# "Pock Marked" Paddocks



## AllThePrettyHorses (Dec 15, 2010)

I'm sure I'm not the only one-we've got the nasty pock-marked effect in the paddocks from the horses going out on the soft ground and digging hoof marks into the mud. How do you deal with this? The ground is starting to harden now, and I'd really rather not have them out walking and running over that all summer. It's not like we can alternate fields-all the paddocks are in use, and I'm not going to keep them inside for 3 weeks until the ground is hard.


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## Skipsfirstspike (Mar 22, 2010)

Are the paddocks just dirt? At my barn, every spring the BO uses a tractor and grader and smooths it all out.


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## AllThePrettyHorses (Dec 15, 2010)

No, they're grass...well, will be grass when it fully comes in. My dad has a roller thing...for pulling behind the lawn mower. I was wondering if that might work, or if it was too ridiculous an idea.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

The roller will help, yes.

It is a tough time of year.

When the ground is wet and soft it if inevitable that there will be hoof marks made in mass.
That is why so many people have a sacrifice area for this time of year. The horses make a mess of it and the grass pasture areas stay nice. Once things dry a little more the horses are allowed out into the pasture area.

My sacrifice paddocks were a hoof hole mess (and are again after yesterdays rain). Mr. AB took the tractor out and dragged the bucket on the ground to smooth them back out.


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## MHFoundation Quarters (Feb 23, 2011)

Our front pasture is the same way. There is one low spot (about a 3 acre low spot, ugh) that turns into hoof hills very quickly in the spring muck. Once it dries some we usually roll it with a heavy roller or like always behind said drag the skid loader bucket over it & level it out. I keep begging my hubby to have a pond dug there and it wouldn't be an issue....I haven't gotten anywhere on that one lol!


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