# How would you fill...



## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

Establishing good drainage is key - layer your fill with larger rocks, gravel, smaller fill rock and finally dirt


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## Ladytrails (Jul 28, 2010)

Establish a drainage, put down rock, agricultural fabric, rock, smaller rock, EquiTerr, and fill with pea gravel. It might be enough just to use the rock and ag fabric, but EquiTerr keeps it from movign around. It's an interlocking system of honeycombed plastic frames that are designed to stay there. Can't be dug up by pawing, will tolerate traffic of heavy equipment, etc. My vet put this down at his gates where his draft horses dug ditches waiting for their feedings....no more ditches. We have it in the stalls...no more holes.


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## CLaPorte432 (Jan 3, 2012)

> Establishing good drainage is key - layer your fill with larger rocks, gravel, smaller fill rock and finally dirt


I agree, but instead of dirt, use sand. (no mud)


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

Looks like you need some serious shovel work to put in a drainage ditch, without that nothing you do will work all that well. After the ditch then built id up as suggested.


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## BooBear (Mar 23, 2012)

Thanks guys. For the record, I don't own the facility in question. Just a boarder who doesn't fancy going for a swim when I have to get my guy out of the pasture. I'm going to start looking into gravel / other costs in my area.


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

Just remember, if you do nothing but put gravel in the mud will swallow it in short order. But then, since you don't actually own the place you also don't want to put to much money in it.

If that gait is wet even in the middle of summer then it was placed over a spring hole. That being the case, talk to the BO about moving the gait because nothing you do will ever dry it out.


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## BooBear (Mar 23, 2012)

Yikes. @[email protected] Never being able to try it out sounds terrible. Unfortunately, I've been trying to get this hole filled for almost 2 years and there hasn't been any action with it. There also isn't really anywhere else for the gate to be moved to.

I take it frogs living in that puddle isn't a good sign? xD


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

Nope, not a good sign at all! Try looking at the bright side, you can get yourself some forg legs for dinner.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

I think I'd look for a place to put up a walk through gate.

That gate is big enough to move equipment through, so for less than 50 bucks you could buy a 36" or 42" walk through gate and put it up in a better place, maybe 50 yards down on higher ground.

Or, in other words, you'll spend more money trying to fix that than to put up a new gate. Leave that one where it is.


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## BooBear (Mar 23, 2012)

Excuse my ignorance, but what is a walk through gate? I'll probably know once I see a picture, I've just never heard of that term.

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/1070/4ic.mp4
^Just to give an idea of the footing I'm dealing with. This video was taken in October, I think. It got worse over the winter and when it dried out again, I broke my foot trying to navigate it (not the puddle, the walk out to the puddle). xD I have the worst luck. *Mute the video if you watch it.* My sound on my camera was broken for years and decided to work on an extremely windy day.


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## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

Since it is not your facility and the facility owner has not been inclined to do the repair, I'd say your options are find another facility or invest in some good, tall rubber boots.


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## BooBear (Mar 23, 2012)

I guess I was hoping that if I magically had the contact info and pricing as to what it would cost to get the area fixed up, my barn owner would suddenly see the light and everything would be hunkydory, even if it was just temporary.

Funny story though, I landed flat on my face when we first started boarding there because it sucked my rubber boot off. xD It was kind of funny until I realized my socks were wet.


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

Walk through gate is just that, wide enough to walk through but not wide enough to drive a car or tractor through. Usually in the 3-4 foot wide range.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

Darrin said:


> Walk through gate is just that, wide enough to walk through but not wide enough to drive a car or tractor through. Usually in the 3-4 foot wide range.


Exactly Darrin, thank you.

Something like this maybe? 

Utility Tube Gate, 50 in. H x 4 ft. L - 3602851 | Tractor Supply Company

A smaller gate such as this one is easy to hang, and would certainly solve your problem.

I've got a couple in my fence line, and only one horse at a time can fit through it, as opposed to a full size 12 foot gate.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Foot stuck in the mud? Here's a tip that works. We all instinctively try to pull the heel up and the suction makes it very difficult. Lift the toes first, then the heel. No suction and the whole foot easily lifts out.


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