How to stop stables flooding – and why it’s still important to consider this during a drought
Flood-proofing stables might be the last thing on your mind right now, but baked ground poses a real risk
Stopping stables flooding might not be top of mind at the minute. At the time of writing, most of England is officially in drought and there are hosepipe bans aplenty – we’re actually hoping for a bit of wet weather. However, keeping your stables from flooding could quickly become a pressing matter should heavy rainfall arrive.
“Drought and flooding can be closely linked,” explains Laura Hobbs of Switch Equine, an equine land management & regenerative grazing consultancy.
“After such a prolonged dry spell, many soils are currently very dry and hard-set,” she says. When rain finally arrives – particularly if it is intense – it may initially infiltrate poorly, with more water running off the surface instead, taking the soil along with it. This can increase the risk of localised flooding and rapid runoff.
“If you imagine water hitting a smooth concrete surface, it runs rapidly away,” says Laura continues. “A heavily grazed or compacted paddock with short, stressed grass can behave in a similar way: there is little vegetation structure to interrupt the flow, while compacted soil has fewer of the larger pores and pathways through which water can move into the soil.”
Laura says hydraulic roughness – how much the land surface slows the movement of water – reduces rapid runoff.
“A woodland floor, hedgerow margin, heathland or tall grassland does the opposite,” she explains. “Vegetation, leaf litter and uneven ground slow overland flow, giving water more opportunity to infiltrate and reducing the speed at which it reaches drains, ditches and watercourses. This can reduce erosion and the amount of soil being transported downstream.”
How to stop stables flooding: Focus on your land
Experts suggest the following actions over the next six months:
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Today
In the immediate short term, options are limited because soil structure can't be rebuilt overnight. But owners can take small, strategic steps.
- Reduce pressure on vulnerable areas – particularly high-traffic zones and natural drainage pathways.
- Clear and maintain existing drains and channels so water moves predictably rather than pooling around buildings.
- Add temporary surface cover, such as woodchip in gateways, to reduce poaching and erosion.
- Observe where water naturally flows – and avoid placing tracks, hay stations or shelters directly in those pathways where possible.
- Protect areas that are already vulnerable rather than continuing to graze them heavily.
The next three months
“Primarily, the most important thing is to let your land recover,” says Laura. “Active recovery once growth resumes allows vegetation and root systems to rebuild, improves soil structure and can increase the roughness of the land surface, slowing runoff.”
Laura adds that looking to improve plant diversity in the near future will help cultivate more resilient pasture – a sustainability tip for horse owners.
“Many horse pastures that originated from intensive agricultural systems – particularly former dairy land – can be dominated by perennial ryegrass.”
While ryegrass, she says, is an excellent agricultural grass, ryegrass-dominated pasture isn't necessarily the most resilient pasture under increasingly hot and dry summers.
“Different grassland plants have different root architectures, rooting depths, growth patterns and tolerances to drought and wet conditions.
“Cocksfoot, for example, is a deeper-rooting perennial grass that can contribute a different rooting structure to a sward. Other grasses and herbs can bring different characteristics too, which can help build soil structure, support soil biology, improve resilience and make better use of rainfall when it does arrive.”
Poached fields seem like a distant memory now – and preventative actions now could make them more distant still.
Over winter
Winter is when good soil structure really pays off.
“Fields with healthy roots, good soil structure and adequate organic matter are better able to absorb and store rainfall, and good management can reduce the amount of mud created by poaching,” says Laura.
Winter land management practices for resilience include:
- Protecting the ground – rotate high-traffic areas, use sacrifice areas where appropriate, and avoid poaching wherever possible.
- Protecting naturally wet areas and, where appropriate, allowing them to function as part of the landscape rather than automatically trying to drain every wet patch.
- Maintaining tree belts and hedgerows – they can intercept and slow runoff and form part of wider natural flood-management measures.
- Keeping organic matter on the surface – vegetation, litter and appropriate mulch protect soil from erosion and support soil biology.
- Keeping living roots wherever possible – winter-active plants help maintain soil structure and biological activity.
How to flood-proof your stables
What are the main causes of stable flooding and how seriously should owners take it?
“A stable is most likely to flood if it sits lower than the ground around it, so ideally the stable block should be built slightly higher than the surrounding external ground,” says George Clark of Elmtree Construction.
“We also always put drains through every doorway, so any driving rain or surface water is dealt with before it even gets into the barn or stable.
“It's worth saying, too, that many of the materials used won’t be as watertight as a house, but that's simply the nature of building an agricultural or equestrian structure rather than a domestic one.”
Building flood-proof stables
If you're building stables from scratch, flood-proofing comes down to two things, according to George.
“Building the stable block higher than the surrounding ground, and putting drainage through every doorway to catch water before it reaches the barn.”
Flood-proofing existing stables
George tells us there are limits to what can be done.
“Rubber mats can help a little, as they raise the internal floor height slightly and create a small lip at the threshold,” he advises. “That said, if a stable is flooding, it’s usually a wider site issue, and upgrades at stable level aren't going to solve that on their own.”
What about stopping stables flooding if they are already prone to it?
“The most important thing is to properly identify what's actually causing the flooding, rather than just treating the symptoms. In almost every case, it comes down to a wider site drainage problem rather than something specific to the stable itself, so that's where I'd start looking.”
Deep flow guttering can help improve your current drainage if you’re in a location prone to heavy rain, and if you’re worried about flooding you might benefit from investing in the following short-term flood defences:
- Sandbags (like these ones)
- Hydrosacks (like this), which are eco-friendly and lighter to use than sandbags
- Water extraction pumps (like this) to remove standing water fast
- Modular flood barriers are reusable blocks that slot into each other and protect whole areas such as yards, as well as stables, buildings and gateways from water
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A horse owner and rider with more than 20 years experience, Bethany has been writing for equestrian publications since 2017. Over the course of her career, she has reported from major British Riding Clubs and British Dressage championships, covered Badminton Horse Trials and interviewed equestrian sport’s best athletes. Her work can also be found in Country Life, The Field and Breathe magazine.