[rottridge]

First, I should introduce myself. I've been a horse lover most of my life, since the age of four when I lived in a housing project with my family and saw them on an old western. I've been riding since the age of twelve, taking lessons paid for with labor, until we could afford to pay with cash. I bought my first horse when I was almost thirty. We bought my first horse property in my mid thirties, and that is where my question comes in.

My title shouldn't really have a question mark, because I know the answer. What I really need is a solution.

My property was recently cleared, if you can call three years ago recent. It was not done well. It wasn't properly graded, and the trees were simply pushed down and the area run over with the dozer. I say this is not sufficient only because I still have places where the horses punch through. Despite having a specific area worked and having sand put down, the area still is not safe. If I am wrong in thinking it should have been graded and worked more thoroughly, feel free to correct me. It's fairly obvious to me that my ignorance has already been a huge problem. It may be that the clay based land is just too unstable. There is a huge runoff problem I've been trying to correct with green planting.

Is there a solution? I am desperate because I've been through the ringer on the horse issue and this is really the last straw. If corrections are feasible, I'll see what I can do to make them. If it turns out I just made a poor choice in buying this land, then I have to make harder decisions. We are not wealthy, so any decision must take into consideration that fact as well.

 

[rottridge]

I'm not looking to hold anyone responsible for the work, actually. What's done is done, especially at this late date.

We did have the land inspected, and the inspector did what he could. The land was not cleared at the time, save for the space the house stood on, and he couldn't know it would need extensive grading and work to support horses. I can't fault him for that at all.

I'm wondering if anyone knows of a solution for the holes. The rest is something I can fix with time. But the instability is a real danger.

 

[rottridge]

To clarify, if it helps at all, the land out back is naturally terraced, with the paddock up highest, sloping at one end to the arena, which dries quickly after a storm, which slopes down to another area. Sounds almost perfect, except the runoff is very, very strong, pulling earth from the paddock and leaving stream beds in the arena. And there are the weak areas where a horse will occasionally punch through unexpectedly. That's why I think it's the fact of the recent tree removal that is the problem, as well as grading issues.

I'm thinking there is no fix save for regrading the entire area. Does anyone know if I am correct? I can't get anyone knowledgeable out here to give an estimate, even! That's another part of the issue.

 

[rottridge]

Weird, because I watched those trees pushed into a pile by the tree line. Now I really can't explain the holes. Maybe the root systems remained? But these were smallish pines, so I would not think it would be that.

There is a very crumbly type of rock found just under the ground around the property. Some flakes off in your hand, and another type shatters to white, flakey crystal when you throw it. Perhaps these are the problem. Sounds like a geologist might be who I need to talk to, lol.

But adding lime sounds like a way to hold the sand, if I ever get the other issue resolved.

 

[rottridge]

I'm in west central GA.

The tiller idea sounds pretty reasonable. I'm also hoping against hope that I can get a good contractor out here. That part can be a little tricky.