Manage grading hints & tips, please?

[catembi]

I don't think that I am grading my manege correctly & would appreciate some help. The surface is economy track which is sand with fibre mixed in. I am using (what I think is) the correct grader, which is 6 ft wide and has a row of sturdy c-shaped tines, then a row of smaller, lighter tines, then a crumb roller on the back, towed by a quad. The arena is 20x40.

I graded it this morning, but then when riding on it this evening was v aware that it has furrows which is because I always grade in straight lines parallel with the centre line. I go around the perimeter, then one width in from the edge and down the centre line, then the next lap would be two widths in from the edge and one width over from the centre line etc. So I cover the whole arena once, but in straight lines.

I am not sure that I am doing it right. Should I be going diagonally to break up the furrows? The trouble is, the turning circle of quad + grader isn't great, & tbh I struggle to get down the centre line! Also I only have a 300cc 2 wheel drive quad, & it doesn't like going over the surface once it's been graded as it gets bogged down. I am sure that I'm not grading it correctly but I don't know what to do differently. I was lungeing on it today & was v aware that if I was a horse, I wouldn't want to be jumping on a 'ridged' surface.

All help appreciated. I think I need a 4WD, 400cc quad, but I can't afford one, especially not after a vet call out today on New Year's Day...

 

[HashRouge]

When you turn the quad and start a new line, are you overlapping onto the line you've just finished (with the harrow)? I've done a lot of harrowing arenas, both with quads and a land rover, and I've never found that I've been leaving noticeable furrows, although I would always make sure to overlap my lines slightly. I prefer to do straight lines using the long side as I always think it looks neater in straight lines, although I did at one time work for an SJ rider who always left jumps out, so you had to weave all over the place in his school. The land rover was by far the hardest to use for harrowing as it was too big really and you had to be really careful doing the outside edge and judging the corners.

 

[catembi]

Yes, I do overlap... I like straight lines because, as you say, it looks neater. Maybe I haven't got my 2nd row of tines set low enough, so perhaps they're not doing enough...?

The first time I ever graded it, I'd got a grader but no quad, so I towed it using the lorry which for some reason has a tow bar! OMG that was a challenge as it was faaaaaaaar too big...!

 

[HashRouge]

Yes, I do overlap... I like straight lines because, as you say, it looks neater. Maybe I haven't got my 2nd row of tines set low enough, so perhaps they're not doing enough...?

The first time I ever graded it, I'd got a grader but no quad, so I towed it using the lorry which for some reason has a tow bar! OMG that was a challenge as it was faaaaaaaar too big...!

Yes I'd have a look at the tines, as I can't see why it should be leaving big ridges, especially as you're overlapping the lines. I absolutely love harrowing, it's so satisfying!

 

[Lady Jane]

I would check you are using the right grader and get advice on the set up. The supplier of the grader or the supplier of the surface shoild be able to help you. I wouldn't expect furrows. You may have tines set too low?

 

[Supercalifragilistic]

My thinking is that your tines are too low. I was told by our arena installer (sand and fibre) that the grader should really only be catching the high points to bring them level with the lower points. He said that most of the issues they see are people either grading too fast or going too deep.
I also alternate going up and down with doing serpentines.

 

[millitiger]

Sounds like your tines are too long/ too low.
You don't really want anything digging down into the surface and unsetting it- more brushing over the top to level any peaks or low spots.

I have fibre only as a surface and we only ever roll it, never harrow etc.
When we had sand and fibre before, my OH would set the harrows very high so they just tickled the top to level.

 

[catembi]

But the sand compacts down very firmly, so if I just scratched the surface, it would be quite hard underneath…?

I saved up for the surface manufacturer’s grader, and was v excited to order it, but just as I had saved up the exact amount, they put it up by £500 + vat. I have the equivalent from somewhere else.

 

[catembi]

Tbh, the manufacturer couldn’t really seem to be bothered with their smaller customers i.e. those not having an equitation centre with multiple arenas. I found it very hard to wring answers out of them re their maintenance package. Very secretive and would NOT give me a ballpark figure so I could judge if I was wasting their time.

 

[teapot]

What state are the tines in? Ie are they worn or still relatively new? If they've worn down over time they won't helping matters.

Also worth making sure you never do the same pattern of harrowing too regularly, especially on a not heavy used arena because you'll be going over the same ground each day and causing it to sit in the same place, ie allowing ridges to form.

 

[blitznbobs]

How often do you grade it? is your surface waxed?

 

[catembi]

Not waxed. I use it every day for 20 minutes, 99.9% in walk as that's all my horse can do, & I grade it every other week. The sand compacts like concrete so what I am doing is carving furrows in concrete, so the bits between the tines stay concrete like...? Grader is only a year old and not worn at all. I will see if I can get some photos. There's always more to everything than you'd think, isn't there...?

 

[oldie48]

I was told to grade it by doing circles that move down the arena. I have a sand and rubber chip surface so it may be different with yours. tbh I'd contact the people who installed it.

 

[Andie02]

There's always more to everything than you'd think, isn't there...?[/QUOTE]

Absolutely ...........there's no accounting for first hand experience..........in any field.

 

[Tiddlypom]

The sand should not be compacting like concrete, something is not right with your surface. Please contact the installers for advice.

With respect to grading an arena, I follow the advice given by Arenamate who I bought my leveller from. Each time you grade the arena, go up and down overlapping lengthways then repeat same widthways. I use an old SORN'd LWB with the turning circle of the Queen Mary, and she does grand in my 40m x 20m sand and rubber arena.

 

[Landcruiser]

I have an arena grading question too. My surface is a second hand Martin Collins Eco track one, (I got it for the price of the haulage last summer!). I've only graded it a couple of times as it's had very light use so far. I have a basic grader with fixed straight times about 2 inches long, or you can invert it so it's flat. First grading the arena was very uneven as had just been roughly spread by the contractor. I found that the tines "combed" the fibre out and left it in cobs on the top of the surface, but I persisted until the arena was levelled as best I could. The result was OKish, but left some ridges of mostly fibre and some "bare patches" of what looks like fibre free sand (although they still have a tiny amount of give when pressed down). Then it sat and bedded in for a few weeks or so. Then it was levelled again, but this time with the leveller inverted, which seemed much better although I'm aware doesn't help any compaction. My question - how do you fluff up a fibre/silica sand mix surface without dragging the fibre out into lumps?

 

[Xmasha]

Agree with TP . Arenamate actually came out and did a full on demo .
He recommended up and down overlapping , then width overlapping , finishing with doing a few diagonals .
I’d say your tines are too low, as I had the same issue once . I’d used the quad then moved to the pick up and back to quad . I forgot to change the height and ended up with furrows .
I also use a roller on ours every so often , it really helps keep the surface level .

 

[catembi]

Okay, so I have done some photos…

Landcruiser, has your grader got a crumb roller? That’s the orange thing on the back of mine. This reintegrates the fluff. I also can’t grade mine if it’s too dry as the fibres sit on the top instead of being integrated. I have a sprinkler but it feels bad to use it…decadent to water sand in summer when the grass is scorched…

 

[catembi]

The arena ones won’t attach, despite resizing them… ?

 

[catembi]

Managed it!

I found the company patronising and hard work ?

 

[teapot]

Looking at those, I'd be wanting someone to look at the surface underneath, sadly. Could you get an independent third party company to come out for an honest assessment if original company aren't worth the hassle?

 

[Landcruiser]

Okay, so I have done some photos…

Landcruiser, has your grader got a crumb roller? That’s the orange thing on the back of mine. This reintegrates the fluff. I also can’t grade mine if it’s too dry as the fibres sit on the top instead of being integrated. I have a sprinkler but it feels bad to use it…decadent to water sand in summer when the grass is scorched…

Nope, it's as basic as basic can be, one stage up from dragging a gate or pallet I think. The price of the more fancy graders was a bridge too far, as it's just me using the arena, with barefoot horses, only doing TREC and agility type stuff and groundwork.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Managed it!

I found the company patronising and hard work ?

Name them? Others may have had previous dealings with them (good or bad).

I used Charles Britton. All good.

 

[Dam1]

Hi
Was your arena surface pre mixed or did it come as seperate loads of sand and fibre ?
My arena needed a top up so I had sand first topped with the fibre and it was mixed together with a rotavator by the contractor. This left the arena very fluffy and deep until it rained when it vastly improved. However when I graded it (grader similar to yours) a lot of the fibre stuck to the tynes as it didn't seem to be fully mixed with the sand. This doesn't happen now but it took a good year before it felt as if the fibre had fully mixed in.
Looking at the furrows on yours it just looks like you need to take the tynes up a notch or two.
Hope you get it sorted x

 

[blitznbobs]

Not waxed. I use it every day for 20 minutes, 99.9% in walk as that's all my horse can do, & I grade it every other week. The sand compacts like concrete so what I am doing is carving furrows in concrete, so the bits between the tines stay concrete like...? Grader is only a year old and not worn at all. I will see if I can get some photos. There's always more to everything than you'd think, isn't there...?

we have just had a non wax surface put down and the advice we were given was the more you grade it the better it will get - if you are riding on it every day it needs grading really every day and in random directions too

 

[catembi]

I think that I will try grading it in different patterns & maybe do it every week instead of fortnight... I hate doing it as the quad has a manual choke which is quite temperamental. If I can manage to keep it running without stalling for 5 minutes until it's warmed up, it will then behave, but I dread the battle of wits! Then if no better, I will try the company that supplied it or get an independent opinion on it. Atm, even if freshly graded, if I tread on it myself it will compact. I have compacted spots all over atm from my feet where I was lungeing Trev. I am not sure if this is correct...?

The surface was supplied premixed. It stays mixed while it's damp & separates out when it gets too dry. If I water it & then grade it, it will then reintegrate. If I grade it dry, the fluff just ends up on top.

I also pick out feet every single time before going on the arena & pick up every last bit of poo, so don't think I've 'damaged' it...? Who knows!

 

[millitiger]

Looking at your photos, I think you need someone with a power harrow to come and give it a good going over to thoroughly combine it all back together and 'fluff' the sand up a bit.

I still think your tines are too long and won't be useful for your type of surface going forwards.

 

[catembi]

Tines are fully adjustable so I can put them at whatever height I want