Frozen schools/ arenas and harrowing?

S

somethingorother

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 June 2008
Messages
5,395
Location
Lancashire
Visit site
Will it work? Have you done it? Just frozen schools, not snow obviously

Have been looking at small chain harrows and will be keeping an eye out for any second hand ones near me (2 in kent, 50 quid each which is no good when i'm in manchester!)


Or are there any other handy tips to stop it freezing. I tried stabbing at it with a pitch fork, but it didn't really work, nearly broke my back, and the horse was an idiot coz we could only use the track and could only walk/trot.
 
horsecrazy25 said:
Don't have a school so not sure what would work, but i have heard lots of salt mixed in with the contents of the school can help with freezing
Click to expand...

I believe that's very bad for the horses feet. To be honest, there is nothing you can really do. What is your surface? If it's sand, give up! Wood fines are very good in the frosty weather. Rubber surfaces can be ok too. Not sure what the expensive waxed surfaces do in the cold weather!
 
There is nothing you can do - give up and accept that the school is frozen. A harrow will just slide over it and salt.... well, never tried that. Must be like gritting the roads, I cant see how putting salt in the school is any different to riding on gritted roads so if you do try it, let us know...
 
It's sand :( I don't want to go another 3 months without riding :(

No chance of us being allowed to mix salt in there. will give up on the harrow idea then. Have to admit have never used one but it was an idea born of desperation.

Kind of good news is now we've had snow, so as long as it stays fluffy and horses brain stays sane we might be able to have a potter tomorrow in the school...
 
The trick is to harrow it and fluff it up before it freezes, then if it does, all you need to do is ride over it and it will crumble and become roughly ridable.
If it's already frozen, you need something heavier than chain harrows, maybe a power harrow or a solid Cambridge roller, but then you need a tractor to pull it.
 
Ah thanks martlin. Maybe it is not all lost then. But a bit late this time. Hopefully it will thaw for a couple of weeks after this spell and we can catch it before the freeze. He's such a grumpy sod when he's out of propper work.

It's a pretty deep surface if that makes any difference? It's never a good thing :(
 
In Newmarket the surfaces are worked throughout the nights so that we have gallops we can use throughout the snow/freezing conditions. Not something I'd want to be doing at home but if it's really cold it seems to have to be worked every few hours to stop it from freezing.
 
Aces_High said:
In Newmarket the surfaces are worked throughout the nights so that we have gallops we can use throughout the snow/freezing conditions. Not something I'd want to be doing at home but if it's really cold it seems to have to be worked every few hours to stop it from freezing.
Click to expand...

That sounds like a job for OH.....

*shouts* "Tooommmmmm!!!............................"
 
tallyho! said:
That sounds like a job for OH.....

*shouts* "Tooommmmmm!!!............................"
Click to expand...

Send him over here when he's finished yours? ;)

Not a chance of my OH doing that. Snow today though, and surprisingly soft sand underneath so he got loose schooled and was much less grumpy afterwards. Might ride if it sticks around til weekend.
 
know exactly how you feel. i have a savage mare and naughty gelding because our sand school is like concrete! we have harrows that i drag with my car and i think theyl just fumble along the top! its not been above freezing here for ages and im half hoping for some snow so that it thaws abit as it tends to be abit milder when it snow, its this freezing temp thats driving me and the horses potty! the roads are ok but i dont fancy giving it a go on very fresh horses!
 
A harrow can help especially in the not quite so cold weather. The trick is the catch it before the whole thing freezes so you are just breaking up the near surface material, although unfortunatley sand is one of the worst for freezing as they tend to have a higher moisture content than say the rubber/wax areans. So we harrowe three times a day in this weather including one last thing at night, we have a rubber/wax mix and is one of the best I've found, tried sand then wood fibre and now on this. Once you get into the likes of the weather last winter when it is soooo cold and the cold is sooo prolonged its not just the near surface that freezes its the subsurface material too then you are stuck as the harrow as you describe just slides straight over.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top