Improving Horse Pasture Management: Renovating High Traffic Areas

Horses need to have regular exercise throughout the year.  Renovated high traffic areas can be effective ways to provide exercise without excessive mud or ice problems without ruining pastures that can be used for quality grazing.  A portion of the high traffic area in a paddock near the barn was renovated using the methods developed for the UVM Ellen A. Hardacre Equine Facility.  Layers of geotextile sandwich 2 ½ - inch diameter gravel.  The top layer of geotextile was covered with “dirty” pea stone, creating a stable area to promote water infiltration and decrease runoff and erosion.  See the invoice for costs.

Presentations from VT's 2008 Everything Equine Tradeshow
A step-by-step walk through of the high-traffic area renovation at Enniskerry Farm (PDF file--5 MB)
Managing pasture for horses with limited acreage and budgets, presented by Dr. Rachel Gilker (Powerpoint file--8.7 MB)

Additional Resources
Across the Fence: Managing Horse Pasture to Save Land and Reduce Costs (streaming video)
Order publications from UVM Extension's Equine program, including Greener Pastures.

Feel free to contact us with any questions: Dr. Rachel Gilker: rgilker@uvm.edu, Dr. Betsy Greene: betsy.greene@uvm.edu

Last modified June 23 2009 03:03 PM