When I moved to my current location 3+ years ago I paid for several improvements – one of those was adding gravel screenings inside my loafing shed and around the run off area. The 12 x 12 Loafing Shed was then carpeted with recycled rubber stall mats (from Tractor Supply) to prevent the loss of the footing due to urine, it being scooped up with manure or the natural movement of it by the horse moving it to the outside.

This has worked well except eventually a path of water started traveling down through the middle of the paddock leading up to the loafing shed when it rained. So today more gravel screenings got delivered. I like to put these also under the water tanks and the gates for better footing for my horse but also for me – making it less muddy to close gates in the rainy spring and muddy winter.

It irks me to have my horses in mud when it rains. It irks me a lot and so even though I had to pay for this improvement ($125 on my side; Spotty’s owner paid for her side) to be done it is well worth the cost to me to have my horses walk on fine gravel instead of clogging their hooves up with mud and thrush.

The ponies and horses had a bit of excitement when the fence was down for gravel delivery and spreading and they raced around a bit together. Later, in the afternoon, Grenwinae and I went out to corral up the ponies again behind their electric tape fence so they could safely be off grass.

A bonus was that the landowner did use his tractor and level the hill of my mulch so that is a job that we don’t have to continue using muckbuckets, rakes and shovels! Yay!