The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Pets & Working Animals => Horses, ponies, donkeys & mules => Topic started by: farmvet on June 11, 2015, 11:58:32 pm

Title: sma tarmac
Post by: farmvet on June 11, 2015, 11:58:32 pm
Major resurfacing in the area last week means I am now marooned! All routes from the field now have beautiful new sma tarmac & the horses cant stsnd up.. Has anyone found a solution?






















Title: Re: sma tarmac
Post by: harmony on June 12, 2015, 12:45:04 pm
That's really annoying!


I assume the verges are non existent or unusable. Is going barefoot an option? Or boots, even if you only use them to get off the sma?
Title: Re: sma tarmac
Post by: lord flynn on June 12, 2015, 02:23:13 pm
even when they are barefoot the damn stuff is pretty slippy. They've just done a mile stretch next to us and while I am glad its been done its not easy-if it gets even a touch of frost on it its lethal. I've not tried boots yet.
Title: Re: sma tarmac
Post by: Me on June 12, 2015, 04:08:12 pm
I don't know what sma tarmac is, but if slipping could you put road studs in?
Title: Re: sma tarmac
Post by: Buttermilk on June 24, 2015, 04:38:37 pm
Contact your council and get other horse owners to also do so. Here they covered the sma Tarmac with chippings. The BHS can help you with what to say/do.
Title: Re: sma tarmac
Post by: verdifish on June 24, 2015, 05:34:31 pm
Not sure why sma tarmac should create such an issue ,cobbles must be the most slippery (when wet) surface going and most horses deal with it fine . In winter when icey just ask your farrier to put road nails in using them as rivets jn the shoe but not going into the hoof capsule !
Title: Re: sma tarmac
Post by: lord flynn on June 24, 2015, 05:54:14 pm
Quote from: verdifish on June 24, 2015, 05:34:31 pm
Not sure why sma tarmac should create such an issue ,cobbles must be the most slippery (when wet) surface going and most horses deal with it fine . In winter when icey just ask your farrier to put road nails in using them as rivets jn the shoe but not going into the hoof capsule !


SMA is worse than cobbles IMO-my last yard was cobbled and never had any problems as cobbles are not flat. Unlike SMA, which is a negative surface and is lethal. Luckily our stretch is now covered in cow and sheep shite and is better. My youngster has lost confidence in it though. 
Title: Re: sma tarmac
Post by: Kimbo on June 24, 2015, 06:09:58 pm
Boots?
My sadly deceased Holsteiner had the worst feet in the world so we had to stop shoeing him so he wore Boa boots all round for 3 years. I liked them, on the whole, but they are advertised as non-slip.... not so. They are OK'ish on slippy surfaces but no better than shoes in my experience.
So some form of stud might be your only option.
How very annoying
Title: Re: sma tarmac
Post by: lord flynn on June 24, 2015, 08:45:57 pm
Boas always had a rep for being slippy on grass etc


I'll be trying some back countries on the SMA soon so will report back.Unfortunately the verges, such as they are, tend to be very deep so not great.