Help with building a Menage

[Litorio]

Hi guys,

A few years ago my parents built a make shift shool by flattening some land and putting rubber chippings down (against my advice) we live on clay and the school turned into one big sticky, un-useable mess.

We are now re-doing it. we have removed the chippings and put down a crushed concrete hardcore layer with membrane on top. We plan to do a bottom layer of sand with rubber chipping layer on top.

How deep will the sand layer have to be and can we use sharp sand?

Any help gratefully appreciated!

 

[birchave0]

most important thing is your drainage, without this your school will be unusable in the winter/wet weather.

 

[Rainbowrider]

I wouldn't use sharp sand, your horses feet will wear away, and their legs will be orange. As above, drainage is the most important thing. Did you put this in under your hardcore?

 

[Lordy100]

I think the sand that Rainbowrider is thinking about is builders sand, which is normally quite orange.

There is an article in Your Horse magazine this month about constructing an arena which may be helpful

 

[MillionDollar]

My arena has drainage channels, terram, 9 inches of stone, terram, 5 inches of silica sand and 2 inches of spring tek rubber on top.

 

[miller]

Sharp sand and builders sand are different - builders sand is really orange and stains and sharp sand has the same effect on hooves as sandpaper

you really do need silica sand

If building on clay you will definitely need good drainage under your base layer of membrane before the hardcore else the hardcore will disappear into the clay as your rubber did.

Have a chat with Jackson arena's they do self build and are very helpful

 

[Rainbowrider]

Oh, whoops, I thought sharp sand and builders sand were the same thing. Soz. Still not the right stuff to use though.

 

[Litorio]

Thanks very much, very helpful

 

[Litorio]

drainage is being done now, shouln't be a problem

 

[henryhorn]

We have had two arenas, first one was river and quarry sand, which froze solid but apart from that was always rideable.
The current one is a mixture of silica sand and rubber chips which were formerly our indoor school surface, with lots of Padstow sea sand added in for stability.
The surface is near enough perfect to ride on in all weathers apart from a bit dusty in summer.
My husband's reasoning was the beach gives a sort of firm ride with a bit of give, and he wanted that, hence the sea sand.
In our experience the biggest thing you need to do is give the arena a fall to one end, you don't notice it when riding but any water drains naturally to there then away into a drain or lower level.
I think we used 4 to 6 " of sand then the rubber on top, then rolled like mad for a couple of days.
Your biggest cost will be the flipping transport now, but I wouldn't use builders' sand if I were you...