Im less concerned with the following years, since I may not even be there. All of the rock based products are close to the same price being within 10 dollars a yard of each other. Particle uniformity refers to the mix of particle sizes within the blend. 4. HOWEVER, now that were heading into 2022, Ive had almost 3 years with the professional job that Mitchell did and the geotextile cloth is coming through. Thank you very much for this information, I am in Colorado, down on the plains, so we dont get a lot of rain, but for sure the snow then the horses runs fall apart. Perhaps just 3/4 minus gravel laid 4 inches deep and 2 inches of crusher dust (1/4 minus) on top would be sufficient?? The most common concern about using crusher dust which is just tiny, crushed gravel is whether it will be too sharp for the hooves. 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. Should I let my horses have one season of muddy feet and wait till summer to do the work? How thick does each layer need to be? Alicia. 1. Its good to know that packing it down like that can make such a difference though, I will definitely keep that in mind. I have been on two rental properties and each time didnt think it was worth doing the geotextile, but even if you only stay 2 years, its worth it. Im concerned that if I use crusher dust or a smaller gravel, it will be easily churned into mud before the winters over. It makes total sense though that it would be slippery when wet/freezing. Ive heard gravel and have been avoiding it, but I am now considering it from your article/blog. I think the punchiness of horses hooves disturbs the gravel so much, that all that needs to happen is for them to punch through to the geotextile in a very small spot and then that quickly enlarges. I know nothing about it, so Im just asking you questions to stimulate your thoughts/research. So I want to lay down some kind of surface footing that will encourage water drainage and help keep my horses hooves drier, so we can avoid thrush and other hoof problems that are common in this rainy climate. So the layers act as a well-draining foundation. I know another one of our readers in Washington had the county pay for her gravel! Place crushed gravel on top of that, running the . Regarding freezing, when it gets below zero, it all freezes. And then the cloth gets moved around by their hooves. 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? Remember that you need to remove all organic matter from the surface of your gravel to ensure it is kept clean and can drain properly. Just before we close, lets talk a bit more about geotextile cloth, which many paddock experts recommend using. If I had known I would need him, I would have had him spend 30-60 minutes removing that topsoil/grass layer first, before spreading the gravel. Many people refer . Thanks for the discussion. They dont lie down in there and only really use it for a shelter. It is abundant, widely available, and inexpensive. A. Rutter Company, a provider of . So you could probably get away with less for each layer and maybe dont even need the 3 rock. BLACK BASALT CRUSHED ROCK (1/2") Decomposed Granite. All Rights Reserved. Decomposed Granite With Stabilizers Ive been researching every option, trying to come up with the best (and economical) course of action, so I apreciate your in depth article. Limestone helps to keep down the smell of urine and feces due to its natural lime properties. It consists of a coarse aggregate base and a finer cover layer. 6. Heres what the 1/4 inch minus crusher dust looks like on the paddock: And heres what the 3/4 inch gravel looks like on the paddock: I figured this would be a really good test to see which gravel held up best under the horses hooves during the rainy season, because I had them side-by-side for direct comparison! Because even if you clear down to hard pan, put a layer of 3 minus rock, then 4 inches of 3/4-inch minus gravel, and 2 inches of 1/4 minus or crusher dust it still sinks! In order to safely use limestone for landscaping, remember these points, and your garden will thrive: 1. And thanks so much for letting all of us know. Thanks for all the valuable info. . Their paddock is 8000 sq feet, so cost is definitely an issue. A local farmer grows willow (hardwood and quick growing) which is not poisonous and originally chipped it for power stations but they had special moisture parameters he could not meet. Same issue of course. A friend of mine who builds roads in the Vancouver area and whose father builds horse arenas told me that you can go down 6 feet and you still wont hit any kind of hard soil or anything that would provide a barrier to your gravel sinking away. But she said she wouldnt use the crusher dust again, since it packs down like cement. French Drain Basics But thanks for sharing as Im sure others on here may love the tip . Heres all the things I did not anticipate, so you can benefit from my learning curve: 1. Well, because of the difficulties cleaning the manure and leaves off it (detailed above) AND the horses will not lie down on the gravel, but they will lie down on the crusher dust. Because the 4 of gravel that was on top, has either been moved around by punchy horse hooves, or been thrown out along with manure that breaks down into tiny particle sizes. We built it on a base of 1" crushed limestone at the recommendation of the builder. I would definitely wait until August and do it then. Thanks again for the very informative article! How Can Animal Communicators NOT be Vegan? I live in Maple Ridge and I am about to attempt this for my two horses on a rental property Thanks Margaret glad it was useful/helpful! I only bring this up because who would ever think that doing the right thing for your horses would be against the law. Ideally, spend some time watching where/how water flows in your paddock area. At my recent place I put down the 3 minus rock first, but only ran the tractor back and forth over it. how essential is the geotextile if you have scraped down a few feet? 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. However, depending on the surface you lay the crusher dust on, it can also mix easily with the mud and be gone by the next rainy season. Young's Sand and Gravel, a landscape supply company located in Ohio, charges $20 a ton for all limestone, except for #8, which can cost $2 more a ton. Approximately 9 cu. 5. The key is to get it deep enough so top layer stays dry but enables urine to work on chip below which in effect exchanges wet for decomposing chip. Very interesting Pippa. 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! What Is Rip Rap Gravel? It will naturally get pushed out to the edges over time anyway. (See my notes about permeable aggregates below. It also lasts far longer than mulch. Or email them to me and Ill upload them:
[email protected] And do you have any pics of the barn you never had to dig out? I have heard that pea gravel is best although it doesnt pack down. 6 inches equals .50 feet. 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? 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. Since I have not prepped the paddock surface and the gravel will be dumped straight on the grass, I decide to order 39 tons of 3/4 inch minus gravel from Fraser Valley Aggregates. Thanks you so much! 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! 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. And yes, that 3 rock is endlessly coming up through the 3/4 minus, and the crusher dust I layered on top! So 6 = .5 feet, or 3 = .25 feet. So they obviously had serious deficiencies (their hooves were pretty bad too and thin tails). Once these thresholds are reached, disease symptoms have a rapid onset. Source: https://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_b/B710/. Post a picture of your horses Id love to see them! I havent used chalk limestone at all. I know several stables that just dump fresh crusher dust on their paddocks every year to replenish the surface because they didnt follow the steps I outlined above, they just dump the crusher right on the earth. And it will drain even less well if its quarried rock rather than crushed drain rock. That is a good idea however I have an intense dislike of the noise of leaf blowers! Let me know how it goes! Lime is spread on lawns that are not growing well to help the soil become more hospitable for grass. The chips are soft and they can lay on them but more often they pee on them. 1. 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? e.g. 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. Again, this article is fantastic! Fortunately, some remedies are transitory, while others are long-term. And I will move them to the field next to it. I asked a phd in geology who has worked a full career in geology. HOW are these plants, actually helping or addressing an imbalance in your soil? Crusher dust is gravel that has been crushed to the size of 1/4 or less. Best article ever- I needed up making it a little simpler and doing geo textile then 6 in granite fines and have no mud in my barn yard- and has a variety of uses including as back fill and ground cover in landscaping. In the middle of the worst rains of winter, the 3/4 inch gravel has the best drainage and keeps the surface drier, even during a full day of rain: On the same day, heres what patches of the 1/4 inch crusher dust look like you can see how the mud and soil underneath has been churned into the crusher dust. 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.