Maneges - Who built yours?

[Fahrenheit]

We are at last getting round to sorting out getting a manege put in

after living here for 2 years without one (I just don't know how i've coped

and i've missed my sandpit from the old house - sigh!!

)
Anyway I was wondering for some recommendations for who to use?

So if you could tell me who built yours and if you are happy with it, I would much appreciate it!

I want a pretty standard 20x40, with 2 gateways and I think i'm going to go for a rubber surface this time.
Also how much did yours cost? (PM me if you don't want to publicly say how much you spent!

)
Thanks guys

 

[no_no_nanette]

Hi Horse Groupie - can I add to your queries? 'Cos the owner of our livery is planning to put in a manege - yippee!! - and is asking for advice, especially on most suitable materials. We have heard that there is now some research that claims increasing tendon and ligament injuries have been linked to rubber and more expensive "high bounce" materials in maneges, and that some people are returning to bark as a "safer" material .... What do people think? What are you planning to put down, Horse Groupie?

 

[Thistle]

I used KLH arenas. Friendly, professional and a good job, drainage is excellent and Keith is a lovely man. Have a look on their website, my arena is there!. Have since had a rubber top up, upgrade and lights, all done by KLH.

 

[scs]

We had a Charles Britton menage put in when we moved here 7 years ago - 20 x 40, rubber and sand. Absolutely fab - never ever floods, only gets firm if we have a number of days sub-zero. I can really recommend them, they were extremlty professional, took a lot of time and effort getting the groundwork perfect, and it really pays off. Everyone else I know seems to have problems with their menage, so we are always very smug. You do get what you pay or though - it cost about £14K when it was put in, and I imagine prices have gone up since then (but I think it was worth every penny). That was for everything - so menage, post and rail fencing around it, and a gate. Good luck....

 

[miller]

We used Mallow Arena's from Soham - built to same spec as Charles Britton - sand and rubber - 20x50 with 4ft6 fence 3 rail round - £18500 - brilliant - installed last July - not one puddle all winter.

Believe their prices have gone up since then though

 

[airedale]

charles britton - done quickly and NEVER floods - down for 7 years now and only just needed top up last year - sand and PVC

 

[Fahrenheit]

Thanks all...
Rufusbluemoon I am thinking of having rubber or sand

, we are mainly going to use it for lungeing and loose schoolling and long reining etc

because HorseGroupie likes to keep her feet on firm ground these days

(unless its one of my trusted old steads!

) and my ridden ones are off at a competition yard

, so i having the manege so I can do the ground work with the babies before they go away

. After what you said thou I think I will go for sand or a mixture of sand and pvc!

Thistle, I am going to google KLH arenas now and see if I can find their website - cheers!

scs & airedale, a Charles Britton manege would be my dream come true, I have sent for their info, I have always thought a Charles Britton would be out my price range but I think that not too bad 14k even if was 7 years ago, hopefully inflation hasn't pushed the price up too much - fingers crossed!

 

[Triskar]

We did! Basalt and rubber, and the total cost including lights was £14,500. Have pm'd you with the article I wrote on it for my local BHS newsletter

 

[airedale]

at least with CB you get what you pay for and it works and includes all the fencing, etc

I'd also recommend the 'keep-a-level' grader for keeping the surface in trim - mine is towed by a baby JD tractor and pulls the track in a treat

I'd not go for rubber if you're going to loose school and use it as a play pen - that is what I use mine for and the sand/pvc mix works really well

I got a 'large flake' PVC as well as the fine stuff (not from CB as we did it ourselves) for the top up - the surface LOOKS like rubber but isn't (it's chopped up car dashboards and bumpers) - but unlike a lot of rubber arenas it doesn't make the white socks on horses legs go black when it rains (unlike a large number of rubber arenas that ruin the socks on my horses legs when I'm there competing or warming up - I HATE rubber arenas for that reason alone - PLUS B. Dressage were involved in a soundness survey about 2 years ago regarding rubber surfaces and horses long term soundness when exercised on particularly the large chunky flake sized rubber)