Overgown/unused school

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chaps89

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I'm going to have a look at a field to rent but I've been told there is currently a sandschool but it's not been used in a while and is full of weeds. However if I clear it I can use it apparently.
I suspect long term it's worth doing but just how much work might be involved and can you restore a neglected school back to being useable?
I don't have a car suitable for harrowing it unfortunately - are there any alternative options for ongoing maintenance?
 
I have a sand school that when I moved into the property was badly neglected and full of weeds. I attempted to weed it but it did my head in and after spending a whole day and clearing about 4 square metres I gave up. However I did get someone to come and weed it by hand, it took about 2 weeks of solid work. I also needed to put more sand down. It’s great now and I keep on top of the weeds by spraying/ pulling them up as soon as they appear!
 
Yes, ours had almost trees growing in it (up to around 4 ft high). We used chemicals to kill them, then pulled the worst (anything over about 2ft). We had to be careful with the pulling as the roots were obviously under the membrane.

After that we used it as turnout, and that mushed up a lot of the rest. The farmer neighbour harrowed for us, then we pulled again.

We did have a car and then did some lightweight harrowing.

The school is lovely now. I topped up with a bit more sand, some black ash and some rubber. Drains well, rides well in wet or dry.
 
Ours was overgrown but mostly with grass. Everyone just rode in it and eventually the sand reappeared. We topped it up a bit = not briliiant but adequate.
 
Depends how overgrown it is. You could stick a horse in it to graze it down. I did this recently with a weedy arena and a horse that needed to lose weight. Also riding in it makes a big difference. (They trample the weeds underfoot).

If the growth is very bad I would spray it (I've done this in the past). Even if you don't spray it, at this time of year you won't have to worry about the weeds continuing to grow. As jillA said, a knapsack sprayer is the thing to use.
 
Goats! I have a few goats that I use for clearing everywhere from my back garden to the bits of grass and verges at the yard. They are a pain to keep in anywhere but do an amazing job of clearing anything growing. If you are nearby you can borrow them! :)
 
Thanks all.
I went to view it tonight and had to ask where the school was - it didn't just have a few weeds, it was totally overgrown with mountains of rubbish. So a bit more than pulling a couple of bits and pieces up and a basic tidy up.
It was a real shame, at some point it was obviously a well card for, no expense spared yard. I walked across the school and it had a good surface, the fencing was good quality and the field shelter must have cost a good amount. And it's had no tlc or attention for years which is just such a shame as the whole place just looks tired, run down and neglected with a whole heap of maintenance needed.
However they're asking for a rent which is too high given it's current state imho. I'm more than happy to take it on and put the work in but simply couldn't afford to at the price they're asking. So if the price is negotiable or they will get someone in to do what needs to be done then it will be perfect but I appreciate they may not want to so well have to see.
 
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