# Gravel Dust stall footing..How to Harden??



## corinowalk (Apr 26, 2010)

get stall mats and lay them over the gravel dust. Its cushion for the horse and makes stalls easier to clean.


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## EquestEquine (Aug 15, 2010)

Thanks for the reply! The only problem is cost 

I LOVE stall mats, better for the horse and way eaiser but unfortunatley they are too expensive for me now. I'm planning on saving up for them in a few months. I guess I'm looking for something in the meantime...


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## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

Add more gravel dust, spray with water then rent a vibrating packing machine type thing and pack it.. It's like concrete but doesn't last very long.

If I were you, I would just pour concrete. Concrete is expensive but believe it or not matts are more expensive. I spent $2100 dollars in stall mats when it would've cost me the same or slightly less in concrete. We put gravel and stone dust down and packed it just like i told you to do and 2 1/2 years later I'm going to have to completely rip all the mats out and relay them because the urine eats away and the edges in the rubber and then horses pawing them up.. I'm going to have to replace 2 mats because they've torn ($80) I wish I would've done concrete to begin with and just use more shavings for padding and urine absorption. You would probably go through slightly more shavings but to me it would be worth it never having to work around stupid stall matts.


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

Equest, 

I completely agree with the first part of Starline's advice. 

I agree with the second part only if you're running a large, commercial boarding establishment. 

If you can allow for a couple of weeks of good weather to leave the barn open, and can truly saturate the gravel dust and allow it to sit, it will harden up nicely, even without the commerical tamper. If you only have a few days, go with the commercial tamper. Stone dust packed down correctly will last for 1 - 2 years with adequate bedding and good, thorough, daily stall mucking for horses that are in 12 - 14 hours. 

Correctly packed stone dust with mats over it will last for longer. If you have horses up for more than 10 - 12 hours per day, you will run into all the problems that Starline describes, and will periodically have to undergo the disgusting task of lifting the mates, shoveling out the urine saturated stone dust and starting over.


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## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

Tamper.. That was the word I was looking for!!

I wanted to add that my barn flooded twice over the last two years and that also did some major damage to the stone dust base, especially since the horses were in. Stall matts are such a huge pain... It will cost me at least $600 for labor to have them pulled out and re-done.


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## corinowalk (Apr 26, 2010)

For the price you would pay to rent a big mechanical tamper...you can get a good old fashioned hand held one! Like this!Shop True Temper 8" x 8" Tamper at Lowes.com

That way, when things start coming a bit loose, just tamp it down. Next year, get another load of crush and tamp it down again. Cheaper and just as easy. The machine will vibrate your brains! LOL


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## ruger (Mar 9, 2009)

presume you are talking about lime? horses should pack it down like concrete quickly if kept damp. works good in dog kennels also. only downside of using it in a pole barn it will rot the post.


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

No, we're not talking about lime.


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## starlinestables (Nov 24, 2008)

There is a difference between crushed limesone, blue stone ect... this is similar but this is just gravel dust with a few pieces of gravel left in it.


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## EquestEquine (Aug 15, 2010)

Thanks again everyone! I gained a lot of info from your posts!

I've decided to spend a weeked leveling and tampering the stalls with water. Then I'll let it "sit" for a week with all of the barn doors and windows open.

I'll actually buy mats for one of the stalls and try it out.

Thanks again,
EquestEquine


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

EquestEquine said:


> Thanks again everyone! I gained a lot of info from your posts!
> 
> I've decided to spend a weeked leveling and tampering the stalls with water. Then I'll let it "sit" for a week with all of the barn doors and windows open.
> 
> ...


I would add lime to it. It hardens when it gets wet. It is commonly used in stalls and it is inexpensive by the truckload


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## EquestEquine (Aug 15, 2010)

But isn't lime really caustic? or whatever?


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

There may be different kinds of lime but it is typically the base of stalls and is reffered to as barn lime. I have used it regularly. I did a search on line but couldn't find the differences.


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