Budget surface topping, suggestions please!

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Moggie

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Probably not stricly CR but I feel I empathise with you lot more than in some other sections!

I desperately need to update the surface on my indoor arena - would like to do it on a budget, by which I mean I'll spend a little more for quality that lasts, but I can't justify the sort of ££££ surfaces that the top competition venues have, It'll never pay itself off!

Surface is indoors. First laid 20 years ago, with sand and then Pasada on top (which was a plastic chip/electrical cable mix).

About 8 years ago it had an update, added more sand for depth but chose a Manchester Plastics fibresand on the top that had a little bounce to it.

We have always watered it every other day - in early days used a leveller but as the surface got more "dead" we have for about 5 years been using a dutch harrow it to give it some spring back.

its desperately in need of a revamp this summer, its totally solid and dead and no amount of watering, harrowing, and TLC can restore it! I have JCB and man who can, plenty of base sand there, - just looking for a good value topping to be delivered and dumped at the door, that will give it some much needed spring.

About 75% of the work on the surface is riding school, barefoot ponies shuffling around the edge! I also do a lot of breaking and early years work so would like something forgiving (ie soft for me to land on!!) also that will take lunging and such like.
I don't jump on it (have outdoors with nice surface for that!). Oh and if I could find a surface which was a nice "light" colour, that would be great - currently its quite dark and dull in there. Painting kickboards white but would be nice to have a bright airy feel about the whole place.


I don't ask for much do I! does anyone have any personal recommendations, experiences, warnings.... any information will be gratefully absorbed!!

Thank you :-)
 
I used something called Comfyride on my arena for a top up and it worked perfectly tbf and was nice and cheap!! Its a wood chip and works absolutely perfectly for what i require
 
Have a look into things like Flexi ride (Equestrian Direct) or Clopf (Martin Collins I think) as you can stick them straight onto the existing surface. Not sure about prices but it's much cheaper than re-surfacing the whole thing. I have had experience of Flexi ride and think it is great and so low maintenance, but not seen it in an indoor school and it could be too dark. Friends of mine have just decided to go for Clopf on their arena but it's a bit more high maintenance than Fexiride but lighter in colour. Worth a look at both of those though as both are better imo than Pasada and rubber.
 
tinkerbell88 said:
Have a look into things like Flexi ride (Equestrian Direct) or Clopf (Martin Collins I think) as you can stick them straight onto the existing surface. Not sure about prices but it's much cheaper than re-surfacing the whole thing. I have had experience of Flexi ride and think it is great and so low maintenance, but not seen it in an indoor school and it could be too dark. Friends of mine have just decided to go for Clopf on their arena but it's a bit more high maintenance than Fexiride but lighter in colour. Worth a look at both of those though as both are better imo than Pasada and rubber.
Click to expand...

Thanks all three of you.

I have been warned off rubber in indoors, apparently gets smelly in the summer? And have been told that woodchip can be slippy which might not be ideal for say novice riders who aren't balancing their horses on circles etc.

We have pasada/pvc chip on the outdoor and its fantastic, about 15 years old and still as good as new. Wondering about some of the PVC additives like this: http://www.leisureridesurfaces.co.uk/tpo-flakes-1166-0.html

I've spoken to a couple of companies this morning who said don't use fibre based products as they are really designed for sticking together loose deep sand?

its a bit of a minefield - too much to choose from!!
 
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