Menage surface...rubber or synthetic fibres or what? Please advise me! :-)

HappyNeds

HappyNeds

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Please can you help - we are making the costly decision to build a menage, and really need to get it right first time. The big debate is surface.

The contractor who is building the menage suggests rubber top to the silica sand. However I have read (on this forum!) that after time the rubber can mix in deep with the sand, meaning the sand can't be compressed/rollered properly (becuase of the springy rubber) and the whole thing rides too deep.

I know with rubber when it's raked the rubber is supposed to come to the top and the sand drop through, but surely it would all get too mixed up for this to happen completely? And if the sand gets too loose how can you roll the sand if it's under the rubber?


We've seen a menage with a synthetic fibre (called Poly Fibre) basically a heavy-duty felt that doesn't degrade. It rides firmer, and although it's only mixed in the top couple of inches it is supposed to eventually mix all the way through the sand, but the sand can still be compressed. This seems promising to us, but the menage we saw was quite new, so wanted to know if anyone has had this type of surface for a longer time?


We are interested in the longevity of these products - have any of you out there had a surface for several years+ and is it still going strong?

We will be riding on it most days, with a little bit of everything (lunging, jumping, flatwork etc)

We are borrowing to build this, and so it really matters to us to get it right, in that we don't want to have to be changing/adding expensive surfaces whiles still paying for it!

Thank you in advance for the wisdom of your experience! :D:D
 
Hi, I'm sorry to bump this, but just wondered if anyone is in this evening (that was perhaps out this afternoon) that might have some advice on this?
Thank you :):)
 
Can't help with other surfaces but we had PVC and silica sand mix in ours and it lasted about 15 years before we topped it up. It's just a small private yard so doesn't have high use but it never froze and drained perfectly. We topped up with just silica sand and I have to say it does get a tiny bit deep when very dry now which it never did with the mix.
 
I've got wood fibre - rides fantastically, has not frozen even in minus 15, and seems to last well - requires topping up every three years or so.... ours gets daily use for both riding and turnout..... hope that helps. I have to say as well that having built it, it was money very well spent!
 
Thanks Sirocco, 15 years is a good long time - and I know everything need topping up at some point, and that's fine.

Ours won't be heavy use, as also private yard also, say no more than 2 horses per day for about an hour will be the maximum.

I've tried googling PVC menage surface, but not much as come up, is it a granular additive or a type of fibre?

Thanks
 
abercrombie&titch said:
I've got wood fibre - rides fantastically, has not frozen even in minus 15, and seems to last well - requires topping up every three years or so.... ours gets daily use for both riding and turnout..... hope that helps. I have to say as well that having built it, it was money very well spent!
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Hi abercrombie&titch, thanks for your reply. I'm surprised at this as I've been told to avoid wood fibre as it can be slippery as it decomposes. That's clearly not been your experience though. May I ask how many years you've had it?
 
yes sure - we're in our sixth year.... I've not found it slippy at all - it doesn't blow away like sand or ever ride deep even when topped up. I admit I do look after it - poop scoop after each use, but it only gets levelled every couple of months - sometimes longer. It rides well under TB types and heavy cobs, plus everything inbetween - jumping and flat.
 
abercrombie&titch said:
yes sure - we're in our sixth year.... I've not found it slippy at all - it doesn't blow away like sand or ever ride deep even when topped up. I admit I do look after it - poop scoop after each use, but it only gets levelled every couple of months - sometimes longer. It rides well under TB types and heavy cobs, plus everything inbetween - jumping and flat.
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Thanks for the extra info - very interesting, and I'm it wouldn't be as expensive as silica sand as well, which is another huge bonus. Is it a particular type of wood chip?

The only problem now is it's not narrowing down my decision - but widening the options even more!! :D
 
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