Need dust/footing advice for my roundpen

[MInx]

Good Morning,

OK first of all, being semi handicapped I spend a LOT of time browsing and dreaming on sale pages.Hoping perhaps next Spring to find that perfect trained Buckskin driving mare.! Or gelding. Had a friend looking for his first mini so loooked a lot,and did buy one last week.

While browsing I can't get over for the life of me how someone can ask #1000,3000,5000 for a horse and don't want to pay the $5-$10 to include a picture! Always says "email for pictures"..well then you have the whole cenerio of "what were you looking for etc? Sometimes it takes that visual connection to make that phone call and I don't want to mislead anyone by asking for pictures by email..and not buying.

Do they lose THAT much money paying for a picture ad? I know I've sold things on this sale board, Ebay, Flyers etc and it's the pictures that encourage that first inquiry, NOT a typed description..JMO

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEXT...we need advice on our little training area Carl cut out of the woods. What a job that guy did! It's 60 feet round. Taking out trees, chopping out stumps and roots, and up to 4 hrs daily dragging and dragging to try to level it all out! We won't even need any panels as the trees surrounding it are like walls:

Our problem is the dirt is like gray talcum powder! We can't use it like that as it's like clouds in the air and we're afraid of creating resporitary problems for both Carl and horses...

so whats the best for putting on top. mind you we don't have a fortune hence all the work he does alone. But we can afford a dump load of say clean sand? We want good traction for footing but want to keep the dust down to a normal amount..don't have water out there..any ideas? Maybe some day we can find a used water tank sprayer to use with our refurbished 1952 Allis Chalmers tractor (a beauty)

Sorry so long, decided to consolodate

Maxine

 

[ChrystalPaths]

Do you have a sawmill near you? I have used sawdust. Wets down nice, packs well, you can add to it annually. I hate sand, too dusty. Even rough barks chips will lay well.

Oh, as for the pic thing in an ad? I agree. If I can't afford to do the pic I don't expect to get a big $ tag. All my ads have pics not matter the price. Like you, I love "looking". It is how I got my dear Halley. really could'nt afford to buy but with an email and trade and another trade 3 people were VERY happy with their horses. Halley is my darlin girl.

 

[MInx]

Thanks for the reply, will try the sawdust thing..do you think they "sour" and retain the moisture? Just wondering about fungus on their feet.

Also I want to ad, I didn't mean to be rude or judgemental re the ads..but I've bought two in last year and our friend bought one and I wouldn't have done it with out the pictures. Maxine

 

[wildoak]

I have washed river sand in my round pen and I love it. It doesn't pack down, and it doesn't puddle badly - I can work horses right after a hard rain. It's a little more expensive than the other sands but we have added to it gradually, a load here and there till it's the right depth. My arena has a mixture of sand and shavings/stall bedding over many years, and has worked well too. It's a much bigger area and would have been a killer to do all in good sand.

I agree with the picture thing too - I rarely respond to an ad where I can't at least go to a website and see pictures. That said though, I have been guilty of not putting pictures in lately. It's not the $5, I've had issues lately with adding pics to my webpage and transferring them to an ad. Just too many irons in the fire and not enough time to solve the problem, bad excuse but it's the best one I have.

I have lots of pictures on file though that can be emailed immediately with no obligation.

Jan

 

[ChrystalPaths]

Well, Maxine, I have been doing it for 6 yrs. If and "when" they decide to gallop and tear it up is black like rich dirt. I rake it down and every week put more out. I take the poop out and throw it away but pee sawdust is always recycled as footing. I'd be very happy to take some pics of it for you.

My farrier is Linda Best from NH better known to ya'll as "Fred". She has been pretty happy with my kids feet. No thrush as there isn't any mud where they loaf and eat hay, This last time she came for trims was about 3 wks ago and their hooves were "too hard" and suggested I "make" a mud hole. Isn't that funny! I did it as I love my farrier

and she is super with my kids. My kids eat their hay on it Maxine. No one has ever gotten sick. JMHO but I hope it helps you out some.

As for the selling/pictures....I have never been curious enough to inquire on an ad that didn't have a pic regardless of the price. Just color me weird but that's me. The horse ad has to say "hey look at me!". Only a photo can do that! BUT..I did remember an ad that was written like a personal ad and I loved it!

Are you looking for a new child to love?

 

[MInx]

Well, Maxine, I have been doing it for 6 yrs. If and "when" they decide to gallop and tear it up is black like rich dirt.  I rake it down and every week put more out.  I take the poop out and throw it away but pee sawdust is always recycled as footing.  I'd be very happy to take some pics of it for you. 
  My farrier is Linda Best from NH better known to ya'll as "Fred".  She has been pretty happy with my kids feet.  No thrush as there isn't any mud where they loaf and eat hay,  This last time she came for trims was about 3 wks ago and their hooves were "too hard" and suggested I "make" a mud hole.  Isn't that funny!  I did it as I love my farrier

  and she is super with my kids.  My kids eat their hay on it Maxine.  No one has ever gotten sick.  JMHO but I hope it helps you out some.

As for the selling/pictures....I have never been curious enough to inquire on an ad that didn't have a pic regardless of the price.  Just color me weird but that's me.  The horse ad has to say "hey look at me!".  Only a photo can do that!  BUT..I did remember an ad that was written like a personal ad and I loved it!

Are you looking for a new child to love?

473262[/snapback]

​

 

[MInx]

Gee I sure would like the pictures! Sounds like a neat idea..thanks! Maxine

Well, Maxine, I have been doing it for 6 yrs. If and "when" they decide to gallop and tear it up is black like rich dirt.  I rake it down and every week put more out.  I take the poop out and throw it away but pee sawdust is always recycled as footing.  I'd be very happy to take some pics of it for you. 
  My farrier is Linda Best from NH better known to ya'll as "Fred".  She has been pretty happy with my kids feet.  No thrush as there isn't any mud where they loaf and eat hay,  This last time she came for trims was about 3 wks ago and their hooves were "too hard" and suggested I "make" a mud hole.  Isn't that funny!  I did it as I love my farrier

  and she is super with my kids.  My kids eat their hay on it Maxine.  No one has ever gotten sick.  JMHO but I hope it helps you out some.

As for the selling/pictures....I have never been curious enough to inquire on an ad that didn't have a pic regardless of the price.  Just color me weird but that's me.  The horse ad has to say "hey look at me!".  Only a photo can do that!  BUT..I did remember an ad that was written like a personal ad and I loved it!

Are you looking for a new child to love?

473262[/snapback]

​

 

[ChrystalPaths]

Ok Maxine, I rained all day Monday, yesterday I couldn't get them downloaded to Photobucket...SO...I'm trying again.

Here is a link first? Maybe that will work?

http://albums.ourpictures.com/Images?id=264153-wmwwplus

Let's see if it works.

There ya go!

Kinda small but I hope you can see how it is.Shain took a screwdriver and pushed it down to the hard ground. It is 20" in some places and 8" in others but it does drain great, is very soft and as it breaks down to dirt underneath, I just keep adding more. I've done this for 6 yrs so far. Hope it helps somewhat.

Local Amish mills charge $8 for a full sized pick up/ $4 for a little one like mine, course you have to load it yourself unless you can get lucky like I did.

it's so cute and with my neck and back well worth the extra $$. My mill charges me $5 for a truckload. I pull in and 3 small boys come charging out with shovels in hand and have that truck loaded to the cap top in under 5 mins. Each one gets a dollar.

 

[RAPfrosty]

The stable I use to ride at a few years ago had whats called Nike Airfoot in it's rings. It was great, no dust, because it's made from old shoes! It looks nice and lasts a long time. However, I'm not sure about the cost, but I'm sure if you search it on Google you'll find it. Good luck!

 

[Cathy_H]

When we had our round pen in the pasture we would put the used bedding in it. Didn't really have enough at times though...................... We now have our working area where we use to have our hot walker. We had a huge load of sand brought in & it works great. It does get dusty though but not a problem because it is close to the water hose & we just sprinkle it down a bit as needed...................................................................... Wanted to agree on the ads. If a person does not have a source from which to pull a picture for the sale board I understand.... For those that we know have a website that do not bother to put a picture with the ad I would not bother with either.................. If a person is running an ad in general to get the viewer to their website then that is another matter.

 

[MInx]

Thanks everyone..will try the sawdust thing if I can find just pine sawdust and not hardwood..also will add used bedding free of horse exhaust

Will post pictures when it's dome. Maxine

 

[ChrystalPaths]

Maxine, my sawdust is usually maple. I love it as it doesn't get very dusty. once in a while I have to put up with cherry (which I hate) or hickory. As long as it isn't walnut any sawdust will do. And I get the circular sawdust not band mill sawdust.