That may be okay for the paddock, but I would also like to use this same area for long lining or other exercise. So I am looking for footing that would be safe for a horse to be on 24/7 during periods when she can't be in the field and that would also be good footing to exercise her in or to serve as a small ring. Any suggestions?
Congratulations on your new place. Grooming a paddock is pretty easy. Bruce uses an ATV and a small harrow. He also has a little wagon he uses when he cleans stalls or moves hay bales or sacks of feed. In Oregon, sand is the common surface in riding rings. I believe there is quiet a science around how to grade the area and apply the sand to keep it draining well. I don't like to feed on sand, however. We have plain old soil and have a man come in annually with a power tiller and work it up. Then we maintain it with the small harrow. There are many ways of managing horses and others will have different opinions, but I don't like to train horses in the same place where they live. This is not to say we don't do some training in the hall of the barn, but I like a separate corral, round pen, paddock for longeing and riding because I think it helps the horse to focus and separate himself from his living space. Goats are a favorite companion animal here as are miniature horses. There's always someone needing to place a horse as a companion animal too, but be careful not to take on any "problem children". Nancy
