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Re: [RC] [RC] MUD!!!!! - Laurie Durgin

I am about 90 miles south of Angie and have the same mud. Cours I have 3 bays and a red dun, so who sees the mud!!!----I may add after my other post about occasionally spraying the mud with bleach solution-- if it has rained about 4 days or so --is I clip the longest hairs around their pasterns and Rascal gets a !" inch buzz on his legs or they hold too much mud.
Funny I notice the thrush more in dry weather too. My theory is the dirt gets packed and stays there with the bacteria, cause I don't clean as much when it is nice- And the rain and mud suck out the dirt, so it's like a scouring process when it is wet.
I do have a ring, that has 'rock dust' or 'screenings" I initially put down 2 truckloads (18 tons) in a 165 X 65. It lasted 3 -4 years. It was high ground and the soil had a fair amount of sand already in it, it had been scraped and graded, so there was no topsoil. I did have to put timbnrs around it to slow it from running off in some areas (we do get like 50 inches of rain I think). This year I wanted to ride this winter. So I cut the ring in half with green poles which I sleeved with plastic plumbing pipe with caps and used 1" nylon electric fence tape. And got one truckload of Rock dust on it. It cost me 285$. I can ride anyday inthe ring without waiting now , I used to have to wait 3 days after a rain--which means it was raining again . He only makes about 1-2" inch 'sinks' in it-So it is pretty firm and drains great.So it is roughly 65 foot diameter. Enough to work, I could do the whole ring, but don't really need it now, the other half is useable 3-4 days after al lot of rain, but when wet, you sink aobut 4".
I also cut a 'swale' around my barn. think putting in a driveway. You have to put 3" rock or better down first, then you can put 1/2-1" If you put down small stuff ,it just melts into the mud. I know, I lost 2 truckloads of small gravel till we put in the big base first. The swale diverts water around the barn , and it was easier to put in , Just kept dragging the ground around the barn with the tractor till it was 18" below the barn, then laid the rock, Took 6 months to pack.
Someone mentioned the conveyor belting, I got some free and cut it up and put in my stalls.Best thing I ever did, as I had ground water in the barn.I actually often dont' put bedding in, as I leave it open for them on rainy days and cold days. If I have to 'lock them in" I do use straw.But it is actually easier to scrape without bedding. And with the bedding they do the litter box thing. They also have a shed, which has a dirt floor,and doesn't get the groundwater.


From: "Dabney Finch" <dabneyesq@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <rides2far@xxxxxxxx>
CC: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [RC]   MUD!!!!!
Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2005 18:41:21 -0800

I just have to tell you, Angie: after fretting now for weeks seeing my horses ankle deep in really gross mud (this is not a sight we usually drought ridden southern californians are accustomed to), and going through horrible guilt over not having installed french drains, or removed 4' of dirt and replaced it with sand, your post on this topic is such a wonderful gift!

The image of those brown socks on the greys--without thrush or white line in their mucky hooves--gives one heart at a time when it's reallly needed (especially since here the rain's slated to continue apparently without end).

Thank you!!

----- Original Message ----- From: <rides2far@xxxxxxxx>
To: <KathyZ1@xxxxxxx>
Cc: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 7:47 PM
Subject: [RC] MUD!!!!!


Yeah, who knew that just a few short weeks ago when I was bragging
about  the  temp and riding in a t-shirt, that I'd soon be whining
about the
weather and riding with a snorkel. >blub<

What goes around comes around. Last month I sent in my article to TB and it's labled MUD! It was horrible here November & Dec. This week? 67 degrees! Eat your heart out! Slept with the windows open last night and it's supposed to be 67 again tomorrow. :-D That's the only problem with AERC requiring rides to be sanctioned so far in advance. When we get a week of this kind of weather we ought to be able to post an e-mailed saying "show up Sat and we'll compete!" and make use of it!:-))

By the way, though I have no French Drains, American Drains, or even
Georgia Drains. We just wade.  I have *never* had a horse get thrush this
time of year. I've actually had 3 that had horrible white-line in the
fall that I was diligently treating till the mud hit and I just gave up
and didn't see their feet till Spring. Guess what? We DROWNED it! Their
feet were perfect come spring. Nope, mine get stuff like white-line &
thrush during the drought in July out in a field (not on manure). Go
figure.

P.S. Mine do have dry places to go, but they wade through the muddy areas
so often that we have gray horses with brown socks for half the year.

Angie

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Replies
Re: [RC] MUD!!!!!, Dabney Finch