Options for Quick-Fix Mud-Free Horse Turnouts

Shared Features of All-Weather Surfaces for Equines

Companion articles in this series on All-weather Paddock Design offered the rationale for providing mud-free, environmentally friendly turnout for horses (Part 1: Mud-Free Turnouts for Horses ) and recommendations for details of construction of one of these heavy-use areas (Part 2: Construction of Equine All-Weather Surfaces for Mud-Free Management ). General maintenance of an all-weather paddock is provided in Part 1. This article, Part 3, offers a few simple paddock constructions that provide temporary relief from muddy paddocks but are not ideal long-term solutions.

Five all-weather paddock construction methods are offered in this article. Option 1 is the widely recommended, long-lasting design featured in Part 2 of this series. The other four options are alternative, simpler constructions that typically require more maintenance and sometimes limit management of the confined equine. Cautions with each approach are offered. For example, any installation that has a rough final surface may need to be topped by a cushioning, finer material for hoof comfort. A top surface of loose inorganic material offers "sand colic" hazard when ingested, therefore, necessitating a protective mat in feeding areas or managed with no feeding in the turnout.

The costs for the options vary greatly depending upon the availability of material and labor costs in your area, but typically, the recommended construction will have a higher upfront cost. Accounting for additional labor and materials for upkeep of the less durable options will eventually negate any upfront cost savings of the simpler constructions.

Each of these constructions start with excavating and preparing a sub-base subsurface layer that has been stripped of vegetation, stones, and organic matter like plants and manure. The depth of excavation depends on the option selected, but is typically 8 to 12 inches (20-30 cm) deep. The subsurface is then graded to a slope or crown to aid drainage and is highly compacted for stability and to resist water absorption.

If compaction equipment is not available, the subsurface sub-base must already be solid or allowed to settle and stabilize before layers of material are added on top. This is the "prepared" sub-base subsurface noted in each of the all-weather paddock options. Time to naturally settle disturbed subsoil can range from two months under ideal moisture-soil conditions to years of wait time! The point is that a loose or soupy subsurface will not support the addition of material on top. One adage in the construction trade goes something like this: "Adding a bucket of gravel to a bucket of mud simply results in a bigger bucket of mud." One starting point for estimating the amount of gravel to stabilize a muddy area is about a five-to-one ratio of gravel-to-mud volume to displace enough mud to give the new surface any hope of success. The following options for all-weather paddocks all require a stabilized, or at least somewhat compacted, subsurface sub-base.

Options for All-Weather Turnout Construction

Option 1: The Gold Standard.
This recommended construction costs slightly more than the alternative options (Options 2 to 5) and is described in detail throughout Part 2 of this series of articles. It will last the longest and is most suitable for the horse. Start with a geotextile fabric on a prepared subsurface graded for drainage and highly compacted. Then apply a 6-inch minimum (15 cm) depth base layer of well-graded, compacted, medium-fine gravel. Finish with a top layer of loose footing material. This multi-layer, highly compacted installation, when properly constructed and maintained, should last about 15 years. This durable construction resists holes and pathways that lead to soggy areas. Particularly when topped by an organic footing material (such as ground bark or wood chips), horses can be fed within this all-weather turnout construction.

Option 2: Gravel and Wood Chips.
When no equipment is available to highly compact the base layer material, other options are available. One option is to apply a 6-inch depth of 3/4 to 1-1/2 inch (15 cm depth of 2-4 cm) gravel on a prepared, graded subsurface about 8 inches (10 cm) deep. Then add two inches (5 cm) of wood chips on top (see cushion materials section).  The wood chips will work down into the gravel and start to break down to cushion the coarse gravel roughness. Add additional woodchips in a few weeks.

Option 3: Wood Chips Only.
If you plan to use only woodchips, apply a 6-inch (15 cm) deep layer over the prepared, graded subsurface. But be aware that wood chips will degrade over a season into a mud-like material and likely mix with the underlying soil. Partial replacement of mud and soft spots will be needed seasonally, and maintenance is expected annually.  Therefore, this is not a long-term option. Horses may be fed in this all-weather turnout that has an organic surface.

Option 4: Gravel and Sand.
Another option when compaction equipment is not available is to place a 6-inch (15 cm) layer of 3/8 to 3/4-inch (1-2 cm) gravel on a prepared, graded subsurface topped by 4 inches (10 cm) of coarse sand (or pea stone). Some sand will work down into the coarse gravel. Likewise, eventually some of the gravel will likely move up into the sand layer, so you will need to watch for hoof bruising or sore feet.  This gravel-sand assembly works well in an area with a slight slope where lighter, organic top layer material is more prone to wash away. Do not feed horses during confinement in this turnout construction unless rubber mats are placed under the feeders.

Option 5: Sand Only.
The simplest construction is to apply coarse sand directly on a graded, prepared subsurface. You must have good natural site drainage to use this method.  Sand will need to be replaced every other year when the turnout begins to get muddy.  Keep the depth of the sand approximately 4 inches (10 cm).  If the sand is deeper, then injuries are possible from reduced traction and stress on tendons.  Do not feed horses during confinement in this turnout construction unless rubber mats are placed under the feeders.

Geotextile Suitability

Geotextile fabric is similar to landscape fabric and is described in detail in Part 2. Sometimes geotextiles are used to separate layers of the construction, preventing soil from mixing with other layers and forming mud. Be aware that installation of a geotextile fabric to separate loose (uncompacted) layers is not recommended since it will likely be compromised by horse hoof action. Horses that dig or roll or fuss around gates will eventually remove enough loose footing material to catch the geotextile and pull it out into an uneven mess. A geotextile may provide separation of uncompacted materials (along with its other benefits) in a travel access lane where horses are controlled from digging. Note that a geotextile material is included within the recommended all-weather paddock construction (Option 1) since the highly compacted base layer keeps horses from digging through to the geotextile.

Suitable Cushion Materials for All-Weather Surfaces

One criterion for consideration is whether the cushion-layer material is safe for the horse to consume, since small quantities may be ingested by the horse during exploration or feeding from the surface. Avoid materials that may contain nails (ground wood pallets) or sharp wood (coarse ground products) to avoid puncture wounds. Avoid wood products that could contain black walnut to avoid poisoning (mixed hardwood byproducts in a region with walnut tree harvest). It is important to note that organic material like wood absorbs water, and when mixed with manure, over time may return the paddock to a muddy state.

Some owners choose to include a thin organic "cushion layer" to soften an exposed gravel surface layer when horses need to traverse the surface, for example, along an access lane. Successful cushion materials include sawdust, composted wood chips, and aged (composted) stall waste, although similar inexpensive, locally available organic materials are suitable.

Conclusions

Muddy paddocks are an eyesore, an environmental hazard, and a horse/human health risk. They can be permanently alleviated by properly installing an all-weather paddock and maintaining it as needed. All-weather pads can be installed under an entire dry lot, or just under major problem areas. While the "gold standard" construction is intended to last 15 years or more, it can be expensive to install on a large scale. There are some shortcuts that can be taken to save money on construction, although they come with trade-offs such as more frequent maintenance and shorter lifespans.

Acknowledgement

This article benefited from a list of recommendations developed several years ago by the Pennsylvania Small-Scale Livestock Work Group, which included members from county conservation districts and commissions, Penn State University, county planning commissioners, and an environmental protection agency.

Many thanks to our article’s peer reviewer, Dr. Danielle Smarsh (Equine Extension Specialist, Assistant Professor Animal Science, Penn State University), for suggestions that improved this article.

Additional Resources

Mud-Free Turnouts for Horses - All-Weather Paddock Design: Part 1 of 3. Eileen Fabian (Wheeler) and Laura Kenny. Penn State Extension.

Construction of Equine All-Weather Surfaces for Mud-Free Management - All-Weather  Paddock Design: Part 2 of 3. Eileen Fabian (Wheeler) and Laura Kenny. Penn State Extension.

Heavy Use Area. Natural Resources Conservation Service 561. [A national Standard on heavy use area construction for animal use the basis of which led to many of the recommendations included in this series of articles.]

High Traffic Area Pads for Horses. University of Kentucky Extension Service. [Similar information to that offered in this series of articles along with photos of horse all-weather surface construction]

Equine Greener Pastures. University of Vermont Extension. [A step-by-step example of how these pads were installed in gate areas at the University of Vermont in 2005.]

Using All-Weather Geotextile Lanes and Pads. 1999. K. Janni. T. Funk, and B. Holmes. MWPS AED 45. MidWest Plan Service. Ames Iowa. [Authored by agricultural engineers experienced with construction of all-weather installations at livestock farms, this bulletin contains more construction detail.]

Recommended Publications for Horse Farm Design & Construction. Fabian (Wheeler), E. Agricultural and Biological Engineering. Penn State Extension. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.