Horse Farms And Muddy High-Traffic Areas

Horse farm and ranch owners displease a few things as much as mud.

As inconvenient as mud is for us, it is for horses too. The difference between you and your horse is that you can do something about this muddy problem. The worst part about mud is that it is present regardless of the season. But that shouldn’t be a step back.

While we certainly can’t control the weather and the chemistry behind soil and water, other viable solutions will help you deal with muddy high-traffic areas. Therefore, stick with us and find out what are the best six tools that will help you solve your problem.

Overseeding

Sometimes, the best tools come from nature itself. Now, of course, I don’t mean to wait for the grass to grow. Unfortunately, you will have to wait for the grass to grow. But in about six months, your mud problem will disappear for many years. The best overseeding grasses Kentucky bluegrass or orchard grass.

If you’re looking for a short-time solution, perennial ryegrass is the solution for you as it’s quite cheap, and it establishes quick and easy. It can survive for about two years but the best part about it is that all you have to do is to put it on top of the ground and let it germinate. Ryegrass may be the best tool for a rather small high-traffic area.

The inconvenience with overseeding is that the paddock will be unavailable for about six months – no crossing allowed. As well, the efficiency of this tool depends on several important factors: seeding time, soil fertility, and seed quality.

High-Traffic Area Pads

Sometimes, no matter how many tools you try, mud will still be a problem because of the relief form. Therefore, your only option will be high-traffic area pads. While this tool isn’t particularly cheap, you should think of it as a one-time investment, because they last for years. According to a top essay writing service review on horse owners’ general problems, claims that area pads are the most efficient tool against mud issues.

The technology behind the pads is pretty simple. They are made of geotextile fabric, which prevents the mud from seeping into the pad. As well, area pads are easy to install and it a quick and very lasting solution for your muddy issue.

Drainage Solutions

Since mud is the result of water plus soil, why not eliminate one element from the equation – no water, no mud. While you can’t control the weather, you can control how the water drains on your high-traffic areas.

Of course, the drainage solutions work only when the mud is not yet a big problem. There are several things you can do for effective drainage. You have to find smart ways for the water to drain around the paddock or use materials like sand to absorb the water.

As well, precipitation management is always a solution. And, concerning the sow, you should come up with a smart idea for pealing it before spring comes to melt it all.

 Renovating

Renovating is also a great tool that will fix your problem. One of the top college essay writers from a reputable company suggests that once an area becomes muddy, all you’ll have to do is to renovate it. The steps are pretty simple. First of all, you’ll have to remove the mud as much as possible. Next, you’ll have to cover the area with a 4 inches layer of crushed stone.

And the last step requires to cover the area with another 4 inches layer of dirty pea stone. Of course, between the ground and first layer and between the stone layers as well, you’ll have to place a geotextile filter fabric to fill in the possible air pockets.

Preventing the Mud

Prevention is probably the best tool out there for mud because prevention means the elimination of the problem. While prevention may be the cheapest tool, implementing it might be a little harder.

Prevention requires a master-plan in the long term that includes a sacrifice are. In certain weather conditions mud is inevitable so that you will need a sacrifice area where mud won’t be a major problem. Your plan must be very balanced in terms of the way you manage the horses and pastures.

Pasture rotation may be a great way of preventing muddy areas. Once an area becomes muddy, it will recover naturally. But you can also combine this tool with overseeding once an area becomes muddy to make it harder to reach this state again.

Consider Hiring a Specialist

I’m more than sure that in the horse’s world, mud was always a problem and that certain persons figured out by now the best solutions. Therefore, if all the tools above are not an option for you, maybe a specialist will have the best solution for you.

As well, if you have friends that are also horse owners, it won’t hurt to ask them how they overcame the mud problem. You can even take a look at specialty magazines for other insights regarding mud.

Conclusion

Mud is extremely inconvenient for both the horse owner and horses. Above, we provided six optimal solutions that can solve your muddy issue. Working with horses should be pleasant and focused on the connection with the animal and mud can ruin your mood.

As well, mud means extra work for you, and no one likes extra work, especially when it’s cleaning up and when there are solutions to fix the problem.

Becky Holton is a journalist and a blogger at essay writing service, Dissertation-today.com. She is interested in education technologies and is always ready to support informative speaking at resume writing services, best dissertation writing services. Follow her on Twitter.