Flexiride and beach sand surface

[djms]

Hi there,
We live in deepest, darkest Cornwall in a very windy location. In the process of starting a sand school. Got an amazing ground worker mate who is going to do cut/fill, drainage, aggregate, membranes etc.
Struggling a bit with surface. Needs to stay put in the wind. Going to be for domestic usage, some jumping for a rider around be100 level.
Have been in touch with Martin Collins, Andrews Bowen and all a long way out of price range. Was wondering about flexiride on top of 5inch of Padstow sand. Most people seem to say silica sand is best but it seems frighteningly expensive! Am I on the wrong track or can I make a surface that will work on a budget?
Many thanks!
As a PS I know absolutely nothing about horses.

 

[onemoretime]

Silica sand is the one used for all weather school. If you get the wrong sand you will regret it. We bought ours through Martin Collins as I felt that if it was wrong then they would have to come and take it away and put it right. It has been down 10 years along with rubber chip and is still really good.

 

[Identityincrisis]

I may be wrong but I believe silica sand is used due to the shape of the grains, beach sand grain is the wrong shape, possibly making it ride deep and un-useable

 

[djms]

Thanks everyone. There seems to be lots of people who have used Padstow sand and are very happy with it and it would be great if that is the case as silica sand would eat up our entire sand and fencing and surface budget and then some! Also seen springride, based down here in Cornwall, as a surface. More rubber than fibre I think. Sorry to ask but anyone familiar with that? Thanks again! Desperately trying to get this right for me other half!

 

[Polos Mum]

you need to know what shape the grains of Padstow sand are, ask someone techy locally or look under a microscope. Silica sand is square / oblong so when it packs down it forms a solid base like bricks in a wall.

The 'wrong' sand for a school is round granules so no matter how much you wet it or roll, it always behaves like balls in a ball pool and is unstable to ride on. This is the type of sand that's also rubbish for sand castles for almost the same reason.

if others have used it from exactly the same location as you plan to - great. but if it's wrong you'll have a mediumly expensive pit she won't use. Unstable surfaces cause huge damage to horses legs.
Even within the same quarry the sand can be slightly more round or slightly more square which is why it's best to actually look / test

Flexiride is chopped up carpet and foam largely off cuts from the automotive industry. There are lots of cheaper alternatives which, if you are unlucky, come with added metal, glass and other nasties. I tried to buy flexiride in the middle of the financial crisis and it got really expensive because they stopped making cars ! I'd guess it will be the same now although you might be luck if they still have excess stock to clear. it's great stuff and I rate it, we are on top of a cliff and little blows away.

However if you don't get the sand right the mixer (fiber, rubber etc) that you put in with it won't make any difference at all!

 

[soloequestrian]

I used sharp sand from a local quarry. It was hopeless on its own but with shredded carpet fibre added it has been great.

 

[Red-1]

I just added carpet fibre to mine as a top up as a cheap make-over. It is riding a lot better than I expected.

 

[EventingMum]

Thanks everyone. There seems to be lots of people who have used Padstow sand and are very happy with it and it would be great if that is the case as silica sand would eat up our entire sand and fencing and surface budget and then some! Also seen springride, based down here in Cornwall, as a surface. More rubber than fibre I think. Sorry to ask but anyone familiar with that? Thanks again! Desperately trying to get this right for me other half!

I used to have Springride but I think it was a surface they no longer manufacture, rubber offcuts from syringe bungs and washers which we had with sand. It was a great surface and the company were good to deal with, the only down side was it tended to be hard to pick up droppings as the surface stuck to them. A consideration nowadays is the disposal of a rubber surface - it is hugely expensive to get rid of it when the time comes.

 

[dixie]

We’ve used Padstow seasand and it’s good for arenas. It will freeze when very cold though. As long as the drainage is good it’s very good in wet conditions.
We didn’t have anything on top of it and despite being at the top of a steep hill next to the moors it stayed put.

 

[Foxglove]

Padstow sand was the height of technology and fashion in Devon and Cornwall 20-30 years ago!!

To be honest I don’t think I’ve seen or ridden in one that was great. They need a monumental amount of water or it’s like riding on sand dunes. I’m not sure what they’d be like with a topper or fibre added, as someone said further up the sand is probably not sharp enough to bind.

Having rented a yard with a Padstow Sand Arena, I personally wouldn’t use it and feel the old adage of buy cheap buy twice should be well heeded when it comes to arenas!