These Solutions Help Resolve and Prevent Drainage Problems
Whether you’re dealing with summer storms or melting snow in the winter, drainage issues can be a real challenge for your horse barn. Left unchecked, drainage issues can lead to flooding, the erosion of your stall and aisle base, damage to your barn structure, excessive mud in your pastures and on your property, and other problems. Fortunately, there are several ways to address drainage issues around your horse barn.
Grade Your Property
Grading your property can help you direct water away from your barn’s foundation. To be effective, you usually want to establish at least a 5% grade running away from your barn’s foundation.
How you create that slope will depend on your current property’s layout. Observe the area after a heavy rain to identify where water pools most. Then, look for ways to grade the property away from those low points. You can use a laser level to determine the current slope better.
To create the grade, you may need to remove and add soil. Consider enlisting the help of a professional landscaper if you need to make significant changes to your property. While grading the property is an excellent first step, it’s usually most effective when paired with additional drainage correction efforts, like installing gutters and French drains.
Want to create the perfect Stall Floor? Our Flooring 101 guide covers everything from site prep to comfort.
Install and Position Gutters
If your drainage issues result from water pooling around your barn’s foundation, installing gutters can help you channel and direct water away. 
It’s recommended to buy the heaviest-duty, most durable gutters you can find, especially if your barn is in a climate where you receive heavy snow loads and lots of precipitation. Investing in top-quality gutters now can help you avoid having to replace them for years.
In addition to quality gutters, consider how you’ll maintain them. Left exposed, gutters need to be cleaned at least several times a year as dirt and debris build up. 
That buildup can cause water backup and ice dams, and water can run down the side of your barn, possibly causing further damage. Cleaning gutters on your barn can be a big job, so make sure you’re prepared for the maintenance, or you opt for a gutter guard system to keep debris from accumulating. Here, you can explore different types of gutter guards to determine the best choices for you.
When you install the gutters, think about where you want to direct the water. You may need to invest in gutter extensions and channels to carry water a significant distance away from your barn.
Install French Drains
French drains can help channel large volumes of water away from a problem area, like your barn foundation or a low-lying area in a paddock. These underground drains feature a trench filled with gravel, as well as a perforated pipe. The pipe is gently sloped, so water flows to an exit point, like a drainage area, and the entire drain is filled so that you can walk over it.
Keep in mind that French drains aren’t designed to withstand vehicle traffic, especially that of tractors or trucks and trailers, so you’ll need to strategically plan where you’ll install the drains. They can be labor-intensive to install, especially if you’re installing a more extensive drain, but they can also be highly effective drainage strategies for your property.
Build Up Your Stall Base
If your stall base has been eroded or is lying lower than the ground surrounding your barn, your horse stalls will be prone to flooding. Build up the base until it is at least level with, or slightly higher than, the surrounding ground.
Once you’ve built up and compacted your stall base, top it with horse stall mats. Interlocking rubber mats are an excellent choice to help prevent horses from digging down into or wearing away at your stall base. These mats fit together tightly, and they create a surface that makes for easy stall cleaning.
Install Mud Control Grids
You may encounter drainage issues in some regions of your fields and turnouts, including low-lying areas and spaces near gates. Mud Control Grids can help create ground reinforcement to reduce standing water and mud buildup. Mud grids are also an excellent solution for wash bays, providing proper drainage to prevent mud buildup. Pair them with Rubber Mats for added comfort, safety, and durability in the wash bay area
These highly durable grids keep horses and humans up and out of any mud that’s present. They can withstand cold temperatures and UV rays, and they’re designed to withstand heavy traffic. These durable mats are easy to install and feature an interlocking design to help prevent shifting.
Explore our Mud Grids, Rubber Mats, and more flooring options designed for your barn.
Contact American Stalls for Drainage Control Equipment
At American Stalls, we’re proud to custom-make and supply top-quality horse stalls and barn components, including essential supplies you need to address drainage issues around your barn. We can also custom-design and craft barn components, like Stall Fronts. Contact us today at (855) 957-8255 or email us at sales@americanstalls.com to schedule a sales and design consultation or with any questions.
