Menage help, advice and surface options/costs

I_A_P

I_A_P

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Would really appreciate some replies please!

We are looking to build our own 20x40m menage hopefully sometime next year and i would like some help please! Unfortunately it can not be any bigger due to cost and lack of grazing.

We have already had out field drained and extra drains put in where the menage will go (all planned by someone who has constructed several menages)

We are hoping the person who did the drains will be able to give us a bit of advice to do the rest as dad will be planning to do the majority of the work himself.

Originally the plan was to go for silica and rubber...but now leaning towards the idea of Clopf as i have head good things about it.
We are going to be on a budget and it will be just the one horse using the surface fairly regularly.


Does anyone have names of suppliers where they got thier materials from including limestone/membranes/silica sands/rubber or other surfaces from?
or has anyone used specific companies which they found were very good?

Anyone built their menage themselves and how did it work out on costs...have you got any tips?

Any general advice/information would be really helpful. I am going to start asking a few companies for samples of surfaces as well.

Any surfaces that are worth avoiding as well?

Thank you- im sure i will have further questions as well!
 
I built my 40 x 20 about 6 years ago with the help from a local grounds person with a JCB. I initially tried to save on costs and used Cushion Ride. Last year I removed the Cushion Ride as it was dangerous (horse kept slipping and going over).

Last September I replaced it with Silica Sand and added Equistrian Surfaces Cushion Track fibre to it, which from the samples I had is very similar to clopf. It rode really well, until the winter when it froze solid for weeks and then in the spring when we had no rain it rode really deep. In the end I added a layer of Belvoir strip rubber to the top of it and since I have been 100% happy with it and in the recent very dry spell it has not gone deep at all and all I do maintenance wise is rake in the corners and sides once every 2 or 3 months.

If you want to know all the suppliers I used for sand, stone etc PM me and I will happily pass them on to you.

You are also welcome to come and see my arena if you wish.
 
Hi

I built our 4 years ago, it cost £10k. the construction was, drain chanels with 4'' drainage pipes X4 across the long length lined with menbrane & fill with 20mm wash stone, then another membrane then 120 tone of wash stone 6' thick & rolled. then another membrane and then the top surfice, we put cusion ride down and hen topped it up with washed sand (grit type) + fencing

It has been great, get the drainage & stone correct, ours has a very slight slope on it to helpe draiange.
 
springs- thank you thats very helpful
smile.gif
 
where are you in east anglia i will be able to give you some useful numbers of sand and stone suppliers most of the good sand comes from the kings lynn area the haulage is the killer you will need 160-180 tons of sand depending on on toppings do not skimp this i put in 180 on the last one and added turfloat binding fibres happy people good riding biggest problem is keeping it wet a heavy rain is not enough to settle a menage it needs a damn good watering we put a diesel powerered water pump in to the last one with sprinklers in france most good menages have these down each side.There are various drainage types of drain stone limestone or sandstone but these can be slightly dusty and can break up after a number of years if not hard enough you ideally need angular 20-40mm stone not nound as it moves less under horses hoofs.main thing is drainage 4 runs of 110mm land drain laid in stone then covered in geotextile .i find the most important thing is to make sure the site is dug off absolutely level then you will not get any weak spots or catch any high spots when putting different levels down.ther is some good as raised sand about at the moment which is ideal for a menage but it is limited it is not silica quality but it is not far off
 
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