A good paddock and turnout surface is always a compromise. From the point of view of the horse, it should be extensive, dry but not too dusty, elastic but firm. From the point of view of the owner, on the other hand, the durability, reliable drainage and maintainability play an important role. However you decide, a reliable surface reinforcement is essential here. On the one hand, because particularly high loads occur in a limited area in the paddock, and on the other hand because animals in their natural surroundings tend to uncontrolled movements. On no account undertake reinforcement half-heartedly. A good paddock surface has its price, but it also has its value.

Every horse prefers seminatural and open surroundings. Therefore, your paddock should be planned where possible to be generous, varied and have sufficient alternatives in order to measure up to the natural habitat of a horse.

Particularly with heavy precipitation, it is especially important that the water can run off quickly and the horses can stand on a dry surface. On the one hand, this is to protect the health of the animals, and on the other to ensure the paddock can be maintained.

A paddock is the living area of a horse and should be suitably clean and easy to clean. Alongside the resistance of the footings and grids to ammonia, your surface should be able to bear the load and able to be driven on to enable dung collection with a tractor.

Horse joints are hinge joints. As a result, a surface that prevents rotation movements can harm the horse. An elastic surface, on the other hand, provides the necessary movement stimuli and at the same time provides gentle shock absorption.

The surface in a paddock should be soft and loose and provide comfort for the horse when lying. At the same time, it should also be stable enough and remain anti-slip under heavy loads in order to prevent injury to the animals.

Remove the upper layer of the surface and establish a gradient of 1 – 1.5 % before installing the grids. For particularly loose surfaces, we recommend a construction fleece in addition to support the function of the separating layer. Onto this surface structure you ideally lay a permeable layer of grit or broken stone of 3 – 5 cm.

The demands on the separating layer are particularly high in a paddock. Thanks to its robustness and outstanding drainage functions, the ECORASTER TP40 has proven itself as a quality grid for paddocks. The paddock grid prevents water backing up on the surface even during wet seasons. As the filling material in the ECORASTER does not become compacted due to its stable cellular form, the water flows away unusually quickly. The volumes of the individual chambers provide an ideal store for moisture and thus protect from drying out too quickly.

Depending on the priority, a covering of sand or footings can be provided. A horse always prefers a softer surface, but this naturally increases the cleaning effort for you at the same time. We recommend a compromise, e.g. a light covering with proground footings to provide your horse with the necessary comfort when lying and to make the work and care for the surface easier.