If you’ve ever tromped through mud and muck on the way to catch your horse (and perhaps lost a boot in the process), you appreciate the hidden wonders of good drainage. We’re starting this year by completing this long-awaited project that will not only improve surface drainage and create more dry land after rainfall, but will also route all this gathered up goodness into the creek where it belongs! So, if you wondered about those large black pipes stacked on the north side of the Arena Barn around the end of last year—and where they went—the answer is . . . we’ve been working underground!
We’re excited to begin this new year with a project we’ve been talking about almost since we acquired the ranch more than two years ago. In partnership with our neighbors to the west, we’ve arrived at an agreement that has allowed for installing a large drainage pipe underground from roughly our west property line (where the fence stops and the storage unit property begins), running due east, just north of the Lakeview Barn, to tie together all of the underground drainage lines we installed or upgraded last year.
These new pipes connect all of the downspouts to this underground drainage system. We’re also adding new surface drains to the paddocks on the west side of the Arena Barn to help drain that area that tends to hold water following significant rainfall. Drainage may not be sexy, but neither is standing water. We know our 4Hearts Boaders will appreciate the difference, especially as spring rains arrive. From stalls and aisles that were known to “always flood in a big or sustained rain” to the former slippery slopes of our large turnout pastures, we’re expecting dry feet (horse and human!) and happy faces when we discover this big difference later this spring!
On the surface (and this is the fun part coming up next), we will also level and spread the dirt and sand we initially removed from the previous footing in the Barn One arena to create a nice additional outdoor riding area for all 4Hearts borders to enjoy.
Other clean-up projects to brighten this otherwise dreary time of year have included removing the former ranch hand residence between the hay barn and the shavings storage barn due west of barn three. This has not only freed up some extra space, but it has also improved the overall aesthetics and functionality of our beautiful property. We have recently begun cleanup and renovation on the main residence of the property, a multipurpose space now being used by the S.T.E.P.S Equine Therapy program. In addition to all this, we’ve brought in several loads of road base to improve the surfaces of our parking lot and trailer storage area.
We were thrilled to begin this new year with these important projects, and we look forward to enjoying their completion for years to come!
In other words, “Bring it on, rainy seasons! We’re ready for you!”
