Management of Mud and Holes
around Gateways and High Density Areas

The fall and spring rains can turn gateways and areas around water bowls into swampy dangerous places. In these areas, the horses hooves sink deep into the topsoil. Ice balls hang from horses' legs and there is an increased incidence of mud fever. The aim is to try to eliminate swampy areas and make it easier and safer for horses, people and tractors to access these areas.

(Photo 1) This mess is created by the hooves penetrating through the topsoil or "heavable" layer. The heavable layer consists of topsoil contaminated with manure and bedding and overlays the deeper subsoil, e.g., clay. It is subjected to constant freezing and thawing cycles, resulting in "heaving" during the spring and fall. This is the time of year when you wish that you had paved an area to put the horses. Since I didn't get all of the fall work completed, I was able to compare a completed area with one which had not yet been touched. The areas were compared using the depth of penetration of horses hooves, as well as the overall suitability of the footing.

(Photo 2) The first area is in front of a hay feeder. The subsoil is a heavy clay with a deep layer of topsoil contaminated with manure and hay from the previous winter's feeding period. In this area, the horses' hooves penetrated down 7 or more inches (Photo 1). The bone-chilling temperatures of the previous night resulted in numerous frozen holes created by the horses' hooves the previous day. The whole area was a myriad of deep holes with frozen chunks of ground (Photo 2), creating a very dangerous and unsuitable footing. In addition, the horses came in the night before with their legs and feet covered in mud and ice balls. If this area was continually used, the horses would soon become injured or require treatment for mud fever.

(Photo 3) The second area is the gateway along the driveway where the horses congregate. To the one side is a heated water bowl. This is a very busy, high-traffic area for horses, people and farm equipment. In the late summer, the topsoil was removed to a depth of 4-8 inches using a tractor and front-end loader. The depth of topsoil to remove will vary depending on your area. The use of a backhoe would allow a more even removal of topsoil. However, often you use what is at hand. The topsoil was replaced with a sand/gravel mixture to a depth of 4 inches. A filter cloth (also known as landscape cloth)was placed over the sand/gravel base, ensuring that the ends and sides were buried. A 3-4-inch layer of sand/gravel was then applied over the filter cloth, again ensuring that the ends and sides were well buried. The 3 inches difference between the two areas was incredible. The horses' hooves only penetrated the sand/gravel layer to the depth of the filter cloth, approximately 3 inches (Photo 3).There were no deep holes and, along the fence, there was a well worn flat track (Photo 4).

Filter Cloth and its Use

Photo 4Filter cloth is also known as landscape cloth or geotextile. It provides a permeable layer for water but resists penetration by horses' hooves, maintaining the integrity of the underlying soil. It is available from local suppliers in various weights (e.g., 3.5-6 oz./sq. yard), thicknesses (15-20 mils.), widths up to 10 or 12 feet and lengths of 100 feet. The thicker, heavier cloths are preferred. The cloth is laid in parallel widths with an overlap of approximately one foot. In high traffic areas, such as gates, the landscape cloth should be placed across the width of the area and extend at least 20 feet into the paddocks. Observation of areas that are currently a problem will provide a guide to the width and length of the area to be developed. The landscape cloth is not affected by ultraviolet light. Weeds, especially twitch grass, can eventually grow through or on it but this does not affect its use in this application. When doing the spring cleanup, be careful not to snag the cloth with the grader blade or front-end loader. In very wet areas, drainage, using a French drain or subsurface tile drain below the landscape cloth, may also be required. It is important that the area is prepared properly, by removing all manure and topsoil. Limestone screens placed over the top of the filter cloth work well but can be more expensive than a sand/gravel mix.

Quick Fixes

If you have a swampy area that you need to use but can't do the landscaping because of the pending winter weather, the following may help. Allow the ground to freeze solid. Then, cover the area with used bedding or old hay or straw to fill in any holes. This will level the ground and maintain the footing in the area until the horses can be moved to a more suitable location. It will also slow the thawing of the area in the spring.

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