And it will drain even less well if its quarried rock rather than crushed drain rock. 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! Ground always shifts. . And next year, I had to spend another $2K to spread 3/4-inch minus gravel on top. More Miracles in the Singing Horse Matrix, Christmas & New Year 2021 Message from Singing Horse Herd, LTYH Podcast: Non-Verbal Observation & Acknowledgment, Connect Deeper with the Singing Horse Herd, Horse Wisdom: Who Are You, REALLY? Like you mentioned, it has blunted edges and wont compact as well as a 1/4 minus quarried rock. 2. Particle uniformity refers to the mix of particle sizes within the blend. Too much depth doesnt matter so much indoors and I had a barn I never had to dig out. The whole idea of having a gravel or crusher dust top layer is to prevent wet organic matter (soil, grass, hay, leaves, manure etc.) Per its name, crushed stone is created by taking larger pieces of stone or rock and crushing it into smaller. In hindsight, even if I could not afford to remove the topsoil and lay down the proper layers first, I should have dumped 3/4 inch minus gravel directly on the grass (at least 3 inches) and then dumped 1/4 inch minus crusher dust directly on top of the gravel (at least 2 inches deep). Use geotextile for enhanced filtration and erosion control when constructing the arena base. Regarding freezing, when it gets below zero, it all freezes. 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. Are wood chips the same thing that we call hog fuel or bark mulch here?? Also be sure and check out our French Drain post as that worked brilliantly and may replace your trench: https://listentoyourhorse.com/paddock-mud-or-flood-problems-install-a-french-drain/. Before we get into the materials we use for a hot tub base we need to first. And be sure and check out this post too as you may need it: https://www.listentoyourhorse.com/adventures-in-culvert-drainage-for-my-horse-paddock/. It needs to be deep enough that the rock compacts and locks together so one layer (of 3 rock) is not enough. 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). Pea gravel is so good for their feet. So yes, it will work in this climate (I tried it) but it will only work for one winter. 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. (See my notes about permeable aggregates below. So interesting! Next, on top of the 3 rock, spread another 5 inch deep layer of 3/4 inch minus gravel (sometimes called Road Base). While similar to gravel in its size and texture, limestone offers a larger variety of colors to choose from and is extremely durable. Im also going to tell you about the things Ive tried that didnt work so well for me. I think for small, enclosed spaces like that, sand and/or rubber mats would be better because the horse needs to lie down on it. Let the adventure begin. Congrats though and how exciting! I have been considering french drains as well. parts of the Pacific Northwest and the U.K., is that there is no hard compacted soil, or shale, or rock beneath the topsoil! Grades of limestone aggregate include: 2- to 3-inch Limestone - primarily a construction grade of Limestone. Thanks so much for sharing your methods and experience. Neither of these materials work well alone. I tried sharp sand one year on top of hardstanding but it doesnt rot down and just gets dirty and heavy to shift. The one thing you notice when youre trying to price out gravel or crusher dust, is that pricing tends to be in cubic yards. and I love the photos!!!! START. That cost me $840 including delivery. 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. Angular crushed rock is what we recommend for use with Lighthoof mud management panels. 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. Lime is derived from limestone and is used in agriculture and gardening to balance the acidity level of soil. If your area has hard clay soil, it may support the pea gravel on its own. The other stuff is too loose and just moves out of the way like pea gravel. It packs decently but also isnt as sharp edged so it gets used in beach areas where there will be plenty of bare feet. by. 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? Mix the Soil-Cement. If I could add some thoughts based on my experience working in the sand-and-gravel business: One thing I noticed is that the 1/4 minus you initially used is a crushed drain rock rather than a quarried rock. Like Hoffmans? What do you think about compacting the existing soil, laying down the fabric, and installing the Merchant solution over top? Ok so Ive spent some time thinking about this, but I dont think youre gonna like my answer! So if your paddock usually turns into 5 inches of mud, then use 5 inches of footing. 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. Im going to pick his oh-so-experienced brain and see if he knows anything we dont already know or has some tips or tweaks that make a world of difference. Ive also had a few that you had to be careful even with thumb pressure because that was enough to poke a hole through the sole.). I have already tried to scrape down a few layers last year and dig a trench through the center of their paddock but it hasnt worked as i didnt grade the area well enough.. Gravel is bound to have runoff, so your installation of a French drain was a great idea. This is a boarding facility so all my expense. The discussion seems to be wide ranging and I would appreciate your thoughts. So true! It does require maintenance but is sustainable. We built it on a base of 1" crushed limestone at the recommendation of the builder. Id love to see it in person. I am in the UK. Material Price Sheet 2016 Stone is sold per ton, Dirt is sold per yard, Minimum 16 Yard/Ton, Delivery Included No material is kept in inventory, Delivery from commercial mining and stockpile yards at discount. 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. I havent tried draingrids or mudgrids myself, so I cant comment on them. So instead of implementing what I know would be a great solution, instead, Im trying to figure out the most cost-effective way of making sure my horses dont get thrush and can maintain healthy hooves through this years wet, rainy Winter and Spring. Post some before/after pics for us if you can You can upload them right here. When they lie down, they go to the higher ground. Thats a relief. 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. However, you cant just use 1/4 inch minus with smooth edges, or 3/8 inch minus smooth gravel with no dust as then the gravel will not pack down well. I live in Ireland where we have a wet mild climate. Well, keep me posted if you can and let me know what happens! So the amount of rainfall was certainly unusual. Your email address will not be published. The best way to fix a muddy driveway is with TRUEGRID permeable pavers. The other important thing with gravel, is that it requires regular grading/maintenance. Hey Paul, if your fine gravel locks together (i.e. All of the rock based products are close to the same price being within 10 dollars a yard of each other. I read it for research in preparation to write a blog post about a horse farm that uses 1/4 minus for their horse arena and event venue. It certainly looks ideal for walking paths, Ill be interested to hear how it stands up to your horses hooves. A smaller driveway may only require a budget of $300 to $350, while a longer and larger driveway may require up to $60,000 in budget. Contact Us, How to Fix a Muddy Yard (Prevent Water Build-Up Tips). After just completing yet another experiment, I would say the Geotextile is non-negotiable!! But, if its drier and they do lie down in there, then yes, a really small, smooth pea gravel or sand would be WAY more comfy for them. $ 30 - Crushed Concrete Base (Base layer of new driveways, binds w dirt) $ 32 - Crushed Concrete 610 (Mix of 1 rock down [] Okay, now that you know what to do Im going to tell you about all the options available and what other people say. 2. Same issue of course. Have to be careful, Ive seen a smaller piece (at another barn) of chip get wedged up hard in between the bar and frog. I will say, that year was the worst for rain weve had in a decade or so tons of houses had their basements flooded for the first time ever. So, how do you fix and dry up a wet yard? 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. Which is 1/4 minus crushed gravel with the fines (rock dust). I would still do the Nilex barrier cloth as the bottom layer though, and clear down to hardpan. In the table below you will find the average prices for crushed stone . Do not just go buy geo-textile cloth from your local nursery or hardware store (tried that, doesnt work!). This concentrates it where the horses will actually be standing/walking. If you look at horse stables/properties all over the UK that is what they do. part of doing a crushed stone base to to dig up the grass and top soil and dig down . Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. In the summer. He also uses a roller/compactor to really compress and lock the rock together into a nice firm surface that is not disturbed by punchy horse hooves. to see prices and products. I asked a phd in geology who has worked a full career in geology. 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.. Occasionally if on slope older spent chips need shoveling up but they can go on ground, gardens, hardcore roads. Since I am not a millionaire, and Im weighing in on what direction to go, the gravel layers actually seems pretty affordable with less maintenance. 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. 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. So youre not looking at any wear from weather elements, just urine and hooves. This is where we can choose to support our horses in a wholistic manner. I think your climate is a lot drier though and you get snow/ice most of the winter, right? 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. Crushed stone, a mixture of stone dust and stone of various sizes, packs together nicely. What can I use as a surface layer that will pack down fairly hard and not get cut up by hooves? 1. We have a rescue donkey and rescue OTTB that love to roll in mud but after 4 days of rain, its too much mud! It will all look normal. You may also be able to get away with just doing 3/4 minus and then 1/4 crusher dust if your subsoil (hardpan) is hard and not too deep. 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. ft. ($53.81 /case) $5.07 Save 20% ( 139) Model# GDRCOBRG Merola Tile Coppa Brown Gold 12 in. So I would rather rake and sweep. If the hay does get on it, it isnt like sand for colic concerns that Ive ever heard of. I heard the local racetrack likes to use it, but they are also grooming the track daily. 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? Place crushed gravel on top of that, running the . An easy way to tell the difference is that crushed drain rock is usually variegated (the grains will have multiple colors) while a quarried rock will mostly consist of the same color hue. You may always install. Mud creates mud. Yes three walls and an open stall doors to the outside. Fantastic information Pippa thanks so much for letting us know! It also drains well and is easy to hose down. This size rock resembles lemons or grapefruits and provides a firm base for the driveway. 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. We have tons of experience in residential, commercial and industrial applications . When you say horse rooms Im assuming you mean stalls or stables? 5 inches equals .417 feet You can also examine the crusher dust and see which suppliers contains the least amount of dust. You could possibly place a third layer of 1/4 minus (what we call trail mix gravel) on top of the permeable layers. The chips are soft and they can lay on them but more often they pee on them. Thx, Kimberly, Hi Kimberly see points #4,5,6 in the first section: Create a Dry Paddock in even the Rainiest Climate. But that is the law. Hi Pat, if you just laid the gravel, but no geotextile cloth underneath, youll get one good winter out of it, possibly two. If you had a docile herd of 2-3 horses you would likely be just fine. If the supplier charges by the yard, then the costs can be about $27 . Nevertheless, if its working well for you, then its always good to have options . 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. yd. 6 inches equals .50 feet. Gravel or 5 ml washed sand. She said most of the time you can find sheep herdsmen to give you the fleece for free. I really appreciated this article. Ah glad you found it Lawrence! He suggests you lay down 5-6 inches of a 3-inch minus rock layer first, to provide that hard layer and then put your gravel on top of that, or you will just have to dump the same amount of gravel every year, year after year, because it just keeps sinking. This system still involves some heavy work but it is sustainable. A couple years ago I had a 40 acre place with a separate 4-stall, 3-sided tractor shed about 150 yards from the house. There are a couple of ways to create a pea gravel patio: using the bare ground as a base or over a base layer of crushed stone. Its good to know that packing it down like that can make such a difference though, I will definitely keep that in mind. Best to get new woodchips and not from a poisonous tree and without any greenery. You now need to compact your paddock surface use a tamping/compacting machine and water the gravel between tamping to make sure it compacts down well. Rain on your crusher dust quickly takes care of this problem though. It is abundant, widely available, and inexpensive. What is Gravel? Great info Donna thanks so much for sharing your knowledge! I hear what youre saying though and why it would work well. The other way to look at the weed issue is from a soil ecology perspective. If you have hard ground underneath, you may be able to get away with 2-3 layers of gravel: Bottom: Large roadbase (3 minus) Gravel/Crushed Rock fills approximately 1/3 cu. The two layers lock together and when compacted, created a smooth surface for turf to be laid on top of. 4 inches equals .33 feet Your email address will not be published. A muddy backyard in a small property can be solved with ease by covering the mud with concrete. With my crew, I need to add a layer of fresh 1/4 minus every Fall. These methods quickly dry up the yard, allowing you to operate on it with a . Lime is spread on lawns that are not growing well to help the soil become more hospitable for grass. It can be used for special build driveways for example on muddy roads, but for normal driveways we recommend #57 size, which .