Olympic Square All Purpose w/ Single Piping
$25.95
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Give Mud The Boot
Produced by the Maryland Department of Agriculture
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Mud can be a big problem wherever animals congregate, especially around gates, water troughs, barn entrances, and feeding pads. If mud in these areas is making you and your horses miserable, "heavy use pads" are an easy and somewhat inexpensive fix.
The main components of a heavy use pad-stone and geotextile fabric-allow water to slowly drain away without mixing with the soil. They are simple to install if you have a front loading tractor and can do simple excavation work. If not, you might want to hire someone with the necessary equipment.
Don't skimp on the size of the pad. If you're installing one around a trough, make it at least the length of one horse on each accessible side of the trough.
To give your pad the best chance of working, first divert any runoff, such as from barn, shed and house downspouts, so it moves around, not through, the area. Downspout extenders, gravel trenches and low berms are two easy ways to reroute water. Contact your Soil Conservation District for advice on safely rerouting runoff.
Constructing a Heavy Use Pad- Excavate area to a depth of 8 to 12 inches.
- Level site.
- Install landscape fabric. If the fabric isn't wide enough, overlap edges by at least 12 inches.
- Put down 6 inches of #2 stone, which is about 2 1/2 inches in size.
- Compact stone with a roller or by driving over the pad with a tractor.
- Install 3 inches of CR6 or CR8 stone. (CR6 ranges in size from dust to 3/4 inches wide. CR8 is smaller.)
- Top with a minimum of 4 inches of blue stone dust or wood chips.
- Compact and level stone.
- Inspect regularly and repair as needed.
Material Costs for a 10-Foot by 10-Foot Heavy Use Pad
Material requirements:- 10 feet x 10 feet = 100 square feet
- #2 stone, 6 inches deep = 3.75 tons
- CR6 or CR8 stone, 3 inches deep = 1.875 tons
- bluestone dust, 4 inches deep = 2 tons
Cost Estimate:- Fabric = $ 55
- #2 stone = $ 94
- CR6 stone = $ 48
- bluestone dust = $ 50
- Total = $ 247
For more information on heavy use pads and other soil conservation and water protection practices, contact your local Soil Conservation District. Phone numbers can be found in the local government section of the phone book.
Produced by the Maryland Department of Agriculture's Office of Resource Conservation.
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