Figuring Out Footings for Horse Paddocks
Part 2 of a 3 part series
by Alayne Blickle, Horses for Clean Water

Last month we introduced the idea of using some sort of footing material in winter paddocks, confinement areas, and high traffic areas such as gates or watering points. Footing material builds up an area to keep your horse or animal up out of the mud. Use of footing will decrease erosion and mud and allow for better drainage. This month we'll cover different grades of hogfuel as well as gravel and gravel products. In the last of the series we'll cover what size footing to buy and how deep to spread it.

Freebies!
There are several free sources of hogfuel - power and phone companies often trim the trees under their lines, as do tree trimming services. These companies all need places to dump their trimmings. You can either call them and get on their waiting list, or if you spot a truck in your neighborhood, stop and talk with them. These companies are often very anxious to have a free, easy place to dump their load of chips.

If you decide to get tree trimmings for your horse paddocks you need to be very cautious about a few things. First, find out what types of trees are in the trimmings: many types of non-native trees are toxic to horses, especially those of the landscaping variety. Also, be sure your horse doesn't eat the molding green material in the chips. If you think your horse might be inclined to "browse" try getting the chips during the winter months when there aren't as many greens. Either that, or perhaps the best use for tree trimming is to use them on "non-horse" areas such as walkways, outside gates or as landscaping mulch.

Another possible free source is from developments. Keep your eyes open for any construction going on near you where they might be grinding stumps to dispose of them instead of burning. These places might be willing to give away the chipped wood for free or for a reasonable price, particularly in the summer months when burn bans are on. They may even be willing to load your pick-up. Just stop in and talk to them!

Choosing hogfuel
If you are going to buy hogfuel, be sure to go and look at it first as there is now a great variety in what constitutes as hogfuel. Check on the size, material (type of trees) and look for foreign objects. Be very cautious of hogfuel made from lumber, building materials or mill ends as this may contain metal, nails or other foreign (and sharp) objects. Some companies will go through the material with a very powerful industrial magnet, which can remove any metal objects. The size of the wood chunks can vary greatly as well. Too small a product will decompose before the end of the winter -- too large and that will make it hard to pick up manure. If it's really large it may be dangerous for the horse as well. The wood pieces should be soft and not splintery or stake-like. Hogfuel around the Northwest is usually made from a combination of cedar or fir and sometimes hemlock -- any of these are fine. Cedar will last longer because of its natural ability to repel insects and it also has a pleasant scent. However, it may hold a bit more moisture than other types of wood. A very small percentage of horses may be allergic (skin sensitivity) to cedar. To test this beforehand try a bag of cedar shavings as bedding for a week or so to see how your horse does.

Gravel
Gravel, or crushed rock, is another good footing choice to consider. Gravel is especially useful in the highest traffic areas such as in front of stalls, gates and watering points. It won't break down like hogfuel does and it drains well. Gravel is roughly two to three times as expensive as hogfuel, but done correctly you shouldn't have to replace it every year.

You can usually purchase crushed rock in two ways - minus or washed. Getting gravel with the minus in it means that you are getting the fines and small pieces. Washed means that all the fines have been washed out and the gravel is of one size. Therefore, if you get 5/8 inch minus crushed rock, that means you are getting rock sized anyplace from 5/8 of an inch big all the way down to sand-sized pieces. If you got 5/8 inch washed, it the material would all be 5/8 of an inch particles and there should be no fines.

Other gravel products
Different gravel products may be available in your area and may be quite useful for horse farms - a trip to your local gravel companies may be in order to see what they offer. Talk to them to find out what products they recommend for use as footing in horse paddocks. See what other horse folks are using. Different products are available in different areas and may be known under different names. Gravel products like pit run, granolithic and others may mean one thing in one part of the country, but mean something completely different in another.

Another traditional footing that used to be very common for horse farms is sand. Sand is less popular now as it has some down sides. Sand drains very poorly (a drawback for wet climates) and is quite dusty in the dry season - a huge drawback for hot or windy climates. Sand also tends to migrate, a downside for farms with any kind of topography or slope. Also, there can be a health risk for horses fed on sand - horses fed on sandy surfaces can ingest sand particles which can lead to sand colic, a very serious digestive disorder. On the plus side, sand has been used as a footing in horse paddocks for many, many years and a host of horse owners swear by it. It is very easy to pick up the manure from it and horses LOVE to roll in it. If you are considering sand as a footing look for coarse, washed sand products and be sure NOT to feed your horse on the ground or sandy surfaces.

Stay tuned next month as we conclude this series on footing for horse paddocks by discussing how deep to get your footings and where to go to purchase these products.

Until next time, good horsekeeping to you.

Alayne Renee Blickle, a life-long equestrian, farm owner and reining competitor, is the creator/director of Horses for Clean Water. Contact Alayne by email at ARBlickle@aol.com or visit the HCW website at http://www.horsesforcleanwater.com.

Join HCW this fall at the following FREE Events:

KING COUNTY:
Free Classes for Livestock Owners - This fall join the King Conservation District for four FREE workshops on livestock management practices. Learn techniques that will help turn your farm into a more useable place for you, your animals and the environment -- less mud, better pastures & great ways to manage manure! North King County, WA - date & place TBD. For registration or more details call the King Conservation District at 206-764-3410 ext. 120.
Cougars, Coyotes & Bears, Oh My! Living With Predators in the Rural Areas. Maple Valley, WA. FREE! November date & place TBA. To register & receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 206-764-3410, ext. 125 or Roseanne.Campagna@kingcd.org.

WHATCOM COUNTY:
Horse Farm Management Classes - Wednesdays, October 22nd to November 12th. Learn techniques to reduce mud, manage manure, make pastures more productive and more! Ferndale, WA FREE! Whatcom Conservation District, 360-354-2035 x 3.

JEFFERSON COUNTY:
Horse Farm Management Workshops - Saturdays, October 25th & November 8th. Learn techniques to reduce mud, manage manure, and make pastures more productive. Jefferson County, WA. FREE!! 360-385-4105 or roselyn-taylor@wa.nacdnet.org.

SAN JUAN ISLANDS:
Horse Farm Management Workshops - Saturday & Sunday, November 15th & 16th. Pasture, Manure & Mud Management Workshops. San Juan Islands, WA FREE!! 360-378-6621 or heatherh@rockisland.com.