Sound Horsekeeping: Winter Paddocks

Solve mud problems and protect pastures by creating a winter paddock for your horses. In this video you'll learn the essential steps in building a paddock, choosing the right site, sizing it for your horses and keeping it dry.
This 6-minute video features farm planner, Brett de Vries and engineer, Kelly Cahill from the Snohomish Conservation District.

[@sisterchristian4983]

Wonderful video! Thank you!

[@ListenToYourHorse]

How many inches of gravel do you lay on top of the geotextile cloth?

[@BelindaTN]

We have this crushed gravel on our driveway and it does pack down very well. But, it also will stick into bare feet and it will stick into the soles of your shoes and treads. The crushed gravel is sharp and that is how it locks into each other. Given how it grinds into many of our shoes and boot soles, I have to wonder if will do the same on hooves. I know horse hooves are tougher than some shoe soles, but it is very common for sand and gravel to work into the white line area, frog and other cracks. As well as get between the shoe and the hoof.

[@flyingsnailstreasures]

I'd personally recommend having a layer of bluestone or stone dust on top; will make the surface more comfortable for their hooves and still allow water to infiltrate.

[@surfgal77]

Could you add a layer of sand on top of it? To keep the stones away from hoofes and horseshoes?

[@tbweapons]

Is crushed limestone ok?

[@SnohomishCD]

Hi T- Bo,
I asked our Farm Planner, who runs the Sound Horsekeeping program, and this was his reply. I hope this helps.
From Michael Hipp:
"No, I would not recommend it, because, unlike gravel, the limestone will break down and what is left will be like a soup when wet. The limestone is best put on the pasture to raise the pH, not in the paddocks."