If you’ve ever owned horses, you know that a paddock is invaluable to have on your property. A paddock is basically an enclosed area for horses to move around in without giving them too much free rein or access to grassy pastures.
Paddocks are like holding areas, a place for you to separate a horse from the rest of the herd for one reason or another. Maybe you want to get an aggressive horse away from the herd while you feed them so they can all eat in peace, or you need to separate one of your horses so that it can heal from an injury without interference from other horses.
Some paddocks are out in the open and not connected to anything else, while some are directly connected to a horse stall. Whatever type of paddock your horses need, there’s an ideal way to construct one so that mud doesn’t become a problem.
Paddocks are notoriously muddy and can develop dangerous ruts that pose a risk to your horses. The best way to stabilize a muddy horse paddock is with footing grids, so let’s take a look at the best product for the job and what footing grids can do for your paddock.
Why are Footing Grids the Best Option for Paddocks?
Horse paddock footing made from footing grids are a permanent solution to an everlasting problem. The ground is always going to get wet and muddy and so cheaper options like wood shavings, sawdust, and hog fuel just aren’t going to cut it.
These materials will always get soggy, spread out, and bogged down eventually, so they don’t make for the world’s most effective solution for horse paddock footing materials. Simply put, your horse paddock footing is best made from footing grids because of the sheer durability of this type of footing material.
These grids are often made from highly durable plastic and made to withstand heavy horses walking and running on them constantly without breaking. Not only are they durable, however, but products like TRUEGRID PRO LITE and TRUEGRID PRO PLUS are 98%-permeable and allow all stormwater to pass right through them. This prevents water from muddying up your paddock and nearly eliminates the amount of maintenance required on your horse paddock footing grid.
What Type of Stabilizing Grid is Best for a Horse Paddock?
We recommend TRUEGRID PRO LITE and/or TRUEGRID PRO PLUS for building the most durable and effective horse footing for paddock. These pavers are made from 100%-recycled plastic and trap gravel or soil within their cells to create a level, permeable surface for your horse to use. They are one of the most eco-friendly paving products on the planet and only require an occasional spray down/sweeping to maintain.
The durability of these pavers is nearly unmatched and works great for building something like a horse paddock with lots of heavy animal traffic. TRUEGRID pavers are impervious to temperature swings, UV rays, and drains instantly. They are actually durable enough to handle the weight of an entire monster truck falling on them without breaking, and that’s before they’re even filled with gravel.
When it comes to installation, these pavers can be installed in less than a day in many cases. The excavation process is simple and requires no extra heavy equipment besides a mini-excavator and a heavy roller or vehicle for gravel compression.
First, the site is excavated to a depth of 6 – 8 inches, at which point a piece of fabric is laid at the bottom to prevent gravel migration. Then, gravel is spread for a base of 4 – 6” and compacted before the TRUEGRID (1.8” tall) is snapped into place over the top of the base aggregate like LEGO blocks.
Once the pavers are snapped together, more gravel is poured over the top to infill the empty cells. This anchors them down and prevents them from shifting or moving, even under the weight of huge horses or vehicles.
Loose gravel is completely inappropriate as footing for horse paddock because of how easily it spreads, but stabilized gravel is actually the best option for a number of reasons. If you want to maximize durability, longevity, cleanliness, drainage capabilities, and eco-friendliness, TRUEGRID permeable plastic pavers provide the easiest and most effective route to get there.
TRUEGRID is the Best Solution for Footing in a Horse Paddock
Horse paddock footing maintenance is usually done often and can be quite expensive in some cases, which is all the more reason to implement a more permanent solution that’s guaranteed to cost you far less than more traditional footing options.
Don’t settle for less when it comes to building your horse paddock footing, give your horses the paddock they deserve and contact TRUEGRID today to get in touch with a pavement professional for a free quote.
