Carpet Gallop

[meesha]

About to resurface arena, months spent removing wood fibre surface by hand using backpack blower and shovel/wheelbarrow. Boards arriving Monday as all have rotted, partly due to the wet woodfibre sat against them. New terram also arriving Monday and rotten posts have been replaced.

So........any final thoughts from anyone on new surface!! I am prob going with carpet gallop straight onto terram (no sand) the logic being that as I turn out on it overnight in winter any natural surface will be grinded down v quickly by horses pratting about.

Those of u that have carpet gallop how r u finding it? How was it in the very hot dry weather and now in the wet?

This really has been a mammoth task to get woodfibre off (stone bit uneven so couldn't use digger without risking damaging membrane and mixing wood fibre into stone) so I really want to get it right. Understand that any surface may need a top-up but hoping I never have to remove the lot again!

All comments appreciated .....

 

[meesha]

Anyone? Any comments before I dig deep and fork out near 4K ?

 

[JillA]

I've got the recycled carpet fibre the same people used to do before they began to specialise - they werre very helpful and good to deal with. I got it to top a mix of rubber chip and rotting wood fibre, good drainage, no membrane. It stabilised it well, doesn't need much in the way of grading but I do roll it from time to time. It rides well, and is nice and springy but don't know how it would perform on its own. Have they offered one for you to go and see?

 

[meesha]

Hi JilllA, been looking at your posts, hope the woodfibre doesn't give u any problems, I was going to put it on top but thought may as well go whole hog and really wanted to add another layer membrane. They were really helpful, sent sample and told me where I could visit but miles away. Prob insanity but just going to go with it I think, others seem to say good to ride on, mine is as much about turnout as riding

 

[poiuytrewq]

It's on the gallops at work and became very dusty when it was hot and dry.

 

[meesha]

Thanks, was it good to ride on and not move too much? Did it get dusty when walking or only with fast work?

 

[AdorableAlice]

I looked at carpet gallop very recently and researched it well with a view to putting it into a brand new school. Several of the commercial riding schools I deal with have it in and in the main they are pleased with it, but they are schools that teach at a low level and jumping would be cross poles/80cm ish. Visually I thought it looked a mess but it seemed to stand a lot of work at the riding schools most of it on the outside track. It walked firm and supportive but I wasn't convinced how suitable it would be for a good moving horse.

I researched several surfaces and did keep returning the carpet gallop, but when a contractor mentioned to me that his family had on a gallop and it had become virtually unusable in the last heatwave we had, I started to think it would not be suitable for us. The contractor has been asked to rig some sort of watering system on the gallop to try to make it usable in summer or dry periods. The racehorses needed a 20 to 30 minute gap between galloping pairs to allow the dust to disperse. That made me start to really think, if a pair of lightweight horses cantering away upsides can create that amount of dust what the heck would a heavyweight hunter or cob on the lunge in canter do ! Another trainer told me it was great in very wet weather as it rode deep and make the horses work hard without putting the limbs under the stress that wet holding ground does.

I would think it would be fine if you had an effective watering system, but the saving you make on purchasing a cheap product would soon get swallowed up by a huge water bill. I also doubt the non freezing claim, even if the arena has perfect drainage I can't see how clumps of soggy carpet won't freeze into lumps if it get cold enough. I decided against it based on the contractors guidance.

 

[tallyho!]

Hmm... not for an arena. Winter may be ok but summer dust and fibres is really awful.

 

[meesha]

What did you decide to go for AdorableAlice? I am still seriously considering it as it is hard-wearing, I only have 3 horses that would be turned out on it overnight in winter (so shouldn't be dusty for them then hopefully) and would only school one couple times a week, flatwork (which we are seriously needing) and max 3ft jumps, more often 2ft 6. If it is unusable couple weeks a year in heat that isn't an issue. My instructors arena was dusty the other day and that wasnt even a hot day and it's a sand/fibre mix.

If only there was a miracle surface!!!!

 

[meesha]

Would it be better mixed with sand, doesn't sand ride deep in dry?

 

[AdorableAlice]

Flexiride was put in last week, http://www.equestriandirectltd.co.uk/flexiride/

I did a lot of research and went for the complete surface, which is membrane, flexiride with silica run through the top. A cheaper option is silica (lots of) and a thin layer of flexiride on the top. I found the company very helpful and not a 'hard sell' experience. I looked at both surfaces, watched both being ridden on and spoke to lots of people who have both surfaces installed. Then I looked at what some of the pro riders have, my reason for doing this was if a pro rider will ride a high value horse on a surface they must be happy with it and confident their high value horse is safe.

More rain is needed to settle the surface, a horse went in this evening and worked for 20 minutes, it is still a little deep. I was concerned when it was finished on Thursday last week, walking on it felt like staggering across a water bed, I am sure if I fell off it was so springy I would be launched straight back on ! Rain is key and the company fully explained that and told me once it had absorbed plenty of rain it would bind together. I shouldn't be wishing for rain during harvest time of course, so I have just asked for a dedicated downpour over the arena !!

The company advised me to use the arena in walk and trot only and no lunging until it had settled, I anticipate it will be perfect with another inch or so of rain, then Ted (if he ever gets well again) and his casserole sized feet will do some serious trotting to finish the job off.

 

[soloequestrian]

I have sharp sand with carpet fibre on top. I'm really pleased with it. It is just me and my horses at home so doesn't get heavy use but my roller has been out of action for the past year and the surface is still in good shape with just some raking by hand. It would be better with the roller but I obviously haven't nagged hard enough about it yet. It did get a bit dusty when the weather was really dry but certainly not unusable even with my older boy who doesn't have the best breathing.
I can't imagine how carpet would perform on its own and I think turning out on the surface would wreck it - you would end up removing quite a lot of the carpet with every poo!

 

[tallyho!]

What did you decide to go for AdorableAlice? I am still seriously considering it as it is hard-wearing, I only have 3 horses that would be turned out on it overnight in winter (so shouldn't be dusty for them then hopefully) and would only school one couple times a week, flatwork (which we are seriously needing) and max 3ft jumps, more often 2ft 6. If it is unusable couple weeks a year in heat that isn't an issue. My instructors arena was dusty the other day and that wasnt even a hot day and it's a sand/fibre mix.

If only there was a miracle surface!!!!

Sand and rubber is the best mix I've seen from various yards I've been on.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Sand and rubber is the best mix I've seen from various yards I've been on.

This was something I also looked at, the cost of disposing of rubber is huge and something to factor in if, in the future, it had to be lifted and replaced.

 

[annunziata]

I HAVE CARPET GALLOP!!!! ON my arena no sand at all and it is AMAZING totally love it works brilliantly I went with carpetgallop.co.uk not dusty expect when it is super dry hardly needs any maintenance fab product any questions let me now

 

[meesha]

Oooh thanks all, you did say I could ask annuziata, so here come the questions........ do u think it will stand up to horses being turned out on it? I Have standard stone, drain, membrane... is that the same as you? Have you for d it dusty in dry weather? Does it ride hard or soft? Does it move? Thanks....really want to get it right this time.

 

[meesha]

Sorry 2 more questions, how long have you had carpet gallop? How many inches coverage of it did you order, was it enough? Thanks again

 

[wiglet]

My yard has carpet gallop on top of sharp sand. Works really well I think. It's lovely and springy to school on and stands up to lunging and jumping clinics.

It's never waterlogged and we've had heavy, prolonged rain, it didn't freeze in winter either. Can't say I've found it to be dusty although the YO does put a sprinkler on it a few times a week if the weather is very dry. It also gets rolled twice a week to keep it looking nice - it gets a lot of use with all the liveries! The surface stays put and doesn't really get blown around.

Downsides… it's fiddly picking the poo out - best done with rubber gloves really. In hot weather the carpet seems to 'hold' the heat and working in there can be a fairly sweaty affair!

Overall I really rate it. Hope this helps.

 

[meesha]

Brilliant wiglet thank you, trying to avoid sand if possible due to cost and access issues meaning can only take small loads, hoping carpet gallop will be as good as u say on its own.

 

[annunziata]

Sorry 2 more questions, how long have you had carpet gallop? How many inches coverage of it did you order, was it enough? Thanks again

only since march as a brand new school we had 22 tonnes delivered for a 20 x 40 (or whatever was recommended) and it has gone down super,. I think we have 6-8 inches to the membrane etc which is perfect honestly have only had to roll it 3 times and we hosted camp with 10 lessons on it in a day it is PERFECT

 

[Fruitcake]

We have Flexi Ride which is basically the same stuff. We have complete Flexi Ride (laid directly on top of stone drainage with no membrane, no sand at all). It's lovely to ride on. It's been in a year now and still hasn't settled completely but there's only me and OH using it.

One word of warning with carpet fibre though. We have had some issues with static electric shocks during dry weather. (People walking / lunging on surface and passing shock onto horse when they touch it).

I'd also say that you may have issues with removing droppings if you're going to turn out on carpet fibre as, even when droppings are in a nice, neat pile, it's really difficult to pick them up without taking loads of surface with you. I can't imagine how bad that would be once it was all ground in.

All in all, I like the surface though. Any questions, just ask!

 

[poiuytrewq]

As i replied further up that the carpet fibre on our gallops at work gets very dusty i thought as it occurred to me today whilst taking daughter jumping that I may have been thinking the wrong type!
At work on the gallops its quite fine, comes in bale form and no doesn't move or require much upkeep at all really. Its fab in winter as it seems not to freeze or hold water but yes, in summer very dusty.
At daughters work place they have a carpet school but its very different stuff. Much larger chunks of carpet and foamy stuff. I'm not sure what it is and at first it did look a little messy but think that was comparing it to its previous sand. Its black and the chunks are up to about 6cm. A bit like shredded car interior!
This stuff is great, Its been down a few years and is lasting well, again little upkeep and a great surface to ride on. This one isn't dusty.

 

[annunziata]

HI,

I have not had any issues with dust on mine and we do turn out on it. It is not the prettiest thing in the world but it is really good and works really well we jump on it all time and well over 1.10 on the older horse. my yard is private so it is only my horses but we love it

any questions PM me

 

[Busterboo]

Anyone had any recent issues with carpet gallop? Particularly the standalone surface with g tech on top

 

[Sarah Coco]

Anyone had any recent issues with carpet gallop? Particularly the standalone surface with g tech on top

I’m about to have the standalone laid. So ask me in a months time.

 

[Busterboo]

Unfortunately 2 of us ( unrelated) have found metal in ours , so be wary, apart from that lol I like it !

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Unfortunately 2 of us ( unrelated) have found metal in ours , so be wary, apart from that lol I like it !

Our latest batch is riddled with metal wire - fencing wire! I really don't like the surface, I find it jars horses up. The horses either don't mind it or they hate it!

 

[Tiddlypom]

Our latest batch is riddled with metal wire - fencing wire!

That’s shocking!
What is the supplier of the surface going to do about it?

 

[catembi]

I was fully set on carpet fibre but hearing about electric shocks has really put me off! I am quite a staticky person anyway and used to dread taking off a snuggies hood as I would always get a shock... Oh no, back to the drawing board! And my arena is coming SOON so I need to stop dithering and make my mind up!

 

[catembi]

Has anyone tried the coconut fibre that’s everywhere on FB atm? It says it doesn’t rot, but I don’t see how it can’t?