Best Arena Surface on a budget

M

misslux

New User
Joined
9 February 2010
Messages
3
Visit site
Hi all,
advice on the best surface that doesn't cost the earth. Needs to be hard wearing, good for both flat and jumping.
Don't want woodchip. Ideally something that is pretty hassle free, ie. once its down it only needs raking occasionally.
On a limited budget so cant afford top price fibre surfaces!!
Thanks!
 
If you have sand or anything that fine you will need a membrane. If you get rubber or something similar you won't - mine is woodchip (never again!!) with rubber chip and no membrane - so far it hasn't migrated into the stone base.
I am just getting prices for recycled carpet from the people referred to in this article http://horsetalk.co.nz/2016/01/12/recycled-carpet-horse-arena-footing/#axzz3wpw6LNBJ, and waiting for them to tell me if it is suitable to top up. They aren't too far from me, depends where you are in the country.
 
I have sharp sand from a local quarry mixed with carpet fibre from EquiCon. I'm the only person who uses it, so probably just a few hours per week in total. I rake and roll it about twice a year. I think the key is the base though - we have drains then a membrane, then hardcore, then another (fleecy) membrane, then the surface.
 
Intresting reading! We currently have sand with rubber chip on top (at my parents farm) when building that we found membrane costly, so someone recommended using big rolls of weed control fabric, worked a treat and 12 years on it is still as strong as the day it went down.
 
Think you're right not to want woodchip. We built our own round pen at our yard and bought an expensive membrane before laying down woodchip that we had chipped ourselves (we hired a chipper). It was brilliant for the first year or so, but now the wood has all started to rot, and has got completely saturated with all the rain. The membrane has started to come up too so it's unusable for anything other than walking, and even then the surface is very tricky :(
If I was to build another area like it, I would look into rubber crumb I think.
 
Depending where yo are on the British Isles. We are in North Wales We have slate/sand its absolutely fantastic. Plenty of 'grip' Little dusty if weather very dry!!!!!!!!!! We paid just under £20 per ton that included delivery and VAT. Best thing we ever did!!!!
 
Very interested to hear that you like the slate sand surface :) we're in north Wales too and in the process of putting in a school just for myself so it will be 1 horse a day on it at the very most. We've had a sample of the slate sand from our local quarry and was wondering what it was like. The price is very attractive too! Is it easy to maintain?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top