Recommendations for new menage surfaces

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Kizzy2004

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We are in the process of looking for a new arena surface.

The YO doesn't want sand/rubber surface and so we are looking for recommendations for other types of surfaces and companies used.

Arena is a 20x40 outdoor school.

Thanks in anticipation
 
Sand and rubber and fibre is the best surface, although not the cheapest, it does pay for itself over time, any reason your yo is so set against it? Mine doesn't even freeze in winter. I can only think of woodchip which is a bit rubbish really and not cost effective over time.
 
We have wood chip at the moment and definitely don't want that again.

She's not against sand/fibre just not rubber as she's worried that she wouldn't be able to dispose of the rubber if the surface was changed again and because have the muck heap taken away by the local farmer if people don't pick out the rubber from the dung he won't take it.
 
I don't recommend combi-ride, it disappears in four years or less. I've seen it in three arenas, one mine. Very disappointed with it.
 
Kizzy2004 said:
Thanks everyone.

I've got a quote from carpet fibre would be good to know if anyone on the forum have had it put down
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A riding school had it down in early summer 2016 and is very pleased with it so far. It was put on top of a worn out sand surface and mixed with silica sand.
 
We have a sand and fibre surface at our yard. It doesn't freeze and I have been able to ride all through the winter so far. Oh and it has some 'give' if you come off at high speed.
I have ridden on a Martin Collins surfaces and it seems to be a bit hit and miss; some are OK to ride on and others have the horses tripping / stumbling.
I have competed on a fibre surfaces and have no complaints.
I was on a yard with a rubber surface and it very quickly gets 'tracks' which are hard to remove with the harrow and the worst complaint is that it is so dirty; the horse's legs and belly will be completely caked in black 'goo' if you ride when it is wet.
I have no experience of wood chip on a riding surface but I have walked on wood chip paths and they can get very slippy when they are wet.
 
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Gazen said:
We have a sand and fibre surface at our yard. It doesn't freeze and I have been able to ride all through the winter so far. Oh and it has some 'give' if you come off at high speed.
I have ridden on a Martin Collins surfaces and it seems to be a bit hit and miss; some are OK to ride on and others have the horses tripping / stumbling.
I have competed on a fibre surfaces and have no complaints.
I was on a yard with a rubber surface and it very quickly gets 'tracks' which are hard to remove with the harrow and the worst complaint is that it is so dirty; the horse's legs and belly will be completely caked in black 'goo' if you ride when it is wet.
Click to expand...

I don't like the black rubber, looks a mess and even on dry days the legs get stained black. In the ideal world an Andrew Bowens surface would be heaven but a lottery win is needed for one of those. We were at a competition centre with a brand new unwaxed leisure ride outdoor recently and it was frozen solid, which was surprising given that the night before had only been -1. The indoor was waxed leisure ride and rode well.
 
I have the name of an arena company I would avoid after a very bad experience and a lot of lost £. It is a well known one that advertises nationally. PM me if you would like more details.
 
We put in a silica sand and fibre arena last year, it's lovely to ride on, very firm and stable but with a bit of bounce. The fibre needs to be well rotovated in to help stabilise it.

We got our fibre from Valley Equestrian, their high quality fibre is brand new shredded carpet, that they provide to arena companies as clopf.
 
I know you don't want rubber so this is for other people. There is rubber and rubber. I have never had staining of white legs from chopped tyre, but chopped seals are dreadful for staining. I also found them slippery in some conditions. I'd have tyres any time, but never seals.

If you want cheap fibre and have time or an army of people to shred it and lay it, I have got a terrific result almost free from adding dog hair and sheep wool to my arena. The dog hair is best but the wool is more abundant. I never grade it, I just kick back in any footprint. I've done it over three years. Every time I've got a footprint, I scraped it back to base sand, laid hair/wool and kick the surface back over. It's now fantastic, at least as good as if I'd paid a lot of money for carpet, but it needs almost no maintenance.
 
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