Arena surface, yard surface and walker versus treadmill.....

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YummyHorses

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So whats best....

After many years of saving I am finally planning my yard.....yippee.

BUT not sure on the above.

What do you guys recommend for a surface (cant afford a waxed one....sadly) - should I go for sand/rubber or sand/fibre? Or something else?

And around the yard what is the best surface? Cant afford to concrete it all and am a little concerned could be slippey in the winter months. But what else? A friend has suggested a limestone dust, another gravel......

And finally, do I go for a walker or treadmill? I only have 2 horses and a pony (daughter) at the moment but expect (well hope) that this would increase when I am not paying livery bills. I like the idea of a treadmill as much smaller and I could put undercover. But then I and the horses are used to a walker.

So please advise knowledgable friends.......
 
No advice on arena surface as it is a very personal preference.
The yard - don't go for limestone dust, it's brilliant for under cover, but when it rains on it, it makes a terrible soup. I have road planings mixed with Scunthorpe Slag (that really is the name:eek:) and screened with sand - it gets a bit wet, but never muddy and never slippery in winter. The areas immediately in front of barns and around storm drains are concreted.

I have a walker and I'm not sure I could be bothered with a treadmill, as you can only put one at the time on it and you would need to supervise all the time, so not much different than taking them for a walk yourself (?)
 
Yard surface I'd definitely have partly concreted especially the area directly outside the stables. For the remainder road planings are cheap and effective.

School surface, I've ridden on both types and have seen good and bad examples of both. I'd scout around locally and see if you can try any that local contractors have put in and get some feedback on the surface performance.

Walker v Treadmill - I'd probably opt for walker. Means you can put them all on at once unsupervised while you do other jobs.
 
Thanks guys, really helpful comments. Its so exciting but I have so many decisions to take. I have had years to be thinking about these things......but there you go.

So anyone else?.......
 
Ahh ok. Well you are positioned fairly close to Redhill so good quality Silica Sand won't be a problem. However, it is one of the more pricey Silica Sands. We always find Silica Sand with a Rubber Chip topping to be a good all round surface. The key is making sure you choose the right sand. There are hundreds of different Silica Sands around but only a few are suitable for equestrian use. You need fine grade sub-angular sand if you don't want to be wading through it :)
 
Thanks Mainland. Do you know how much an arena would cost to put in - I am wanting a 60m by 30m? And I guess a sand/rubber surface. I am expecting about 35k is that correct?

I have been told to consider sand/fibre and ideally go for a waxed surface but suspect they will be really expensive. What are they advantages of the fibre and waxed surface over the rubber?

Also what do you suggest as a surface on the yard in general - so the access roads to the school etc. Am hoping to have brick block paving or concrete immediately around the american barn and hay barn.

Big thanks in advance.....
Ta
 
YummyHorses said:
Thanks Mainland. Do you know how much an arena would cost to put in - I am wanting a 60m by 30m? And I guess a sand/rubber surface. I am expecting about 35k is that correct?

I have been told to consider sand/fibre and ideally go for a waxed surface but suspect they will be really expensive. What are they advantages of the fibre and waxed surface over the rubber?

Big thanks in advance.....
Ta
Click to expand...

Four years ago I was quoted approx £40k for a 60x30m sand and rubber school and £70k for a waxed surface. We went for sand and rubber based on cost. We keep our horses at home so the school doesn't get a lot of use compared to a large livery yard.
 
Thanks for that Eggs - based on that I will definately be doing sand and rubber. Simply cant afford that much, have so much else to do. Same as you - it will be for home use, just a couple of horses.

How does the sand/rubber cope with this very cold weather? I was told to consider fibre/sand as it tends to cope better with the freeze but I kinda thought if it was freezing then all surfaces would suffer....or am i being a numpty!

Ta
x
 
eggs said:
Four years ago I was quoted approx £40k for a 60x30m sand and rubber school and £70k for a waxed surface. We went for sand and rubber based on cost. We keep our horses at home so the school doesn't get a lot of use compared to a large livery yard.
Click to expand...

I got quoted in 2009 £135K for a waxed surface arena by Martin Collins :eek:
Mine is 65x45m, just sand at the moment, I spent around £6K on it, but I'm lucky enough to have had sand sourced from my own land.
 
never knew arenas cost so much :o

sand is the cheapest then i assume?
my dream mengage is rubber/sand - so i bounce better when i hit the deck lol
 
A 60 x 30m Arena would require the following:

310 tonnes of Sub-Angular Silica Sand (to give 100mm Depth) @ Approx £8-9K plus VAT

45 Tonnes of 20mm Rubber Chip (to give 50mm depth) @ Approx £3k plus VAT

340 tonnes of 75-40mm Clean Stone (to give min 100mm) @ Approx £5-6k plus VAT


The prices are ballpark as you do not state exactly where you are in Hampshire. The price does not include drainage stone as the quantity will vary according to length and depth of your drainage.

As for access roads, it depends entirely on budget. You need to consider the safety aspect as well as the cosmetic appeal of the materials you use. While concrete is durable it is very slippy when icy and pretty expensive. On the flip side any loose material such as gravel will get stuck in the horses feet.
 
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