Advice needed please regarding round pen base

[Serensmum]

Hi and Happy New Year. Not exactly a newbie as I have posted before but such a long time ago. I have recently decided to return to the world of horses and have been lucky to find my two girls Maddie and Seren and also have a lovely person, on livery, to share my yard with.

We have decided to get a round pen which is being delivered tomorrow and although I thought the base was all worked out I have had conflicting advise. So the way it had been decided was to take off the top level of soil, lay 2 inches of gravel and then 4 inches of sea sand. It can get quite windy here so had considered rubber shreds but have been told they don't stay put.

I am sure there is an abundance of experience out there so I am looking for some advise please to ensure that the base we lay is good enough for our horses

Thank you

Julie x

 

[sychnant]

We used 8 inches of slate chippings, compacted with a huge vibrating roller, then a membrane, then 8 inches of surface which compacted down to 6 inches when rolled. I don't think an initial 4 inches of surface will give you a nice surface to ride on, and without a membrane your surface will quickly get mixed up with the gravel.

We didn't put in any drainage as we cut and filled to make a flat area, and have never had puddles in the round pen, but this may also be something you need to think about

 

[Spring Feather]

We put about 8-10 inches of varying grades of stone (larger screening type stone at the bottom, ranging to very fine chips at the top) and then 6 inches of sand on top. Each layer of stone was steam rollered. My round pen never has water lying in it. You need to have the base done properly like this because it's not like an arena which has a gradient, a round pen doesn't as it is so small therefore will be level.

 

[Serensmum]

Thank you for that advise. How deep did you take off the top soil and I am imagining that you put the membrane down first then the slate chippings. Sorry to sound confused. I do think we need some sort of drainage as it never stops raining in Cornwall! Was 8 inches really hard to work in, we were thinking of topping up once it had settled.

Regards
Julie

 

[sychnant]

The field was pretty sloping so we probably dug in about 2 foot and filled the other side. I don't have any brilliant photos but you get quite a good view of it in this video, if you can be bothered to wait for it to buffer! This was last year so the surface had been down for 7 years - not that you can see it under the snow We are now planning to replace the surface as the ginger ninja decided it was fun to pull up any bit of membrane he could find



(Please excuse the "fat bird" look, yes I'm going on a diet but was wearing 3 layers due to the snow. And a really inexcuseable hat. Sorry

 

[Spring Feather]

I didn't use a membrane as wasn't needed due to using the several grades of stone. My round pen was placed on top of the footings (mine is heavy steel round pen panels not fence posts in the ground). My round pen also has a 'moat' all the way around it so if any rainwater does makes it's way down the hill to the round pen then it goes into this 'moat' and then on out the other side and ends up down in the pond.

 

[sychnant]

We had planned to buy a lovely steel moveable round pen, but couldn't afford it, I'm very jealous!

 

[Spring Feather]

We had planned to buy a lovely steel moveable round pen, but couldn't afford it, I'm very jealous!

They are expensive it's true but well worth the investment. I used to have a beautiful railed one made out of ancient solid round rails all running horizontally but it had to come down due to building a barn on that spot. I loved the rail one and was sad to see it go. You can buy lightweight steel round pens for much cheaper but I've seen them and they're really too squooshable to be safe or much good.

 

[sychnant]

Yes, we looked at making one with Heras fencing panels but I just couldn't bear the thought of how easy it would be for a horse to kick out and get a foot stuck. They are so flimsy When I win the lottery...

 

[Spring Feather]

Lol ah yes that good old lottery! There's lots more things I'd do if I won that

 

[Serensmum]

Yes this is a lovely steel round pen we are very lucky. I am so worried about this base though xx

Julie

 

[Serensmum]

I love the moat idea! x