Can You Put Pea Gravel in a Horse Corral?

The right flooring is essential in a horse corral, not only for the comfort of the horse but also its health. A horse's legs and feet can be affected greatly by the type of flooring chosen, especially if a horse is not shooed. There are many suitable options for flooring, however, using pea gravel is thought to help a horse develop healthy, hard hooves.

  1. Pea Gravel For Healthy Hooves

    • Dr. Robert Bowker has done many studies indicating that using pea gravel helps increase blood circulation in the horse as it walks and runs on it, almost like a foot massage for the horse. Because pea gravel is malleable, like foam pads, it fills in the voids in a horse's foot where healthy tissues would be. The increase in blood circulation speeds up healing and new cell growth in the area. Dr Bowker reports that pea gravel is especially important in developing healthy, hard hooves in horses that aren't shooed.

    Pea Gravel vs Gravel

    • Pea gravel is rounded, smooth pebbles no bigger than 3/8 inch. It allows for more movement and is more shock absorbent than regular gravel. Regular gravel is bigger and made of sharper, more jagged rocks. It is important to know the difference when choosing pea gravel for a horse corral because if the right gravel is not laid down, it could be unstable footing and cause serious injuries to a horse.

    Keeping Pea Gravel Clean

    • Pea gravel is easy to clean and maintain. Manure can be cleaned away easily with a manure fork and it can be hosed down with water to wash away urine. It also has good drainage and dries quickly.

    Cost and Installation

    • Another advantage of using pea gravel is that it costs much less than concrete. Pea gravel helps minimize soil erosion and costs very little to repair compared to concrete. Installation does not require any heavy or expensive specialty equipment, making installation not only affordable, but easy as well.