What is the Best Mud Management Solution for Horse Farms?
by Debbie Disbrow
In my area, Spring is here! Along with the welcomed warmer days, sunshine and green grass comes the thaw of winter.
Spring showers lead to new growth and… soft ground. In heavily traveled paths, driveways and dirt walkways, mud can become a problem. So what is the best mud management solution? Here are some tips to help you find a solution that prevents slipping and sliding!
Mud-Associated Costs (reactive) vs. Mud Solutions (proactive)
Over the years I have watched the forums for new builds and property updates. Often I see people trying to figure out how to get around their mud issues. Many farmers seasonally, clean ditches and add tile for large parcels. This is needed for proper drainage of large areas. But we all have those smaller areas such as walkways, entrance ways and work areas that are heavily traveled daily which leads to mud. Stuck to your boots, wheel barrels and animals! Mud can become an issue too, for animals that stand in it all day. They need dry areas, just like people, so that fungus and other problems don’t occur. One Vet bill or one hospital trip from a fall is more costly than finding a good solution.
Anyone with hilly areas that have slick or slippery pathways next to fences or along buildings - the mud panels make working so much easier on dry and even ground. Throughout years of working with animal owners, we know that in the spring or rainy seasons, the mud makes it so difficult to do chores or routine tasks. An example of this was a friend that went out to feed her animals and tripped from the large frozen craters that her animals made in the mud. Unfortunately, her ankle was broken and she was without her phone. It took her over 45 minutes to crawl back to the house for help.
Mud Management Panels Mud management panels have engineered to strengthen any soft ground or mud area. These long-lasting panels have been used for years to solve the toughest mud issues for commercial to home use. The panel covers 85 square feet, or 13’ x 6.5’ and 3” in height to offer good coverage. The unique pattern of the panel has 3” tall cells that hold stone screenings and fill dirt. Once filled and covered about 3”s above the cells, you create a drainage system that allows water to recede faster and more efficiently. Easier than filling areas with stone and/or dirt (that later turns back into mud), Mud Management panels keep screenings in place and allows for drainage at the same time!
Environmentally-Friendly Engineering
Each panel is made of flexible high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Because the interconnecting cells are not made of a flexible rigid plastic, they conform to uneven and oddly shaped areas and to sub-base land grades. This allows you to work with existing terrain so you can crown or slope areas for better drainage, thus reducing the time and money spent on subgrade preparation. There's no need to excavate or create a compacted gravel layer underneath! You can install it on steep slopes, around trees, over roots, through shallow ditches, on lumpy ground, and even over any existing muddy ground. Cars, trucks and animals can then use the areas without fighting the mud.
Managing the Mud Solves Many Issues:
●Cuts the cost and labor of adding fill dirt that down the road turns into mud again. ●Allows you to walk, drive or use equipment without getting stuck or having to clean mud from equipment. ●Keeps your animals healthier by standing on dry, cleaner ground. ●Stops damp and wet ground that attracts unwanted flies and insects that can carry diseases. ●Keeps the inside of your buildings cleaner. ●Avoid injury from slippery and wet mud. ●Simple installation without complicated instructions. ●Drier, flatter and easier to walk on paths.
Where to Find Mud Management Solutions?
At Ramm Horse Fencing and Stalls, you can get Mud Management panels sent directly to your home or farm through ground service. With two 13’ by 6.5’ panels per box, you can cover a large amount of ground much easier than installing tile or other costly methods of eliminating mud. Panels can be carried to the location of installation, can be pulled out to size and staked to the ground. Screenings can then be filled over the cells by a 3” height. Remove stakes and you're done. Mud areas will drain faster and be able to be walked or driven on. Mud management works for any area of your home or farm especially where tractors or trucks are driven. Easily shipped in one box to your door, it is a solution for any of your mud problems.
