Question
I have a 4 acre parkland garden and recently succumbed to having 3 horses who have had to spend time using this area. There are now large areas of mud and lumpy areas where they have had a lovely time runnning around and jumping!! We have had so much rain and it is very muddy. I laid rubber matting with holes on the walkway areas but the mud has just come through the holes. We will soon have a paddock ready, how can I restore my parkland area? There are divets and droppings in places although we have tried to collect them up as we go - boy can horses make a mess especially in the bad weather we have had this winter. I am very grateful for any help it is a gently sloping site and much worse near the gate areas. Thank you in anticipation. Tessa x

Answer
Tessa -

You may want to seek a second opinion, considering I am not knowledgeable about horses and animal care. My only suggestion is that you may want to check into turf grass as a solution. I know that some variety of these grasses are safe for horses to eat. These grasses are also more tolerant of animal waste.

However, with as much foot traffic as your horses cause, I cannot promise that any grass will stay green, fresh, lush, and healthy. Also, an over exposure of waste may eventually have a negative impact.

As I said, grass may not be the best solution for you, especially with your animals. My apologies for not being able to help out more.

Best of luck,

Steve S.