Arena surface questions

D

DSCC

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23 October 2012
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I currently have Tracy Timber wood chip on my arena but it has been down now for 4 years and looks more like sugar than wood chip. It has been great but recently has gotten rather slippy at one end of the arena and rather deep all over. It is not the arena itself that is the problem (not a puddle or squelch anywhere despite all this rain) rather the surface which I know needs replaced or topped up. I was just going to scrape the top layer off the existing surface and get new wood chip put down on it but am not sure this will work out ok. Any suggestions including changing to rubber etc appreciated. Also if anyone has a rubber/ sand mixture surface, how long do these last for and what do you do when they need replaced? (I can spread the old woodchip on the field/ garden). thanks
 
I had a woodchip arena because I couldn't afford anything more at the time. It lasted me seven years then I replaced it with a properly drained sand and fibre arena which has been fantastic.

If you can afford it, I'd go for a sand mix. It'll last you much longer before you need to top up and is a much better ride.
 
I have sand and rubber, down for 7 years now and no problems or changes. Wood fibre based surfaces are always going to degrade/pulp down; rubber lasts for 10+ years according to the supplier.
 
I replaced my wood chip surface at the beginning of 2013,it's just been so wet that it was turning to mush very quickly despite being very well drained. I've gone for sand and rubber, it took a while to settle but it's coping with all this rain brilliantly and was considerably cheaper than sand/fibre mixes which I couldn't afford. I'm hoping that now it's had loads of rain on it that it will ride less deep in the dry weather but even this summer I didn't have to water and it was OK to ride in.
 
Hi, I had a fine sand down for 10 years, it did not wear out or anything but was deep when dry, perfect when wet, but liable to freeze. I then had chance for some cheap rubber shred (old tyres) and had some put down on top of the old sand. Now, it is perfect in every weather, even the part where the original arena has 40 year old drainage and a huge puddle, it rides just fine. The puddle is the only thing that freezes in all but the coldest night.
 
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