Recommend me a topper surface for my silica arena...

[I_A_P]

Please....

I know I have asked this before and am currently doing a search of the forums to look up other posts.

I have a 20 x 40 with silica sand (top grade from leziate quarry) which has been down since 2010 so is wel bedded in. It will only be ridden on about 5 times a week but would like it to be able to cope with more than that for the future! Would flatworm, lunge and jump on it.

Am looking at clopf, flexiride, rubber chunks probably but open to suggestions

Springride shred is too expensive. I have lots of quotes from when I last looked into it and am now getting some upto date ones but I just can't make a decision! My arena drains fantastically (no puddles even in torrential rain), Ideally I don't want a surface that will freeze or that needs watering.

Look forward to all of your opinions.

 

[glamourpuss]

I am looking at arena surfaces at the moment.
I am drawn to flexi ride. It has some great reviews & Equestrian Direct have been extremely helpful.
The main thing for me is that it requires very little maintenance as in harrowing etc

 

[I_A_P]

glamourpuss - I am leaning towards it for the same reasons. i dont want anything too thick and deep though.

 

[Frankie10]

I'm in the same situation as you& have decided on Clopf. My instructor has it on her arena & my boy loves it x

 

[I_A_P]

Frankie10 - yes my instructor has it too and I do like it (although the one i know still has some rubber chunks in too). My only concern is laying it and needing to water it. Also how much maintenance does it need? I have a roll and a straight tine harrow.

 

[LynH]

I've just had a new arena installed with Flexiride on top of silica sand and I am really pleased with it. I had a look at another arena with Flexiride and liked it but am actually happier with it now I've seen it installed new. It compacts nicely so they ride on top of it but is easily fluffed up if needed. The one thing I was not aware of was that irrespective of topping the arena company told me not to ride on it until it had 2" of rain to compact the sand.

 

[I_A_P]

Thanks lynH- I'm assuming that as my sand is very well compacted already I should be able to use it straight away. Hat do you use yours for?

 

[LynH]

I do dressage mainly but the one I went to see had just been used for a two day jumping clinic and you couldn't see anywhere any sign of horses even being on it let alone 20+ jumping each day.

 

[jess_asterix]

We had the combi ride Dual stabiliser added to ours last summer and it has wroked really well, much firmer to ride on and doesn't require as much maintenance as I was leveling the arena every day before.

 

[I_A_P]

Lynh that sounds good.
Thanks Jess- do you have any photos of your arena? Does it need watering ?

 

[jess_asterix]

That what it looks like when it is all mixed in

It was a lot darker when it was first took down but went like this within a month as it all got mixed in.
I havn't watered it no and it rides fine but I haven't had it down through a prolonged dry period as didn't have it until all the rain started last year!

 

[I_A_P]

Thank you, looks nice. It's so hard to decide! Half the reason why uv been dithering for so long along with the cost! If the weather continues like this it being dry will not be a concern!!

 

[I_A_P]

Jess- was it hard to mix?

 

[measles]

We put down Equilok just before the end of the year on recommendation from Landtech Solutions who build arenas and it's been great. I'd highly recommend it, the horses go well on it and it was very sensibly priced.

 

[jess_asterix]

Jess- was it hard to mix?

No, it was all delivered in 1 tonne bags, can't remember how much we had now but we just got a friend who does arena to come and mix it in and it was all done in a day as he ha the right machinery.

 

[I_A_P]

Measles- thanks will google it now

Jess- sounds good