Tricks to keeping down the mud?

[Wait4It..boom]

Looking for some inexpensive ideas to keep down the mud by the barn (mostly under the overhang). It's the lowest spot of my farm and when the gullywasher rains come, water pools up by the barn. You have to walk through thick mud to take the horses in and out of their stalls and get in/out of the tackroom. I've got a couple of rubber mats in some of the areas. It seems to help, but the water will shift the mats around a bit, still leaving gaps where mud creeps through. I've heard of putting old carpet under the mats to keep the mud from seeping through the carpet and mats. Anyone else have this issue? How did you solve it without breaking the bank?

(I said pour concrete or get large concrete slabs but hubbie says it has to be level, otherwise horses would break the concrete over time, etc. So he shot that idea down already)

 

[Baja28]

Dig holes about 4 feet deep and fill with gravel. Water will drain to the holes.

 

[happyappygirl]

You can use asphalt millings, that is cheaper than stone and drains quite well.

 

[ArkRescue]

In the past we tried:

Mulch - just held moisture longer
Gravel - eventually sunk into the mud (unless you use massive amounts of it)
Topsoil - added to raise ground level - worked GREAT !!!!

We used the tractor to dig up topsoil from another area to deposit into the shallow area - yes depending on how large the mud area is, this can be a major effort, BUT once the ground in the mud area is higher than the surrounding ground, the water will roll away from the higher ground and you won't have that mud issue. You can evan add rubber mats to the higher ground area to further inhibit the area from getting wet.

 

[Wait4It..boom]

Thanks everyone! We tried gravel under the mats, but it too has just been swallowed by the mud. Hubbie wondered if building up the area with topsoil would work (I was tempted last year to buy sandbags - I was desperate when all the snow started melting and flooding the tackroom and stalls!).
We've got a sump pump out there now to move as much water away from the middle of the barn as possible. it dumps it out behind the arena.

 

[highnote]

I agree with ark and baja. I think the best approach is a three-part plan. Start with baja's idea (basically making a "drywell"- they make you do this with new construction nowadays). Then after you have your drywells, use topsoil to raise the lay of the land so water won't pool there. Once you've done that, top with asphalt millings so the topsoil won't wash away. If you Pm me I can give you the # of a cheap supplier for millings.

 

[Wait4It..boom]

Would I still need drywells though if I'm raising it and potentially redirecting the water anyway?

 

[fredsaid2]

Would I still need drywells though if I'm raising it and potentially redirecting the water anyway?

Wouldn't dry wells, especially in the path of water run off, just fill w/ water then overflow unless you used a pump to keep the water level down?

Raising the level of the area you want to keep dry and cutting ditches to redirect the water worked for me.

 

[Robin]

Is the mud under the mats in the stalls?

Dig out the mud

put a good foundation of pea gravel or stone couple inches stone dust packed 3-4 inches
mats on top.

good drainage for your base

gutters on the barn

 

[appendixqh]

Is the mud under the mats in the stalls?

Dig out the mud

put a good foundation of pea gravel or stone couple inches stone dust packed 3-4 inches
mats on top.

good drainage for your base

gutters on the barn

I agree with Robin, she has some great ideas. Additionally, we have used crushed concrete in all the run outs, low areas, and high traffic areas, and it has worked great. It packs down like cement (we tractor out the run-ins and it is like hitting concrete when you scrape down to the base) and is fantastic... but you must scrape the mud out first then put this in. It is about 375 a truckload, and you can do a LOT with 1 truckload.

 

[highnote]

Wouldn't dry wells, especially in the path of water run off, just fill w/ water then overflow unless you used a pump to keep the water level down?

No, not if they are done correctly. Drywells are made to be used WITHOUT a pump. The gravel helps them drain (its not like digging a hole into clay and leaving it there).

Whether you get asphalt millings, crushed concrete, etc... make sure you get DOUBLE GROUND. The cheap stuff (single ground) has big chunks that horses will not be able to walk on, and it does not pack as well. Horses can walk on the double ground (it is finer).

 

[horse_hugger]

I agree with Robin, she has some great ideas. Additionally, we have used crushed concrete in all the run outs, low areas, and high traffic areas, and it has worked great. It packs down like cement (we tractor out the run-ins and it is like hitting concrete when you scrape down to the base) and is fantastic... but you must scrape the mud out first then put this in. It is about 375 a truckload, and you can do a LOT with 1 truckload.

I also agree - I would only add one more thing. Once you've dug out the soil, put landscape fabric (or carpet remnants) down on the bottom before you put down the stone. It will spread the weight that is placed on the stone from horses walking over it and prevent all your hard work from sinking down into the ground and disappearing over time. The expensive way to do it is here: http://www.mda.state.md.us/pdf/mud07.pdf