One word: Mud.

Every winter I dread the coming rain because once it's here my barn turns into a swamp. The whole area around it turns into ankle deep mud and everything and everyone slips and slides through it. Someone told me that regular grass hay is really good for getting rid of mud so, I spread hay all around my barn and guess what! It doesn't work, and I waste three bales of perfectly fine hay. I'm sick of sliping and want to get rid of the mud! Please if anyone knows how to get rid of it I would be extremely grateful! Thanks.

SAND! It has worked wonders for me.

I've been trying to solve that problem for 15 years! Good luck, LOL
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We have the same problem; Ohio is notorious for mud. We're currently getting quotes from a few different contractors to see what the cost would be to put down g10 limestone in the sacrifice pasture.

I learned the hard way, nothing that biodegrades!! No straw, no wood chips (unless they are four or five feet deep), no sawdust. Sand or gravel is the only way to go - and lots and lots of it!!

The stable we board at puts down four inches of course gravel in all the walkways every winter - makes it very nice.

My mud pit is at the top of a small hill. And lucky me it's hard compact clay:O so everything we put on it runs down, Grrrrrr. But the bottom of the hill is nice & solid, haha
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We are dealing with this same thing. I hate spring just because of the mud.

This summer, we are digging down about 2 feet, laying down rocks, probably pee gravel, and then sand over the top. It's going to be a lot of work, but we have dirt ontop of clay. Water doesn't soak into clay incase any of you didn't know that! Grrr!

Trust me, we deal with good ole Georgia Red Clay down in these parts so I feel ya.....the only thing that has worked is sand....and most of the time we have to do what CLaPorte says they will be doing.

I saw a place that uses tons of wood chips. Seems to work well.

Yes. Anything organic will just make it worse in the long run. Sand and gravel work, but you will be doing it forever as it eventually disappears into the mud quagmire. The only real long term solution is to scape it all out and replace it with a good base that drains well....or do what we do and accept the fact that owning horses means that you always have mud, too.