248) 332-6210 Weather Permitting Nevertheless, if its working well for you, then its always good to have options . 2.5 inches equals .208 feet A 1648 foot crushed limestone driveway can cost between $960 and $1,536. This seriously impacts my decision-making process. Best to get new woodchips and not from a poisonous tree and without any greenery. I was at a different stable where the horses just pulled up the barrier after digging down to it. I live in Maple Ridge and I am about to attempt this for my two horses on a rental property Okay, now that you know what to do Im going to tell you about all the options available and what other people say. And I would think youd want to use sharper-edged gravel (not smooth) so it can bite into the limestone and hold I discovered this by adding a load of smooth gravel on top of my crusher dust (1/4 gravel) to see what would happen, and it just slid around and was useless. Perhaps in smaller, high traffic areas concrete is the cheapest long term solution! I am in the UK. 3. 2. Add more gravel from time to time. Yes three walls and an open stall doors to the outside. Of course you can always start with that and if its not enough, then add more on top. Top layer: Crusher Dust, But if not, then youre going to have to put down either geotextile cloth, or the plastic grid mats and then lay your gravel. My friend Mitchell Allen, who builds horse trails in public parks uses this exact material. The next winter, you will need to add another 4-6 inches of 3/4-inch minus gravel. muddy , trail users frequently walk to the outside. THANK YOU!!! Our horses can come and go as the please into the paddock and back out into the property. Work these rocks into. Sand tends to overwear the feet but of all the footings for paddocks, it tends to be my second choice because at least their feet stay dry. This should be perfect. It was great to read such an informative article. and has a variety of uses including as back fill and ground cover in landscaping. Crushed Limestone Is Ideal for Livestock Stalls Powdered dolomite lime is excellent for all types of plant agriculture, and solid hydrating limestone is great for building. Gravel is extremely simple to put on lawns and offers a long-term solution. Crusher dust is gravel that has been crushed to the size of 1/4 or less. It also lasts far longer than mulch. Make sure you dont get smooth-edged crusher though it needs to have the jagged/irregular edges to pack properly. I have seen improvement in hoof quality in every foot taken from hogfuel or mud and placed on crusher dust and comparing it to the sand options, it is still a better hoof. On a full rainy day, these patches fill with standing water there is no drainage: So why not just use the 3/4 inch gravel? If you are ordering crusher dust, its best if you can get a look at it, to make sure it is just rock fines and doesnt have clay (or a lot of sand particles) in it. Coarse aggregate does not compact easily; many voids may result leaving the surface uneven and difficult for livestock to walk on. GABION ROCK - 4" X 8" CRUSHED LIMESTONE. SO pleased for you!! This work can be done with a shovel, but it is laborious work. Lets start with these pictures of my first set-up, where I self-boarded my horses on a friends property, and my adventures in paddock footing began. Ive always fed both of my horses soaked hay cubes from feed tubs, along with free pasture access. HOW are these plants, actually helping or addressing an imbalance in your soil? I have been debating over whether i need Geo-textile or not, as some areas are fairly hard but some seem to have some clay We have tons of experience in residential, commercial and industrial applications . My horses are barefoot so seedy toe is a problem with any sort of grit. If you can afford concrete I would 100% go with that!! Only a few dont fall through. This will help tremendously. ft./Case) Im doing some research on how to sort out the high traffic area of stall threshold in a barn I just started managing. How To Ask the Universe For What You Want And Get It, Dolphin CHOOSES Dental Work with No Anaesthetic. Scrape off the dirty layer (from dirt and small bits of manure) and re-surface/grade. Just what I needed for my muddy hillside Tennessee horse farm. Answer 2B and 2A are identical except that the 2A contains a small amount of Limestone dust (10) mixed in with the stone, which allows it to compact more effectively. The size ranges from 1 to 3 and ultimately best from a company that screens it for horse gallops (Dormit woodfibre in UK supplies a lot for arenas and gallops). Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed primarily of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the form of the mineral calcite. Just wondering about freezing. Clear stone is sometimes known as drainage stone. Rubber Mats Mud creates mud. You can order bulk limestone in Virginia today! The 1/4 minus, which will mix in with the 3/4 gravel over time, gives hooves a great self-trimming tool. I would put drains (herring bone or french) if I did it again just to avoid water logs. When it gets real cold and freezes up, its nothing but thousands of frozen footprints that they can hardly walk on. Thanks so much for sharing your experience. RECYCLED ASPHALT. Crushed limestone typically produced by mining limestone or dolomite rock deposits. It seems there is nothing harder for wear-and-tear on gravel than horses hooves! Cover the fabric with a 4- to 5-inch layer of crushed #1 or #2 limestone rocks. Youre welcome Suzy! Scroll. ft. ($53.81 /case) $5.07 Save 20% ( 139) Model# GDRCOBRG Merola Tile Coppa Brown Gold 12 in. Our extensive resources allows us to quickly procure the base materials you need, have it transported and professionally installed. Regardless of the problem, drying and repairing the muddy yard is necessary. Btw, did a little research on star thistle as I hadnt heard of it, and I think the important point here is how MUCH the horse would have to consume to be negatively affected: The exact chemical compound responsible for toxicity in Russian knapweed and yellow star-thistle has not been defined; however, a sesquiterpene lactone, repin, is believed to be the key neurotoxin present. Next, on top of the 3 rock, spread another 5 inch deep layer of 3/4 inch minus gravel (sometimes called Road Base). So you watch where water flows when its raining, and then scrape and lay your gravel during summer when its dry. However, if you can get them small enough (usually 3/8 5/8) to filter through the tines of your manure fork, that will make scooping poop much easier and reduce gravel wastage. However, you dont want to use sand if your horses are going to be eating on the surface (can cause colic if ingested). Place crushed gravel on top of that, running the . A really interesting topic, and I have a question: is gravel 4/3 & 4/1 good as an alternative to fine sand in horse rooms, or is fine sand better? The best way to fix a muddy driveway is with TRUEGRID permeable pavers. What do you think about compacting the existing soil, laying down the fabric, and installing the Merchant solution over top? 74.9 million tons used for cement manufacturing and the share of limestone are significant in it. Ive never seen 3-inch woodchips for sale anywhere in the Vancouver area. Your email address will not be published. how essential is the geotextile if you have scraped down a few feet? It permanently stains anything it comes in contact with (shoes, clothing, white horse feathers). If you ever test your soil and find it to be too acidic -- or below a pH of 7.0 -- a gardening expert would recommend adding lime to the . The best type of gravel for the top layer of a gravel driveway includes crushed shale, limestone, granite and concrete. You should definitely do that! All I had to do was put fresh on top. Well, keep me posted if you can and let me know what happens! 2. Clear all soft organic soil, grass, down to the compacted subgrade soil. If you dont care about the hows and the whys and the research and you just want the solution fast, then heres what I recommend after not only turning this area into a dry paddock but also after increasing my herd to 11 horses, moving to another property, and creating a dry paddock there! Because this is the most informative article Ive read I was curious what you would recommend under stall mats. I know another one of our readers in Washington had the county pay for her gravel! They told me a similar story to what I outlined above: After scraping down to the compacted subgrade soil, they place an industrial-grade barrier material, then a layer of large, flat 3-4 rock. Or for sure you will be re-doing every year. Sounds like a plan. I heard the local racetrack likes to use it, but they are also grooming the track daily. I started with the crusher fines, but have not been happy with the pee spots, so Ill go back and do the pea gravel, or maybe put some sand down in the pee hole, then the next 2 layers? Even in the wettest of environments, a wooden boardwalk will keep your feet dry, and it is simpler to construct than a concrete path. Hi Pat, if you just laid the gravel, but no geotextile cloth underneath, youll get one good winter out of it, possibly two. The frequency of adding more gravel depends on the activity level of your horses. They are then free to honor their body wisdom and *listen* to their body because they are not in physical or psychological scarcity. CRUSHED GRANITE. Meditation Claim Your Reality in this Crazy World, When your Horse says No Perhaps the Process IS the Point, How to Manifest the Land of Your Dreams Part 4. Regarding freezing, when it gets below zero, it all freezes. The same Farrier I quoted above also says: It locks together and makes a very firm surface with just enough give to allow for maximum traction. Middle: 3/4 minus gravel 1.5 tons are enough for one cubic yard. You then start to add layers of more crushed stone or rock, but the size of the stones gets progressively smaller as you get closer to the surface. . As long as you keep their hay off the sand (hay nets with a large bucket or built in container to catch escaped hay underneath?) This rock has rock dust and smaller pieces of rock added to the mixture. Limestone Is Nutrient Rich. Lime is derived from limestone and is used in agriculture and gardening to balance the acidity level of soil. The process of limestone formation typically occurs in shallow, warm, marine . The pea gravel has to be changed over to new, clean material every few years, I think. And that way I can keep them on pasture year-round in this super rainy Pacific Northwest climate. 2. One thing everyone does seem to agree on, is that if you are using crusher dust or pea gravel, its best to scrape off the topsoil (mud) first and get it down to the hard soil surface, then lay your footing. The Most Effective Short-term Solution For A Muddy Yard. Every one of my 11 horses knows this. Lime is spread on lawns that are not growing well to help the soil become more hospitable for grass. After tilling is complete, spread the required amount . Because it packs down fairly solid, it doesnt have the big pointy bits that are inclined to puncture and lead to abscesses. BUT your depth must also be in feet, not inches. I have a paddock area that has nothing but mud now, especially after heavy rains and whenever the snow melts. Please feel free to share your experience and experiments in the Comments section below. If you live in a place that only occasionally gets wet/floods, then you may be able to skip this step. Plan on spending anywhere between $32 and $55 per cubic yard of clean crushed rock and $15 to $37 per cubic yard of minus crushed rock. A muddy backyard in a small property can be solved with ease by covering the mud with concrete. All Rights Reserved. Horse was very lame. Note: Some people like to put a layer of crusher dust as their top layer, but Ive found the fines in crusher really interfere with drainage, as they form this solid packed layer on top of all the gravel. See how to fix a muddy yard including the different causes of soggy grass, tips to prevent mud from building up, and effective solutions to fix water built-up. We just had our stable built, with excavation down to the hard soil. Your email address will not be published. Another consideration: If you live in a dry climate with little rain, the dust particles in the crusher dust can work themselves deep into your horses mane and coat. Id highly recommend going to look at farms that offer to let you see theirs and take a good hard look at their horses feet. I have a small boarding facility, so I have 12 runs to deal with and budget is a concern, but I also know having to do it twice costs more because of mistakes lol. One of the most common uses of crushed limestone is in laying driveways. Ill report back! Go ahead and compact again. If 2 inches of 1/2 inch angular rock plus 2 inches granite fines (so 4 inches total) would work in your barn yard, then it will work on your paths. Im mulling the idea of doing a video/blog post just about gravel terminology and what its called in different areas. Thx, Kimberly, Hi Kimberly see points #4,5,6 in the first section: Create a Dry Paddock in even the Rainiest Climate. By the time the following May/June rolls around, the sacrifice field will be rejuvenated and Ill flip them again. The perm agg base coarse is basically a coarse 1-1/4 minus, and the perm agg top coarse is a coarse 5/8 minus (basically a 3/4 minus). Our rock and gravel delivery services have been used to install driveways, drainage systems, garden paths, roads, and much more.