Arena surface, what is wrong with ours.

LaurenBay

LaurenBay

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Hi all, hoping you can help.

The menage at my yard is unridable at the moment as it is just so deep! My Horse has a sticky stifle so really struggles in there, but now the other Horses are struggling (I stick to hacking most days! )

It is Silicon sand and rubber. It is 3-4 years old and harrowed about once a month. My yard owners husband built it. It's a big school, nice fencing and nice set of jumps, never ever floods. In the winter it isn't as deep, so rideable (needs harrowing regularly though) ) but now it's dryer we are really struggling, don't think it's ever been this deep (covers hooves!) It was harrowed last weekend and its made it worse. The person who harrowed it said he had a real problem doing it.

Why is it so deep? What can we do to make it better?

Thanks guys :)
 
Sounds like it needs watering and rolling.

We've just had a new school built, and there are days I wish it was "only" deep enough to cover hooves. When it's dry it's like trying to walk across the beach above the high tide mark. Fortunately it is getting better as time goes on - as long as it is kept watered and rolled.
 
LaurenBay said:
Hi all, hoping you can help.

The menage at my yard is unridable at the moment as it is just so deep! My Horse has a sticky stifle so really struggles in there, but now the other Horses are struggling (I stick to hacking most days! )

It is Silicon sand and rubber. It is 3-4 years old and harrowed about once a month. My yard owners husband built it. It's a big school, nice fencing and nice set of jumps, never ever floods. In the winter it isn't as deep, so rideable (needs harrowing regularly though) ) but now it's dryer we are really struggling, don't think it's ever been this deep (covers hooves!) It was harrowed last weekend and its made it worse. The person who harrowed it said he had a real problem doing it.

Why is it so deep? What can we do to make it better?

Thanks guys :)
Click to expand...


What is the total dept??

How much sand put in when new
how much pvc was put in??

Sound to me there is too much in there
 
I have the same problem, my manege is built into a sloped field and rises out of the ground by a metre at one end so the drainage is enormous. During the summer the sand gets so dry that I can only really harrow and ride once or twice before it needs doing again. The rubber has mixed in with the sand over the seven years it's been down and despite have a 'keep a level' grader designed for sand and rubber. I did contact several companies to check I had the right tonnage of sand and rubber as I thought there was too much sand but they have all said I have the right quantities. I have also thought of adding carpet fibre to it at a cost of about £1600, supposed to help retain moisture in the sand, but first you have to have moisture!! Watering it is not an option as I'm on a meter here. I must be the only person who prays for heavy rain before a schooling session!!
 
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Basalt. 3mm to dust. This will firm it up perfectly for you. I used to have exactly the same problem. The addition of basalt has made mine pretty much perfect.

ps. Got mine from a local quarry.
 
It's possible that the wrong type of sand was used in the build.

I've forgotten the technical terms, but equestrian grade silica sand is compromised of angular grains of sand which knit together, and form a firm sublayer. Such sand should never ride as deep as you describe, even when dry.

If the sand grains are rounded, then the surface rides very deep when dry (think dry sand sand above the high water mark on the beach). It's a common problem.

I have 2" of rubber crumb over 5" of 'proper' equestrian grade sand, and my arena rides well all year round without watering. I was told by Charles Britton to keep off the newly built arena until 4" of water had gone on it (rain or sprinkler), to allow the grains to knit together, or I would damage the surface as the horses' feet would go in too deep.
 
For now, water it and after harrowing, it needs to be rolled. Harrowing alone will only make it looser...it needs rolling to pak it down a bit and watering will help with that. Long term, the advice in the last couple of posts has been good.
 
I agree it needs water and rolling .
It's also not being levelled nearly enough if mine is used daily it's levelled every other day .
Ps I had fibre added to mine after a few years it helped a lot .
 
Thanks so much for your advice.

We are expecting heavy rain tomorrow so after reading these comments, I think it will help.

We have a tractor so I will ask YO if we can use that to roll?

I can ask about adding microfiber.

I'm not sure what quantities were used, this is the first menage that YO's hubby built.
 
I'd get a bit of sand and send off to a big arena specialist and ask what sand has been used and if it is right - they then may be able to give you advice. :)
 
littleshetland said:
Basalt. 3mm to dust. This will firm it up perfectly for you. I used to have exactly the same problem. The addition of basalt has made mine pretty much perfect.

ps. Got mine from a local quarry.
Click to expand...

Do you know if you can still get basalt somewhere? The company who laid and maintained my surface are based in Somerset and say they can't get it anymore. Our surface is lovely but needs a top up. Which company did you use?
 
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