# Wood chips in paddock?



## sierrams1123

i would worry more about them stabbing the horses feet and causing infections


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## TKButtermilk

Agreed. When she said that I was like whaaaa? But I promised I'd research thoroughly before entirely knocking the idea. I've heard of people using it along the edges of paddocks to help blind horses recognize where fences are, so they can't be entirely evil.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Cruiser

I use mulch and wood chips from the power company for my paddocks because we pretty much live in a bog. The mulch is long shredded strips of bark, I've never had a horse get a bruise or sore in the three years I've used it. I pick out all the long or large pieces (over 4 inchs or so), and take a heavy magnet over it multiple times to make sure no metal has worked its way in. It is either wood chips and mulch or 6 to 10 inches of mud, and the mud does more damage long run. I think in some places don't they use wood products as footing for arenas?


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## Crossover

One place I boarded used wood chips at the front of the paddocks to help keep the horses out a a bog when it rained. Horses never had any issues but the wood chips only work if you pack them deep and then add more on a regular basis. I talked them into getting small gravel (it was the next size up from pea gravel I think). I just placed it at the gate and in front of my horses shelter. It worked so well they did it to all their paddocks.

Now that I have my own place I have gravel in front of all the gates and the shelter. Kentucky gets some seriously slippery grab a hold of you mud. 

But if you have the wood chips there and available I think using them would be fine.


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## CLaPorte432

What kind of trees are they? I've always been told that cherry shavings are super bad for horse's hooves as they eat away at them? So if they are cherry trees (which I doubt they are) I would not do it.


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## Cruiser

Locust, cherry, walnut and yew trees are all highly poisonous causing founder or colic and all kinds of nasty stuff. Maple leaves are as well for a month or so after they wilt. Cedar is highly drying (shavings), and aren`t good to be used as a only source for bedding. 

The ones I use are pine, spruce, maybe a little apple, and oak if the branches were from someones yard. I use them instead of rocks because my horse is only temporarily here and once she is moved within a year or two they want the grass to grow back and be mow able.


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## caseymyhorserocks

Putting wood chips for preventing mud will just make it worse. They will decompose in the rain and turn into dirt and then mud, simply making MORE mud in the pasture. I know people who say it is great and use it.. But you are simply making MORE mud! Same with straw, shavings, etc, basically anything that decomposes and sits outside and isn't cleaned out when gets wet.


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## RitzieAnn

It will be great "for now", and maybe even for next winter too, but for heavily trafficed (or soaked) areas, anything organic is a bad idea. We had to scrape out a lot of mud/old woodchips and dump in 2 loads of sand. We need to do it again this year to remove some that we missed right in front of the enterance to the shed, but even still it's made a huge difference in the depth of mud. We went from mud that literally would suck your boot off your foot, to mud that's only about 4 inches deep at its wors.

The wood will soak up some of the water, which will make the area drier, but that also makes it brake down. So, it's good for now, and will help a lot, but it's most definately a short term fix. If you need some time until you can get a better fix for the mud, then go for it.


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## PaintHorseMares

caseymyhorserocks said:


> Putting wood chips for preventing mud will just make it worse. They will decompose in the rain and turn into dirt and then mud, simply making MORE mud in the pasture. I know people who say it is great and use it.. But you are simply making MORE mud! Same with straw, shavings, etc, basically anything that decomposes and sits outside and isn't cleaned out when gets wet.


I agree. It does help muddy places for a bit, but _anything_ organic will just wind up holding _more_ moisture and keeping it wet. The only long term solution to mud is better drainage.


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## SarahAnn

I always use wood chips in out muddy paddocks during mud season here. It works great, and I have never had an issue. It's only muddy here for about 6 weeks in the spring when the snow is melting and running down off the foothills. So they don't mold or decompose or any of that. They dry up and are fine. But it definitely helps especially because part of my property is on the side of a mountain, so it can get really wet and nasty. Wood chips solve the problem for us.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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