>>>> Also--if I want to fence a smaller area near the run-in and use it as a sacrifice pen, what would be the best way to prepare the footing? If I just let the horses lose won't it just turn to mud over the winter?
It's been trial and error for us, and I'm sure it will depend a lot on your temps, rainfall, etc...which are bound to be different from ours in NC. We always have mud in the winter here - there's just no avoiding it. What we do to minimize the mud is to put down loads of "pit gravel" in the most heavily used areas - near the gates, around the water troughs and over their main traffic areas. The problem at first, of course, is that you won't know where the traffic areas are. Pit gravel are a type of small stones available here, mostly with rounded edges, varying in size from sandy to maybe 1/2"-3/4" diameter. We have a layer of these in our smaller paddocks, in the round pen, and as a base layer in the barn, and it works well. I have no idea what kind of gravel are available in your area, but I'd avoid any with sharp edges, or shaped such that they might get stuck in the horse's frogs. If anyone knows a way to prevent mud...short of paving the pastures - please let me know! :) Karen Karen Thomas Wingate, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.15.14/1100 - Release Date: 10/30/2007 6:26 PM
