Slippery Red Clay-Help

[moodygirl]

I have a fenced in pen for my 2 horses outside their stall. My problem now that they have ate the grass down and when it rains that clay is so slick. I was worried about my horses falling but I am the one falling on my can all the time. No place is completely level, there is always a slope making it worse. What can I put down for traction? These horses have no shoes. Gravel worries me. What about wood chips? Any ideas? They have another area to graze but when I have to shut them up this is where they have to go.

[toddww936]

If your going to put something down and you have the money for it this will be a one time fix is pea gravel it wont hurt your horses feet and will stand on top of the clay without washing away to bad. wood chip are liable to mash down in the mud and just make a bigger mess.

[Candice_17]

Straw can be a good temporary fix. Sometimes you can find old stuff in someone's loft for free. Other than that, good luck, it won't be a cheap fix I don't think. Let us know what you come up with.

[mart]

See if you can find someone with an old round bale from last year !! And split it between the two pens !! It will help make it less slick but will eventually rot and improve the soil !!

[moodygirl]

I was wondering about pea gravel. That's good to know. I'll check the price. Maybe at income tax return time. Coming up with old hay or straw might not be too hard. I had thought of that but then I thought about the Jewish slaves making bricks with straw and mud and was unsure what I'd end up with in the pen. Thanks for the good ideas, I'll let you know how it turns out.

[mart]

In small pieces it probably would make bricks if dried in the sun, but not with horses walking on it !! I had it in my corral last year with no problems !!

[moodygirl]

Originally Posted by mart

In small pieces it probably would make bricks if dried in the sun, but not with horses walking on it !! I had it in my corral last year with no problems !!

Well I thought it might get like a brick but I didn't know if it would end up as good footing. See what happens when you spend too much time alone out in the country? After reading the responses I remembered where there is a little pile of pea gravel. I just got in from shoveling the gravel in buckets and spreading it by hand on the worst spots. I need to do some more tomorrow. I think it is going to work. We'll see when it rains again. Thank God, one less thing to worry about. It's real estate tax show down here. Anybody else out there sweating it?

[mart]

Hope you have a homestead exemption !! It helps !! Oh I don`t know,,, I kind of like the boonies !!! Although its not too desolate here !! We are on a county road that some think is the Daytona Speedway !! I wish more would move away from my area !!