amandaco2
Well-Known Member
yes our black smaller arena has tall thick trees on 2 sides and is almost enclosed by thick trees set back from the fence on the other sides.... enough so the sun gets on it most the day!
Quick survey - has your school frozen?
- Thread starter meardsall_millie
- Start date
mrussell
Well-Known Member
Was freezing on Tuesday evening... and is now like a block of sand rock. Pah.
Outdoors, sand and fibre and turfloaty stuff.
oh and the drainage is superb so its not down to that either...
Outdoors, sand and fibre and turfloaty stuff.
oh and the drainage is superb so its not down to that either...
Tinks81
Well-Known Member
mine is sand and rubber and has frozen for the first time this year though i knew i should of got more rubber for it last year !
should be fine if i topped it up though x
should be fine if i topped it up though x
Horsemad12
Well-Known Member
Was fine as of last night. Sand with a good layer of rubber chunks on the top it is levelled weekly though which ensures that the rubber does stay on the top.
noodle_
Well-Known Member
i think its sand and rubber (but all i can see is rubber strips 
)
its frozen/slightly hard but still very usable!
i wait until the afternoon to ride tho - im lucky in that resepect i can choose the times i ride due to current work/uni schedule
)its frozen/slightly hard but still very usable!
i wait until the afternoon to ride tho - im lucky in that resepect i can choose the times i ride due to current work/uni schedule
Noodlebug
Well-Known Member
Frozen since Wed Rubber and Sand. It was crispy Tuesday night but with the minus temperatures has had chance to defrost!
Jingleballs
Well-Known Member
We have an eco arena.
It's sort of wood fibre/timber based with a similar sub base.
There is a slight crust on top but has still been rideable although you just need to watch for the surface balling slightly in the horses feet.
It's sort of wood fibre/timber based with a similar sub base.
There is a slight crust on top but has still been rideable although you just need to watch for the surface balling slightly in the horses feet.
B-B
Well-Known Member
I think mine has been concreted over in the night.
Its sand and has very good drainage so I didnt expect it to hold water to freeze.
Comp tomorrow has been cancelled as the surface is hard and snow is forecast.
Considering it now Feb I wont complain. Its also very beautiful out there and a dry cold - wind and rain is far worse!
Just March to get through and with a bit of luck turned back out 24/7 in April
Not long now!!
Its sand and has very good drainage so I didnt expect it to hold water to freeze.
Comp tomorrow has been cancelled as the surface is hard and snow is forecast.
Considering it now Feb I wont complain. Its also very beautiful out there and a dry cold - wind and rain is far worse!
Just March to get through and with a bit of luck turned back out 24/7 in April
Not long now!!
showjump
Well-Known Member
IMHO unless the menage has a good layer of rubber to isulate the sand below it will freeze. The rubber doesnt hold the moisture, so it wont freeze. The trouble with sand and fibre (or similar) is that the moisure in the sand freezes, and the surface freezes rock hard. Even with the best drainage a school will still freeze, if theres moisture held in the surface.
Interesting thread, as i too am building my new arena. My old one was sand and fibre and would freeze. We were in a sheltered spot, but that also prevented the sun from thawing it so it was useable!
Interesting thread, as i too am building my new arena. My old one was sand and fibre and would freeze. We were in a sheltered spot, but that also prevented the sun from thawing it so it was useable!
Lark
Well-Known Member
We have sand and Clopf fibre (there is a lot of fibre in it) it is a little crunchy on top but once harrowed it is fine.
We have rubber on stand-by to add in but haven't needed it as yet.
We have rubber on stand-by to add in but haven't needed it as yet.
Mrs_Wishkabibble
Well-Known Member
Trackright and rubber. Not frozen whatsoever and in about 8 years has only frozen once lamd thay was last year when we had a massive downpour and then immediate freeze to minus 8 so the water didn't get chance to drain before it froze.
meardsall_millie
Well-Known Member
What a fantastic response - thanks to everyone (keep 'em coming!)
So to sum up, it seems that anything that has a good insulating layer over the sand (the most common on here seems to be rubber chunks but also some thumbs up for carpet shreds), is well maintained and well drained, is least likely to freeze.
There are also some recommendations for some type of sand mix/additive (eg, Measles' PVC granules) which I guess aids drainage but also stop the sand grains sticking together?
I've narrowed my options down to rubber chunks and carpet shreds - both have pros and cons - but it seems I'm on the right lines
So to sum up, it seems that anything that has a good insulating layer over the sand (the most common on here seems to be rubber chunks but also some thumbs up for carpet shreds), is well maintained and well drained, is least likely to freeze.
There are also some recommendations for some type of sand mix/additive (eg, Measles' PVC granules) which I guess aids drainage but also stop the sand grains sticking together?
I've narrowed my options down to rubber chunks and carpet shreds - both have pros and cons - but it seems I'm on the right lines
meardsall_millie
Well-Known Member
What's Trackright MrsW?
Horsemad12
Well-Known Member
You are welcome to come and have a ride on ours to see what you think - may cost you a Creme Egg!!!
Peegeesmum
Well-Known Member
Mine is sharp sand,and is not frozen despite temps below freezing. I don't know if it has helped, but we turn 4 out on it during the day,so it gets plenty of trampling
meardsall_millie
Well-Known Member
KVH
Well-Known Member
Ditto this.
Firewell
Well-Known Member
Gosh we've just had the surface on ours this summer. It wasn't that expensive about 4-5k for a 50x30. it's a silver coloured sand
with a black rubber topping although now it's all mixed in.
It's held up really well. It's been a bit hard underneath in the mornings but ok to walk and trot on and in the evening it's been totally fine and I've been jumping and cantering on it.
I can't remember what company the rubber was from, I know it was a basic option but honestly it's great. The horses don't slip or anything on it.
with a black rubber topping although now it's all mixed in.
It's held up really well. It's been a bit hard underneath in the mornings but ok to walk and trot on and in the evening it's been totally fine and I've been jumping and cantering on it.
I can't remember what company the rubber was from, I know it was a basic option but honestly it's great. The horses don't slip or anything on it.
kirstyhen
Well-Known Member
Ours is Rubber and fibre sand and apart from a slight crust this morning, it's not frozen. I was jumping on it last night in -5 and it was perfect.
meardsall_millie
Well-Known Member
monkeybum13
Well-Known Member
Moved yards two weekends ago and its been perfect timing, last arena would be frozen solid, when I lunged on the arena at the new place it was perfectly usable at 4.30 this afternoon, sand with a nice depth of rubber on top.
charlimouse
Well-Known Member
I have a sand and rubber surface. The rubber desperately needs topping up though, as it is mainly sand! Mine is currently freezing at night, but so long as the sun comes out during the day it is rideable by the afternoon, although today it was borderline, so I didn't canter on it.
floradora09
Well-Known Member
Think the yard's surface is sand with flexi ride on top..
Tried to ride on it tonight but was frozen, not completely solid but could only really walk and do a bit of trot on the better bits. Where's it's been in the sun it's defrosted and is better, but it's quite a shady school so where the sun hasn't got it's very solid. It's been about -7ish here.
Tried to ride on it tonight but was frozen, not completely solid but could only really walk and do a bit of trot on the better bits. Where's it's been in the sun it's defrosted and is better, but it's quite a shady school so where the sun hasn't got it's very solid. It's been about -7ish here.
rowy
Well-Known Member
Nope mine is fine. Had a lesson on it today. Mine is flexiride ontop of sand and it insulates the sand and the flexiride ontop doesnt freeze so stays spongy! We do have really good drainage as well. and it was at least -7 last night! So happy as only just had the menage installed, last 2 years they had to have the time off.
Must say that I ride on it in the evening so has had a time to defrost and the finner bits without much flexiride on top which is also in the shade doesnt defrost too well but that is only a thin strip on the track on the far side so all good
Must say that I ride on it in the evening so has had a time to defrost and the finner bits without much flexiride on top which is also in the shade doesnt defrost too well but that is only a thin strip on the track on the far side so all good
cptrayes
Well-Known Member
Combi-ride on top of sand with additional 2 inches of chopped rubber tyres. Yesterday it was usable in spite of overnight temperatures of minus 5 for several nights in a row and daytime temperatures between minus and plus 1.
I don't know if it was usable today, I wasn't here, but it seems to be fine in the afternoon if there has been sun, as there was today, no matter how cold it was. I wouldn't say I would jump on it, or get my flighty baby spinning round on it, but perfectly OK for a straightforward horse to walk trot and canter.
I don't know if it was usable today, I wasn't here, but it seems to be fine in the afternoon if there has been sun, as there was today, no matter how cold it was. I wouldn't say I would jump on it, or get my flighty baby spinning round on it, but perfectly OK for a straightforward horse to walk trot and canter.
MillionDollar
Well-Known Member
Nope It is 60 x 40, silica sand and Martin Collins Clopf. Been -8C last few nights too.
It is 60 x 40, silica sand and Martin Collins Clopf. Been -8C last few nights too.MillionDollar
Well-Known Member
It also helps that when you level it put the tines in a bit deeper to fluff the surface up. I did this yesterday, and it def helped to stop it freezing.
Our round pen is silica sand and Flexiride and that is frozen.
Both the arena and round pen have fab drainage.
Our round pen is silica sand and Flexiride and that is frozen.
Both the arena and round pen have fab drainage.
spookypony
Well-Known Member
It's just a bit below freezing here. We have a sand surface which is a bit deep at the best of times. Today it's frozen in lumpy ridges. I was going to do a wee bit of just walking in there, but was told in no uncertain terms by the round brown one that this was unacceptable. We ended up doing some walking on the yard, instead.
Am a little angry with myself: should have been wiser about the frozen school, and shouldn't have provoked an argument with the pony. I really dislike winter.
Am a little angry with myself: should have been wiser about the frozen school, and shouldn't have provoked an argument with the pony.
I really dislike winter.Frankie10
Well-Known Member
Cushionride.
-8 last night and it's frozen solid
Froze at -2 so not impressed
Field is also a death trap so one hyper 5 year old stuck in his stable x
-8 last night and it's frozen solid
Froze at -2 so not impressed
Field is also a death trap so one hyper 5 year old stuck in his stable x
TheoryX1
Well-Known Member
Our livery yards is sand and its frozen solid. Cant ride in the morning as no time and its frozen solid by the time we get there early evening. Ground in field is like iron, and its icy big time on the lane down to our turnout, so we have one hyper mare and one grumpy cob, confined to barracks at the moment.