Simple Math....

[PaintGal]

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That's something I've wanted to do for a year. We also got gravel at the gates so no more sloggin through the mud there either. Of course, we started on the high side and ran out before we got the entire lot done. Looks like another load of gravel is in the future!

I wanted 73s but the guy that delivered said the 73s had been sitting for a while and was about 1/2 water so he brought 53s. There are some pretty big rocks and I was worried Joe would tippy toe across them but it doesn't seem to bother him.

Now I'm wondering what to do inside the barn/lean area. I had the small gravel dumped there when I first finished my remodel which was 3 years ago!



The small rock has pretty much disappeared and there is dust. A LOT OF DUST. I've kept the poop picked up so it is very dry and I used shavings last winter so a lot of that was ground up & in even though I tried to clean the shavings out so they wouldn't make dust.

I usually feed hay outside but I still worry about Joe & the donks breathing all that dust just when they're standing inside. I keep stall mats on part of it, especially under hay bags so when they do get hay inside, they can eat off the mats rather than right on the dusty floor.

Should I dump more rock on top of the dust or try to scrape out what I can? I've thought about washing it down but hesitate to do that for fear it wouldn't dry till next summer if then.

Am I over worrying? [:O]

[Mrs Hook]

I like - no love - your load of gravel. We so need this on the way to the manure pile. Pushing a full wheelbarrow through muddy slime is no fun.

Our indoor will get dusty if I don't keep on top of it. We had a load of mortar sand dumped in it this fall, and that stuff is really powdery fine. After I watered it well, I used water softener salt and spread it, then dragged it in. It takes about 2 weeks for the salt to all dissolve but the ground hasn't been dusty for 4 weeks now. When it starts getting dusty, I take the hose and lightly sprinkle, and it goes back being good again. The salt keeps it from freezing so there are no worries about hard frozen footing.

The downside of using water softener salt - well the kind here anyway - is it is in big pellets. If you could find loose salt that would be better. It would mix and dissolve easily.

[walkinthewalk]

Ahhhhh! Only another horse person would think there is nothing prettier than a load of gravel all smoothed out in the muddiest areas of the barnyard[8D]

That looks to be all under roof in front of the stalls???

If so, I would put mats down. It took us seven years but we finally saved up enough money to put mats in all the stalls AND in open parts of the barn.

I can't tell you how dusty my hay isn't, since putting those mats down. I was hoping mats would help with dust but I had no idea they would be as efficient as they are<----meaning they were well worth the expense, just wait for TSC to put them on sale for a few dollars off[]

[PaintGal]

Ms Hook> Joe & the Donks sometimes spend hours at a time in the barn/lean...whatever it is! Would the salt be a problem for their hooves? It seems like it might cause them to dry out which sometimes might not be bad!

WTW> I'm thinking I'll be investing in more mats.

[Mrs Hook]

Mats would be the very best solution.

Our horses live in our indoor. They go play for a bit and then come back and hang out in there. We have had the indoor for 12 years now and I don't think the salt has affected their feet. If you got the calcium chloride then I think that is a problem, but just plain salt shouldn't be.

I know of other people who use the salt and everyone seems happy with it.