Sand school surface

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mandy4727

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What would be the best to use. We currently have beach sand and although not bad in winter, very very hard in summer. A friend has just had his done with wood fibre and says it is fab. What do people think, and also silica sand. What do you have on yours and what are it's good and bad points? Thanks in advance.
 
Ask Andrews-Bowen - they have fibres to mix in with sand to stabilise it. However, beach sand is made up of the remains of pebbles and had a round grain which rolls over its neighbouring grains badly when the surface is dry. I presume you mean 'deep' going, not 'hard', in summer? If it's hard, then I doubt you have beach sand.

Don't add rubber crumb - it won't bind the sand together. You may get the hard sell, but stick to your guns. I had beach sand and whilst it was lovely in the wetter months, it was hell to ride on in summer.

I had it taken away and I got a new one... The difference is unbelievable.
 
I wouldn't go for wood chip. We had a fab menage last summer made with woodchip. The problem was when it got to winter all the wood chip soaked up the water and we were left with a bog! In the end we had to have it all dug up and silica sand and rubber put down instead. I suspect the woodchip might have been better with better drainage but I still think it will soak up a lot of water!
 
I am intrigued by your beach sand. You do know its against the law to steal sand from a beach don't you??? The best thing would be like the last poster said, to mix the sand with something like rubber, and to maintain it well by rolling and harrowing.
 
i wouldnt go for wood at all - we made that mistake years ago and have a useless outdoor. (not a major worry as most use the indoor or fields anyway - but still annoying!) Its good, for the 1st couple of years, then its a nightmare of mulch! (no matter how long the companies claim it will last!)

I've just looked into the flexiride, looks ok, but expensive. Where did you get your beach sand from? I remember calling a guy years ago from Southport way but i cant recall who he was.
 
The sand wasn't "stolen" it was bought by the lorry load from a sand and stone merchant local to us. There are loads of bits of broken up shells in the sand, hence the reason I called it beach sand. And it is very very hard to ride on in summer, no give in it at all.
 
We had a crag (quarry sand) surface put down a few years ago and every time you rode on it, it just got deeper and deeper and the young horse had a problem riding through it. We had the majority of it taken off and replaced with Cushionride. It's been great, but I now only have one horse and it's not ridden on very much.

I think Cushionride is fine but I understand that if you have several horses, and it is in daily use, then it might need topping up more regularly. Other than that, it's been a very good surface to ride ON (not IN!).
 
Rest assured Cushion Ride is NOT fine. No good for jumping or lunge work. Not fit for anything bar working the family pony. And after our top-up the surface became dangerous and didn't bind together.
The Comany's get out is that they just provide the material and won't take responsibility for anything other problems. STAY away from the stuff - its lethal!
 
Try Martin Collins Clopf we have used it and been really pleased with the results of binding sand and ruber to the fibre.
 
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