Transforming Your Horse Pens: Tackling Mud and Creating a Solid Foundation

Welcome back, budget-minded equestrians! If you’re like me, you know how frustrating it can be to deal with muddy horse pens, especially during rainy seasons. And right now, where I live, it is raining like it never has before. And with all that rain, my horse pens have never looked worse. So let me show you how to prevent muddy horse pens – with nonstop everyday rain, it can be difficult to keep a horse pen or paddock free from mud. Let me show you how you can turn a muddy pig pen into a dry and mud-free pen by creating a solid foundation!

Everything is Greener

My husband made a comment the other day about living in Oregon because of all of the rain. I was personally thinking more of Seattle, but I digress.

And while I have been trying to get reacclimated to being a horse owner again and still trying to get a post or two up on my precious new horses, I have been overwhelmed with all of the rain and mud…

Ugh Mud.

No matter what I do, the mud is there. I can go out every evening, rake and scoop and shovel mud, only to come back out in the morning to yet another muddy mess. It seems to be unending. But the breaking point for me was coming out and seeing my little pony Pumbaa coated in mud up to the middle of his tail and halfway up his legs.

He looked like an ad for the ASPCA. Can’t you just hear Sarah McLachlan in your head right now?

And while Timon’s pen was not quite as bad as Pumbaa’s, it was still bad.

As I said, this was my breaking point. So I decided it was time to fix these pens once and for all.

How to Prevent Muddy Horse Pens

The first step to getting the mud gone for good is to remove it. All of it. If you have a tractor, this will be a lot easier to do. But if you only have a wheelbarrow, it can be done, but it’s going to take a lot more time. And if you are going to tackle a project like this on your own, I would highly recommend renting a tractor, bobcat, or something with a bucket. We love our Kubota tractor. This thing is a workhorse, for sure.

This will not only help with getting the mud out faster, but the bucket helps to spread the rock and new footing for the pens. The longest and most challenging part of this entire process was getting the mud out. The tractor even had a difficult time keeping traction on the saturated ground. But eventually, the pen was free of most of the mud. And then we did the same thing to Timones stall too.

Replacing the Base Layer

With all of the mud gone, the pens were stripped bare. But the ground will still get muddy if we were to leave it like this. And we would be back to square one with the mud. And we thought about adding dirt from our back pasture, but this was saturated with water as well. So if we did that, the mud would come back again. And then, my husband had the genius idea about some rocks that we have.

This rock was originally our driveway when we first moved in. And over the years, it has mixed with dirt. So now it is sort of a gravel dirt mixture. This is perfect for creating the base layer for the pens. We laid this about 3 to 4 inches deep and then went over it with the tractor as well as our riding lawn mower to help to pack it down.

Yeah, there is a little bit of weeds mixed in too. But at this point – I don’t even care. Even like this, the pen is 100% better than it was before. And we continued a little bit of a slope from the stall down the length of the pen. Our goal is to make it easy for the horses to get into their stalls while allowing for any water to run down and hopefully drain as it makes its way down the pen.

The Power of Squeegee Rock

One fantastic option to combat mud and improve the ground’s stability is the strategic use of squeegee rock. Squeegee rock, also known as angular crushed gravel, consists of small rocks with sharp edges. Here’s why it’s a budget-friendly equestrian’s best friend.

This is squeegee rock. I ordered 2 tons – so yeah, this is 2 tons. I was thinking it would be a lot more. I had visions of doing the horse pens, making a walkway, and a driveway….because 2 tons sounds like a lot! But this is it. That’s ok though. It is really affordable. So if we need more, we can always buy more.

How to Prevent Muddy Horse Pens

Let me tell you a little bit more about squeegee rock. This stuff is pretty fantastic, in my opinion.

Excellent Drainage

Squeegee rock allows rainwater to drain away quickly, preventing the formation of muddy puddles. It helps maintain a drier and more comfortable living environment for your horses.

Enhanced Stability

By providing a solid foundation, squeegee rock can help reduce the risk of slips, falls, and injuries for your equine companions. It offers improved traction, especially in high-traffic areas such as feeding spots and water troughs

Cost-Effective Solution

Compared to other ground improvement options, squeegee rock is a more affordable alternative. It strikes a balance between cost and effectiveness, making it ideal for budget-minded equestrians.

Layering the Top Layer

Once we had compacted down the dirt/gravel combination, it was time to add the squeegee.

My husband would grab a bucket full of squeegee and dump it at the top of the pen, closest to the stall. Next, he would use the bucket to drag it down a bit.

And once it was all placed into the pen, it was my turn to use the lawn tractor to compact it down a bit. This was the fun part for me. I’m not the greatest at using the bucket of the tractor. I’m getting better at it, but not proficient. So I let the professional grab the squeegee, and my job was to compact it down.

You can see the tire tracks in the squeegee, right? This is much easier than trying to tamp it down with just my body weight. And once we were all done, it looked great!

Then, we just had to finish Timon’s stall so we could consider this project done. And we had to get a move on because the storm clouds were starting to form, and we knew that the rain would be beginning again soon. Bummer.

How to Prevent Muddy Horse Pens

I guess it was a good thing that it rained again. That way, we got to see if what we had spent all morning working on was truly going to work. I was so nervous while it rained. I kept thinking of all of our hard work washing away. But it didn’t! Everything stayed put!

This is Pumbaa’s pen this morning! You can see all of his little hoofprints as he walked up and down the pen. But he didn’t sink down. There is no mud, no standing water. Oh my goodness, I am so happy about this. No more mud in the pens! And my horses will no longer be coated in mud, looking pitiful and neglected. I promise – they are not neglected!

So just for comparison, let me show you the before and after:

Ok, not the best photo as far as the after. I was too exhausted to get the true beauty shot. But that will be coming once I get the posts repainted and everything looks perfect. But for now, I need to go give a pony a bath to get rid of the mud from his tail and legs and work on my arena. This thing is a mess from all the rain. I’m thinking I need to bring in more sand since it looks like a lot of it has washed away. Grrrrr…

Happy Horsekeeping!