Dear Cherry,

We were told to place a combination of sand/pea gravel in our horse's corral. We are trying to reduce mud in this area. What would be your recommendation?

Pattie

Hi Pattie,

I personally use 3/8 minus pea gravel in my horse's individual turn out pens. The gravel is 1" to 1 1/2" deep over the entire pen and 3" to 6" deep in one area to provide a more comfortable surface where the horse lays down. This allows for wonderful drainage during rainy periods and greatly reduces mud. For very muddy or low areas, you might want to put down a 6" layer of road base, which is a mixture of gravel and dirt. Level and tamp this layer and and then apply the pea gravel on top.

I hesitate to use sand in any area where a horse might eat. If you plan to allow your horse to eat in the corral, I'd nix the sand idea due to the possibility of sand colic. You can read about Sand Colic in another article on the Roundup page.

I'd also recommend you read Stablekeeping, A Visual Guide to Safe and Healthy Horsekeeping. It has an entire chapter on designing and maintaining Turn Out Pens, including a section with photos that is specifically devoted to the pea gravel we are talking about!