DIY manege construction

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w1bbler

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My yard owner is looking at installing an arena. He is very handy with a digger, but useless with a computer. Anyone have any good links for a DIY construction manual that I can print out for him. Also any recommendations for cheap surfaces - there will be about 6 horses using it a couple of times a week (at a guess)
I'm trying to help him get the best information possible so that I will hopefully have a lovely surface to ride on. Budget will be a big constraint, if its too expensive then I suspect the idea will be shelved, so any helpful suggestions appreciated as I'm fed up having to box everywhere for lessons.
 
I occasionally see 'second hand' manege's advertised - ie the surface and sometimes the fencing - might be worth exploring that option if you can find one!
 
PeterNatt said:
Do-It-Yourself arenas end up being a disaster long term and a waste of money. You need experience to build them. Get an experienced company to build it for you. You will save a lot of money and heartache.
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Agreed Peter, drainage is all and cheap surfaces don't last but it looks like the YO won't countenance bringing in a contractor.
 
We built our own and it's great. We had a contractor level the area (it was quite a slope so needed one end dug out and the other backfilled, so if you have flat ground to start it would be much easier). The contractor also put the drains in - I think there are drains every 5m or so. We then put in a smooth (woven) membrane, then about 4 inches of hardcore, then a fuzzy membrane (this is important - you can't use a woven membrane under a surface or it will shift - the one we have is like thin fleece). The surface is 4 inches of sharp sand from a local quarry and then I put about 16 bales of shredded carpet fibre into it, from Brennan at Equicon. It's been down for two years now and I just topped it up this week with five more bales of fibre. It has been absolutely brilliant - drains beautifully and a very nice riding surface. It doesn't get hammered - just my horses using it - but I've only had to level it once in a year. It is one of the nicest surfaces I've ridden on. The only thing that might need to be different is that if you want to jump I would suggest putting in more of the carpet fibre - the more there is, the more stable the surface is.
 
Thanks soloequestrian, gives me hope, I think he can do the groundwork ok, just needs plans to work to. will look into the shredded carpet surface a bit.
It's DIY or nothing, no point in suggesting professionals to him.
 
We are 90 % into constructing our second self built manège. Our first was on quite level ground. We put in herring bone drains running into one long drain. We used the Heritage House construction guide. We used crag which is available locally to us as our surface. It has been a fab school never flooding or freezing in. 12 years. The one we are currently working on is on a horrendous hill. Had we realised the magnitude of the job I think we may have decided against it. We did a small amount of cut and backfill, but every website advises against it as the school level can drop. We have ended up using nearly 800 tonnes of concrete nuggets to level it. In hindsight we need not have put in drains as it will never flood with the amount of drainage material. I m opting for shredded carpet with 70 tonnes of crag spread through the top.
I disagree that self builds are disastrous I think that is only the caae if you cut corners just as some of the professionals do. I know of several pro built arenas that flood.

We used 2 types of geotextile membrane on both constructions.
 
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