Does anyone else have dirt stall flooring? My barn is old (1880) and my horses can run in and out 24/7. The stall is more like a divided corral in the barn than a traditional stall. My problem is the dirt floor. This time of winter it gets so soppy and mucky and gross. I could put down 2 semi loads of pelleted bedding and it would just smoosh into the mud. Then I'd still have a soppy muddy mess to haul out. Rubber mats float. Straw doesn't absorb enough and is really hard to scoop. The floor never stops. If I scrape out the top layer of goop, it is soon saturated and becomes a new layer of goop. I remove the poop twice daily. Are there ANY suggestions for how to improve a dirt floor? Conventional stall mat systems (ie stall skinz) are no good in my case, I have no walls to attach to. Is barn lime safe? Is it the same kind of lime they put on the fields? Anything I can do besides hope for dry baking summer weather?
Posted 2008-02-26 7:55 PM (#78063 - in reply to #78058) Subject: RE: Dirt Stall Floors
Elite Veteran
Posts: 644 Location: Odenville, Alabama
Down here in the south, we call it 8910 crush -n-run road base. It will eventually set up real hard and form a good firm base. Will still drain also. It's used alot for "gravel " driveways. Very fine stuff. Then put your mats on top of that.
Posted 2008-02-27 7:12 AM (#78079 - in reply to #78070) Subject: RE: Dirt Stall Floors
Expert
Posts: 1989 Location: South Central OK
The stall area of my Texas barn is dirt, several inches of sand then the road base mentioned above, packed HARD! Covered by heavy plastic to stop urine. Then topped with very top quality (vulcanized) stall mats and railroad spikes driven into the ground around the front edge to hold them in place. (A shifting stall mat serves no purpose!)
If you can move one 4x6 mat they aren't heavy enough. You really want mats that can stand up to use...I've had my same original mats for coming on 16 years. Get the thickest mats you can afford, here's a link to my brand.
Posted 2008-02-27 3:01 PM (#78130 - in reply to #78058) Subject: RE: Dirt Stall Floors
Veteran
Posts: 150 Location: Farmville, VA
Rock dust is probably the least expensive method of covering a workable surface. I used it for years in my isle way under my mats until I could afford concrete. Call any gravel supplier. It has a few different names; rock dust, gravel dust, blue stone dust, etc. just tell them what your looking for. You may need to (weather permitting) keep them out of the barn to allow for some drying time and removal of saturated dirt. Then add the dust and compact as best you can. We have also added dry quick set concrete to the mixture and dampened it, rolled it, let dry and cover with thick mats then 6 inches of saw dust. The mats are a little expensive, you may be able to just start out with them in the "wetest softest" areas. Them add to them as you can. Good luck!
Posted 2008-02-27 7:50 PM (#78148 - in reply to #78058) Subject: RE: Dirt Stall Floors
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 420 Location: Iowa
We put 6" of "Class A" road stone down. It's pretty fine. Sometimes they call it 3/8's minus rock. You can go to any rock quarry and get some or call your local trucking company. I'll bet they can help you out. We had ours hauled in and then we smoothed it out, put some water on it with a garden hose and ran a vibrator over. I love it. It sets up hard. We bed with wood shavings. No matts.
Posted 2008-02-27 10:03 PM (#78163 - in reply to #78058) Subject: RE: Dirt Stall Floors
Elite Veteran
Posts: 644 Location: Odenville, Alabama
I get a triple axle load (alot) to add to the driveway every 5 years or so, and used this for the stall floors. I believe I paid $365. The price will vary all over the country.
Posted 2008-02-28 11:39 AM (#78204 - in reply to #78058) Subject: RE: Dirt Stall Floors
Member
Posts: 39 Location: Haslet Tx
Had this problem when I built my barn 12 years ago. After heavy rains the water would run into the stalls because of the natural slope of the land and barn placement.(I new this would happen) I put in 6 inches of sand-clay mix to raise the floor above the grade of the land. No water in stalls since then. I let the horses pack it for me then put mats on top. Have not had to add any more sand.
Posted 2008-02-28 5:53 PM (#78249 - in reply to #78151) Subject: RE: Dirt Stall Floors
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 420 Location: Iowa
Originally written by crowleysridgegirl on 2008-02-27 8:24 PM
Originally written by sinful on 2008-02-27 7:50 PM
and ran a vibrator over. . No matts.
I'm not going to ask what it is,but,-???
A vibrator is a gas power stomping machine. It's flat on the bottom. It sort of looks like a funny push lawn mower. Two handles with controls. Any way, it Vibrates real fast and packs in any kind of materials that would require a hard, level surface.Hope this helps. You can Rent them also.
Posted 2008-02-29 12:19 AM (#78285 - in reply to #78058) Subject: RE: Dirt Stall Floors
Expert
Posts: 3853 Location: Vermont
The other point overlooked is the level of the stall floor should be HIGHER than the ground outside the barn...
If there is a major drainage problem...you need to place a FRENCH DRAIN along the sides of the barn to wick moisture away...remember to wrap your french drains in landscape fabric, before you install them, to cut down on dirt transfer into the drainage system...
Posted 2008-02-29 9:36 AM (#78304 - in reply to #78058) Subject: RE: Dirt Stall Floors
Regular
Posts: 91 Location: Hill Country, Texas
Does anyone know what they call this stuff in Texas?? In Indiana we called it limestone...shoveled it in the stalls and packed it with water. makes a great base.
Seems no one in Texas knows what I am talking about. Hubby came home with bags of lime which made a huge dusty mess! Not the right stuff!
Posted 2008-02-29 1:25 PM (#78344 - in reply to #78304) Subject: RE: Dirt Stall Floors
Expert
Posts: 1989 Location: South Central OK
I've used the terms "white rock" or "white driveway gravel." I'm so glad my dirt supplier lives next to the hay pasture, it keeps me from having to know terms like these...
Posted 2008-02-29 2:33 PM (#78351 - in reply to #78058) Subject: RE: Dirt Stall Floors
Elite Veteran
Posts: 824 Location: Kansas
Here in Kansas we call it rock screenings, or rock fines. Sometimes if you can find a road crew working, you can get the chewed up asphalt as they remove old roads. Makes a great driveway base, assume it would do the same for stalls. Did I mention "free"?
Posted 2008-03-09 10:18 AM (#79076 - in reply to #78058) Subject: RE: Dirt Stall Floors
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 316 Location: Illinois
We call it limestone screening here. In your situation I wouldn't use regular rubber mats as, even with them not floating, get slick unless you use a bedding over them. With your run in situation, that would probably not be ideal. I'd say you've got your work cut out for you to remove a certain amount of dirt before adding the limestone screening, at least a half a foot deep, though I would think upwards of a foot deep would be better. Wet it somewhat, pack it down, let it dry before allowing the horses on it.
Dirt Stall Floors
