Combiride/Clopf/Alternative Surface

[Spoonies]

I am resurfacing school and have a very good quality silica sand
that I have used before. Am now debating whether to go with combiride
or possibly clopf fibres...or other options. I have discounted flexiride as did not like
it to ride on and made me feel dizzy to look at.



Anybody have either of the above and any feedback?

 

[scm]

I would be keen to hear feedback too as considering combiride

 

[Nightmare before Christmas]

I have clopf seems to work well. Would have like to add more fibre and wax it down the line though

 

[Impu1sion]

I have found that Combiride is a good additive, however, in dry spells the fine sand dries out like the desert and the fibre comes to the top. I had mine re-rotavated in, rolled and then spread a thin layer of rubber on top. It is now perfect. Good luck!

 

[Polos Mum]

I hate my combi ride - very very dry in summer to the point it's too deep to ride on. I've got by with a sprinkler on 24/7 but am saving for something that copes better in dry weather.
I was obsessed with drainage when I had my arena built - now I wish I had bad drains so at least some water would stay in the surface !!

Interesting that rubber on the top can help - might investigate that.

 

[scm]

Polos mum can I ask how long it's been in? Have you spoken to them?
What kind of sand did you have?

Impulsion how much rubber depth and what kind of size?

 

[Spoonies]

Not liking the drying out riding deep possibility...hate deep
Loose surfaces

 

[Impu1sion]

scm - Rubber layer is approx. 1" thick, 20mm chunks. It acts as an insulating layer and also to stop the hoof breaking up the sand, works well. I had 20T for my 60x20m arena. Hope this helps.

 

[LynH]

I looked at combiride, clopf and Flexiride and initially I didn't like the Flexiride. I then looked at a few arenas with Clopf and combiride and found they all et too dry and deep in summer, need quite a bit of maintenance ie harrowing and watering and both freeze. Clopf is also very difficult to mix evenly yourself and works best with a wax additive. They also freeze as there is no protective layer clopf more than combiride which depending on rubber content may not freeze unless very cold.
I then had a look again at Flexiride and found the surface works and rides differently depending on how you care for it. The first one I saw the flexiride been mixed into the sand more than Equestrian Direct suggest. They suggest the sand is compacted and soaked thoroughly before the Flexiride is added on top and then only lightly harrowed occasionally so it does not mix with the sand. This top layer then packs and you ride on top of it rather than through it like rubber and it needs very little maintenance. Quite a few people said they only even need a rake and not a harrow just to level off the track once a month or so.
In the end I opted for Flexiride as the other two surfaces needed watering which I am not prepared to do. I also ruled out rubber as my arena is close to my house and I did not want the smell of rubber if we ever have a hot summer again. I had my Flexiride put in this January and I was very pleasantly surprised by how good it looked when laid, much better than other arenas where it was mixed in. It was quite a bit of work to get an even layer of Flexiride initially and I did move it about a bit by hand to get it more evenly spread than the digger could do. I really like how the sand is compacted beneath the Flexiride and as I ride and lunge on it it flattens and packs together and they definitely ride on it not in it so it isn't at all deep. I've harrowed it twice and raked the track a couple of times if a horse has bucked or taken off and just moved the top layer a bit. I can see that it will get nicer with time and I noticed that even in dry weather if you pull back a bit of the Flexiride the sand is still nice and wet when I know my friend had needed to water her arena in the same period.
Anyway after that essay I'll finish by saying that I thought I would like Combiride the best when I started out but it gets too dry and deep for my needs. I am very pleasantly surprised by the Flexiride and would happily recommend it. Good luck, I did spend a lot of time researching and being horribly indecisive but at the end of the day I'm glad I didn't rush into it.

 

[scm]

Thanks impulsion and lyn h very grateful for your feedback.I was 90% on flexiride till viewed one also it was really deep and chewed up i would not have jumped on it.We have 15 horses at ours and gets lot of use and i have over last 10 years struggled to get a surface im 100% happy with

 

[Spoonies]

What a minefield lol 1st i was thinking flexiride but i too saw one didnt like then thought about clopf but read some very bad reports about MC cust services ...hence was favouring combiride...now unsure again lol

 

[Polos Mum]

SCM - mine has been in about 4 years, the combi ride fiber has all rotted away now (another reason not to like it as at £25k I would expect a school to last more than 4 years!) so I'm left with the tiny pieces of rubber and sand. I haven't had the sand tested personally but the school was put in by large national reputable company who sold it to me as proper equestrian silica sand.

I spoke to them at lenght for most of the first year it was in as it always rode too deep for my liking - they just kept telling me to water it and that it would settle after a good winter - it didn't and I just gave up trying to get them to come out and sort it as I reasearched and realised its a general fault of combiride and other than replace the surface nothing they could do!!

 

[Nightmare before Christmas]

My clopf is a little deep at the moment. Keep watering it. Would like it waxed with more fibre

 

[scm]

Polos mum. Sorry to hear that...sounds awful and very bad testimonial
For them.The 1st attempt we had 9 years ago we had the wrong sand put
In and that was really deep I ended up taking it up. It's a bit of a minefield tbf

 

[LynH]

I can see how Flexiride would ride deep if the sand underneath wasn't equestrian grade silica sand or if it hasn't been watered and compacted before the flexiride goes down. I was told by the construction co not to ride on it until it had had 2-4" of rain. The sand needs a lot of water initially to compact.
What decided it for me was seeing a Flexiride surface at the end of a two day jumping clinic and only one fence had got a little cut up in front where a horse got a little deep into the fence. The rest of the arena did not even look like it had been ridden on.
All I can suggest is to look at more than one of each. I'm happy for anyone in Surrey to come have a look at my arena.
Another problem is that the wax or gel surfaces ride so beautifully everything does feel deep in comparison but I couldn't justify an extra £20k for a waxed surface.

 

[Spoonies]

Yes i agree re waxed surfaces.While they are nice and expensive ive seen a few of those not perfect either one didnt drain well the other was like a road.But i would still have one if had budget.I havent heard anyone unhappy with flexiride tbf but the one i saw was not what i wouldve been happy with

 

[Polos Mum]

My instructor has flexiride and he does all day clinics and it looks as good after 10 horses as it did at the begining of the day, their harrow has long grass growing through it that's how often it's used!
I suspect the issue is that as it's recycled you never quite get the same composition in different batches, if you have bad luck and get a duff batch because the carpet coming in that week wasn't the right kind you'd be disappointed. They did change the mix also a few years ago and take out the sponge - my instructors is 5 years old so pre the mix change.

It is a minefield as someone above rightly said - but I think I'll be putting flexiride down as that seems to work most of the time for most people, but I'll be finding someone who's bought it recently to go and have a look at before I ultimately decide!

 

[snowstormII]

I realise this is an old thread, but does anyone have an update on how you fared with the choice for Flexiride? I am tossing up between the Flexiride and a Clopf-a-like. Just been to see a Flexiride top up school used by a riding school and they had nothing but positives to say. I would like to see a Flexiride complete now and hear about how well they ride (ie 5-6" Flexiride topped by sand harrowed in to the top) as the supplier tells me you can use this configuration for winter turnout too.

 

[onemoretime]

Can you put Flexiride on a sand and rubber school to help with riding deep. Sorry sounds a silly question I know.

 

[pootleperkin]

I have flexiride on Bathgate silica sand and really rate it. I could do with a top up, and will be getting the extra that I need from Premier equestrian surfaces - They are the supplier of flexi ride I believe, but they call it Equi bound - It's a fair bit cheaper.

 

[pootleperkin]

Ps, Snowstorm, I really fancied clopf but gave up on the idea given how difficult it seemed to be to put down in the first place and the fact that it also dries out.