Arena, concrete or stone

Hack4fun

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I am fed up with winter mud, which has been really bad this year thanks to our clay soil. Horses live out. We need to do something about it for next year. I thought about building an arena and using that for winter turnout or even to live out, with a separate feeding area. That is expensive. One contractor suggested creating a fenced hard standing area with crushed stone, another to create a fenced concrete pad. There would be 2 or 3 horses, probably with access to a field shelter. They like living out. When the ground is tolerably dry they can have some turnout, and for spring, summer and autumn they can enjoy the paddocks. Any thoughts? No nasty comments please.
 

ROMANY 1959

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Ask about if any equestrian places are considering replacing their school surfaces, as you could offer something for the old surface and put that down on top of crushed stone and membrane to make all weather turnout..the yard I was on for many years did this and made a lunge pen and 6 all weather fenced turnouts, using oils indoor school sand and rubber surface. I worked well. Should not cost the earth to arrange for it to be brought to you by truck
 

fredflop

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Concrete would cost a fortune, may also require planning.

Stone chip hard standing a lot easier, although check as well if it needs planning. Small local civil engineering firm should be able to do a good job on it
 

DD

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we put stone down and its been a godsend. I don't want concrete it gets slippy and is lethal when icy.
 

paddy555

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if your horses start playing, trotting around with each other on concrete it will be lethal. My yard is crushed stone. They live on there happily. Good traction and if freezes a lot less quickly than concrete. It is a very good idea. No reason why you can't put them in the field during dry spells and then use your new yard to save the fields when wet. Other thought is make sure the contractor puts plenty of drains in to cope with downpours.
 

Goldenstar

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I have a membrane then hogging whacked flat with a mini roller machine then road planings more rolling . We top it up about every third year with more road planeings an use a whacked plate .
Concrete is lethal in bad weather don’t use it .
 

whiteflower

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We r going to be doing similar in the spring I've looked into it extensively. I think it depends on what you want from it. I wanted mine to be somewhere they could have a roll and run around if wanted so current thinking is proper drainage, stone crushed and sand on top. It's so difficult as different things have plus and minus points, we may get stones come up without a membrane but they will probably dig so don't want the cost of constantly fixing a membrane! Swings and roundabouts, I'm reading this with interest as my mind keeps changing on what may be best !
 

AFB

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Concrete's dangerous whereas hardcore cheap & practical. However a proper surface is multi-purpose...
 
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