"Muddy Horse" wrote in message
...
Hello -

I've got a problem with the soil outside a stable getting eroded by the
horses.
Originally the concrete ramp in the pictures below was level with the
field,
but 15 years of horses walking through mud has create a large muddy hole
(about 3 metres square). It's difficult for the horses to get in and out
of
the stable. So far, we have the following ideas:

1) Fill the hole in with compacted soil. Presumably this would have to be
repeated every few years.
2) Extend the concrete ramp with more concrete. This might be hard work if
DIYed, and expensive if done professionally. Any ideas on how the ramp
should be constructed?
3) Filling the hole with gravel or similar is not acceptable, because it
would injure the horses' feet.
4) Constructing a ramp from wooden sleepers might work, but slipperiness
would be a problem.

Any comments on these ideas, or better ones?

That ramp looks slippery and steeper than I'd like to have round horses
anyway. However without doing anything about the current ramp, I'd consider
making wide shallow steps using 6-8 inch treated pin logs and back filing
behind them on the ramp side and gradually stepping down till it reaches the
level of the field. The steps should act to slow the soil being eroded
although they will take some soil away with each step if the muddy
conditions continue so ag pipe drains in the steps might also help to remove
some water. The logs would have to be long enough so that you could put
stakes to hold them in place well outside anywhere the horses are likely to
tread (but you'd already figured that out). I'd also be trying to find some
sort of mulching material that could be spread cheaply and readily that
won't stick in their hooves - straw comes to mind but that could get
expensive.