what to use in stall? winter help

I just acquired a old mare after being without horses for 13 yrs. I live in utah now which has way more wet and snow then california. So I am not exactly sure on how to deal with all the muck/mud and I want to be prepared for winter. I have her in a 25x25 ft cattle wire/wood fenced pen. On the low side of our yard (our whole property/street slopes to the south.). And we have that nasty red clay that can just sink you in and not let go (i'v lost many a shoes after the melt). Anyways she tend to hang out and stomp around by the gate her water and feed barrel. I was thinking sand but then I thought sand colic that its not good where they eat and well this is where she eats and actually she eats all over we have high winds on top of the mess so it blows her hay around a bit when she yanks it out her bin, maybe DG or limestone or pea gravel, what should I use? Will/can any of those cause colic? Any other ideas? I am hoping to build her a lean-to or something before winter also but that still isn't going to keep much of a mess away. I need Help with ideas?????

I don't have the same type of soil (I live in black dirt farm country) but we have monsoon type springs sometimes. After winter thaw and tons of rain, we get mud for sure. My lean to in one of the pastures is on a bit lower ground and it can get deep. We re-do footing every few years as it settles. We take the loader and get all of the mush off the top and then dig down a few feet and fill with stone and then backfill with sand over the top. We also do about 20 ft out in front of it as well. As far as the sand & colic, you can use raised hay feeders to eliminate the possibility.

Yes, we add sand, we bag hay and feed metimucil.
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So what about DG or limestone or if I go sand anything in particular I should ask for like course sand or something?

I use the same limestone that I get for my driveway. It gets covered up anyway. When I start seeing rocks, I know it's time for a load of new sand.

I go with whatever is cheapest for that purpose. If you were doing an arena then I'd worry about the grade of the sand.

Another question, would your pasture/lot be close enough to tie into any drainage tile?

Use mats where you're going to feed and on both sides of gates.

No there is no way to put in drainage, draining isn't really the problem since there is a small slope. The problem is going to be the snow melt in the spring that is when everything turns from dirt to mud and I mean thick mud and since we have clay its more like sludge that sinks you in. What about a mix of pea gravel and sand? Would there be less chance of colic if I mixed it? And I had read a article about putting some type of "fabric" down that you get at the home garden stores anybody ever use that?