Post a picture of your horses Id love to see them! Just wondering about freezing. The technique you use to lay down the stone is vital as improper layering could result in the formation of water pockets trapped below the ground, which could cause potholes in the long run. The big problem you get in many (most?) Post some before/after pics for us if you can You can upload them right here. Crushed Concrete Rock. https://www.listentoyourhorse.com/equine-permaculture-in-rainy-climates-system-for-sustainable-pastures/, https://www.listentoyourhorse.com/adventures-in-culvert-drainage-for-my-horse-paddock/, Ginny Interviews Jini for the Interspecies Evolution Podcast, Montaros Emancipation My Freedom is Your Freedom, Heart Opening Meditation with the Herd & Land, Montaros Journey: Healing the Wounded Angry Masculine, Messages from Burdock (Burrs), Raven & The Herd, The Herd Out My Window Esoteric Musings, Laminitis, Cushings, Founder Healing Session for Your Horse, Pain, Injury, Competition Brainwashing & Dissociation, The Geography of Belonging Horses & Love in Zimbabwe. Its the best info Ive found. To ensure adequate drainage for the stable when using any type of flooring, elevate the top of the stall floor at least 12 inches above the outside ground level. 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). Nearly all the faces of the fragments are fractured. Well, I laid the paddock footing in August. 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?) Just what I needed for my muddy hillside Tennessee horse farm. That's where limestone from Baker Lime can help. The paddocks are in one area on a slant so if the chips get a bit tired and over wet I can shovel out the wetter edges. Base Products: 226,835,102 Total Tons Sold TCS # 166 1 1/2 Base View Spec Sheet. Of course you can always start with that and if its not enough, then add more on top. Right now we have geo textile underlaymen, 5 1 1/4 gravel and 5 5/8 gravel. Growsource supplies and delivers gravel and rock products for projects of all sizesfrom five to 10 yards (depending on the delivery area) at a time. Place crushed gravel on top of that, running the . The one thing you notice when youre trying to price out gravel or crusher dust, is that pricing tends to be in cubic yards. We just built our barn last fall. It packs decently but also isnt as sharp edged so it gets used in beach areas where there will be plenty of bare feet. French Drain Basics Also goes a long way to keep down the fly/flea population. Only a few dont fall through. 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. However, at my current property, after doing everything exactly right, with the commercial-grade barrier cloth and all the right layers, by the end of the winter there were still craters and low spots in the footing. When I called a local nursery that sells everything (pea gravel, crusher dust, limestone, sand, mulch etc. Now I can focus on other things (water, feeders, trailer, star thistle, fences)! Ive heard from a number of people whove tried both that limestone packs down better. 1. Thank you for your response. Because a farrier with lots of experience with it says its too acidic for the horses hooves. Decomposed Granite With Stabilizers Ideal for situations where you need it to pack together, crushed stone is the product you want for walkways & driveways, or anywhere you need a good, hard base. The chips are soft and they can lay on them but more often they pee on them. I also have access to granite based stone dust and of course limestone and just about any other rock, sand or clay material. My 2 boys dont poop in their 24 x 36 paddock area so I cant comment on how much base I lose to a manure fork. 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. For one tone of crushed limestone, you would pay around $25 to $35. Any advice? Upload attachment(Allowed file types: jpg, gif, png, pdf, doc, docx, maximum file size: 8MB. By the ton, the costs of crushed limestone will vary anywhere from $20 to as much as $30. Are wood chips the same thing that we call hog fuel or bark mulch here?? NOT smooth edges, with dust fines) then I havent seen any movement even in heavy, weeks-long rain. Thank you so much for your extended read! They also recommended I use 6 inches of it. I havent tried draingrids or mudgrids myself, so I cant comment on them. . Limestone Is Nutrient Rich. Just purchased Nov of 17 and boy it was a wet muddy mess for my 3 because I only had one month to get so much done before I could move them in. Gravel/Crushed Rock fills approximately 1/3 cu. Someone suggested gravel or crushed limestone, but 1) I don't really want a bunch of little rocks in my yard where I have to mow right next to them and have it throw a rock up at me and 2) I think the dogs could slip on it or, perhaps worse, run another mud path right before the limestone. It will all look normal. For example, the price for one yard is around $40 at Mains Landscape Supply. This is a boarding facility so all my expense. Spreading temporary ground cover for mud, like pine flakes, crushed limestone, or feline litter, will absorb the mud and also allow you to shovel it bent on remove the excess water. If you live in a place that only occasionally gets wet/floods, then you may be able to skip this step. 2.5 inches equals .208 feet . and has a variety of uses including as back fill and ground cover in landscaping. OR perhaps you live in a region that just gets occasional downpours or flooding, so you dont think youll need the geotextile layer, or the same layers of rock/gravel. I thought I could get a few friends out and spread the gravel using rakes, but when I looked at the size of the piles and realized how heavy the gravel was, I decided to hire a local farmer to come spread it for me. The process of limestone formation typically occurs in shallow, warm, marine . Again, this article is fantastic! Another thought: Do you offer your horses free choice minerals? Should I do the same thing, or should I do something different like sand or pea gravel? The larger chunks of rock are also easily caught in the rake, so you end up dumping a lot of the gravel you just paid money for, out with the leaves which does not feel good! Every bit of feedback is useful , Hi! We are going to try a small portion of one horses paddock in a different material and Im considering the drainage panels you mentioned. By May, you can see that the paddock surface is pretty much toast the grass is growing up from underneath and the gravel has almost disappeared from sinking into the soil and the entire thing will have to be re-done again in August for approximately the same cost ($2000 total including tractor to spread it). Approximately 9 cu. I asked a phd in geology who has worked a full career in geology. Might be a case of dont ask apologize later if you have to Some of those bylaws are aimed at developers though and they may not bother with small usage it varies though, some are more rabid dog about it. This size rock resembles lemons or grapefruits and provides a firm base for the driveway. My big constraint with my first horse boarding set-up was that it is not my own land, I didnt have a long-term lease, and so realistically, I could be kicked out at any time. parts of the Pacific Northwest and the U.K., is that there is no hard compacted soil, or shale, or rock beneath the topsoil! I live in Chilliwack, so have the same weather as you . So yes, it will work in this climate (I tried it) but it will only work for one winter. Your plants also draw nutrients from their surroundings, especially the soil, that help them to flourish. 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. For the people that love crusher dust, they seem to love it because it packs down hard and forms a cement-like surface that doesnt sink into mud. Im less concerned with the following years, since I may not even be there. Rip rap is an aggregate that will perform in the harshest outdoor conditions. Either that or you need to lay the plastic drainage mats but thats even more expensive. Great info. This is really labor intensive and I totally did not anticipate the amount of leaf raking I was going to have to do! There is much truth to this quip, as adding something to a muddy road often has . Dont be tempted then to just throw more gravel down, thinking its got a good base now. Adding a dedicated parking area to your property helps you to accommodate guests and protects your yard from tire damage. Scroll. If theyre coming end of April, youre well over the worst of it. Thank you for your great article!!! This way, Im not having to shovel it back in to the center as it builds up along the edges (where its wasted). 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! I was interested to see if it would work, as a woman had written in (who also lives in this Pacific Northwest climate) to tell me that its never worked for her horses. When they lie down, they go to the higher ground. When its settled a bit , say 12 months add another layer of 20mm minus, crushed rock and out a roller or wackier over it. Thx, Kimberly, Hi Kimberly see points #4,5,6 in the first section: Create a Dry Paddock in even the Rainiest Climate. So they obviously had serious deficiencies (their hooves were pretty bad too and thin tails). It would probably be fine in a drier climate but on the Wet Coast, it isnt ideal. Crushed Limestone Base. 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. It worked well for them as they were just there for a few years. 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. BUT, what am I going to put on their paddock surface to create a paddock footing with adequate drainage? A clean crushed stone with an average size of 3/4 . A couple of extra tips; Per its name, crushed stone is created by taking larger pieces of stone or rock and crushing it into smaller. This will help tremendously. Luckily it rains so much here that the dust quickly disappeared, but in a drier climate it could certainly be a health hazard. Yard Dirt (Unscreened Fill Dirt) from $ 51.10 per ton: Show Prices: Order Now: Your Zipcode. No bark or greenery. NATIVE SOUTH TEXAS RIVER ROCK. You first have to put a commercial-grade shielding material used in road building like Nilex down on the soil and then lay down the 3-inch rock or recycled concrete (often cheaper), and then the gravel. RIP RAP. Rip rap is large nearly boulder-size crushed stone. Please feel free to share your experience and experiments in the Comments section below. For a 2040 metre area I would put 20 cubic metres. Contact Us, How to Fix a Muddy Yard (Prevent Water Build-Up Tips). The biggest issue is the immense amount of dust generated in the stalls. A power tiller is the preferred tool. to see prices and products. How Can Animal Communicators NOT be Vegan? So much good information (all based on experience with horses, which is good). You'll find that natural decomposed granite offers better drainage and is great for keeping plants warmer during the winter. that would be cool . Walking Paths. However horses oversized the manure on the 5/8 gravel and real difficult to get it all off the gravel which should e an issue. Because ALL ground sinks and displaces unevenly as weather and moisture changes. 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. Fantastic information Pippa thanks so much for letting us know! Of course, I also have 11 horses and they are young and feisty. Introduction Video: Customer Reviews: Product Videos: Categories. Occasionally if on slope older spent chips need shoveling up but they can go on ground, gardens, hardcore roads. Thought it was super great idea and she layered it with old hay/brush/sticks and other stuff (hence the lasagna reference) and said it had held up for two winters now! Crushed limestone #8G (3/8-1/2 inch) is ideal for channeling water runoff on your property. Live and learn! I really appreciate the knowledge you shared. If you are already starting with fairly hard footing underneath, crusher dust may not be your best option but on the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley [of BC, Canada], it is rare for it not to be an improvement.. Should I let my horses have one season of muddy feet and wait till summer to do the work? 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. If you can afford concrete I would 100% go with that!! A. Rutter Company, a provider of . You could possibly place a third layer of 1/4 minus (what we call trail mix gravel) on top of the permeable layers. The thing that packs down the hardest especially if you water/soak it and use a 1000 lb compactor is Crusher dust. Keep us posted! We have used it both inside the barn and outside. ), Mischief, Feed Dishes & Increasing Awareness, Absolutely Easiest Way to use Horse Manure to Create a Worm Farm, Guided Meditation to Connect with your Horse, Dog, Cat or Pet, Paddock & Pasture Permaculture Setup for Rainy Climate, Livestream: Despair, Shielding & Using Imagination to Create Reality, The Dead-Easy Simplest Way to Compost Horse Manure, Horse Herd Communication Energy & Body Language, The Treacherous Creek, Tree Ecosystems, Horse Wrestling & Smooches. Crushed limestone drive from the concrete driveway to the tractor shed, stalls were crushed limestone too. 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. I am also a muddy hillside east Tennessee horsefarm owner. So then when the ground shifts, it may develop sink spots, become wavy, etc but it doesnt matter since your mats are one piece. Note: hiring the tractor cost me $400. Thanks Margaret glad it was useful/helpful! However, on the flip side of that argument, here's what a Farrier has to say about why she prefers crusher dust: "As a farrier, my favourite footing in this area is crusher dust. The gravel and/or crusher dust only lasts one season and so you have to pay out the same amount every year. Thanks for all the valuable info. It can also be used to level stepping-stones. Arizona River Rock. And of course, to prep for concrete you have to do layers of gravel, then the concrete, but it would likely be less gravel/limestone than if you were putting mats right on top of the gravel. ft./Case) 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. 6. A 1648 foot crushed limestone driveway can cost between $960 and $1,536. A number of articles Ive read on this subject suggest using a minimum of 3 inches of footing (surface drainage material), or to use the same depth your mud gets to. CRUSHED GRANITE. If you let any organic matter build up, it will break down into soil/mush which will defeat the whole purpose, as your horses will now be standing on a wet surface. From what Ive seen in my research, I wouldnt want to use them in a super muddy area unless they went on top of geotextile and road base otherwise, the mud would just ooze up through the grids as the horses walked/ran on them, so youd be continually cleaning the mud off them, or the mud would be mixing with your crusher fines. , Post a before and after pic when youre done Joanna (with your sheep in it!) Let me know how it goes! Its holding up well though and perhaps they will only need to re-do it every 3-5 years now; since theres such a good base on it now. I think your main question/determinant for the run-in is whether they lie down in there? And I had to do that every year, for 4 years, until I finally got my friend Mitchell to come in and do it right. It would also seem to be easy to clean. We put down road base then put pea gravel on top. 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. Add about 4 inches per level and compact each layer. When the wildies came in they hoovered the minerals at an incredible rate for about 8 weeks and then normalized they ate more in 8 weeks than the next 2 years! Based on United States Geological Survey (2006), Wikipedia has produced the following useful insights giving data regarding crushed limestone.. 1.44 billion tons of crushed stones were used in the construction industry. For my super rainy climate (the Pacific Northwest coast) after trying cheaper variations and having to spend an additional $2,000 on gravel every year, because it just kept sinking I finally hired my friend Mitchell, who gets the commercial-grade barrier material from Nilex, to come in and do it right for me. While you could use a number of materials to make your parking area, using gravel is a cost-effective option that provides you with a structurally sound end product. Also can you find any forums or message boards where people have experimented with both? How to Manifest the Land of Your Dreams Part 2, Neem Leaf for Horses Anti-Parasitic, Natural Wormer, Summer Frolic with The Singing Horse Herd, Exploring with a Wild Mustang No Training No Touching, How to Manifest the Land of Your Dreams Part 1, Wild Oregano Heals Horses Intense Bug Allergy & Itching, Horse Wisdom: Transmuting Patriarchy or Dominance, Meditation Journey with The Herd for Anxiety, Loneliness or Fear, Horse Wisdom: Integrating Spiritual Shifts in the Physical Body, Aligning with Dog Wisdom No More Food Anxiety, Understanding & Listening to Dogs My Approach. These are the best options for driveway surfaces gravel, because they are small stones combined with rock dust, which makes a more solid driving surface. What do you think?I will have gravel drains or hydro blow running across the roads to drain them- Really appreciate your help-. I have lost so much gravel from throwing it out with the manure, I highly suspect well need to put down a load of crusher dust after scraping/grading this year.