Sandschool maintenence - help please

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BethH

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Hi

I am lucky to have the use of a lovely sandschool but just recently now that I have a few liveries it is starting to ride really deep and bank up at the sides. I have never really had to level it before as it has always had the most fantastic surface and the rain has always done the job, but the owner has said that although I pay him a decent amount for maintenence, that this is also my responsibility to deal with the surface (great!).

I need to go buy a leveller or a roller or something, just don't know what and where to get some to do the job from. someone has suggested a 5 bar gate but although that will level the surface I am not sure it will drag down the banks that have built up around the sides or compress it so that it isn't so deep.

Any ideas what I should buy and where from. Somewhere reasonable would be great although I have a feeling it is going to cost a fair bit. Oh for owning my own place rather than renting!!!!!
 
Hey, where I work they have a rubber/sand school, levelling it is my all time favourite job....

Anyhow to get the banks down you have to manually go around the edge with a shaving fork & toss it away from the sides, it will be particularly deep in the corner. After this we use a harrow to level it off. There are often harrows for sale in the classifieds of the H&H.
 
Dont use harrows on a sand school, I have a sand school (it is just beach sand) and my horses are turned out in it when its too wet for them to be in the field. I use a device which my husband made (its basically small tubes of steel, in a square, with an angle that pulls the sides in. I level my school about once every 2 or 3 weeks and it is probably the best surface you can ride on. I will post some photos and measurements later when I get home.
 
i have a chain harrow for my sand school & it works great , you do have to give it a helping hand though by raking the sides in by hand as already said

i guess a harrow could be a problem is the surface was very shallow as it could damage the membrane but mines not so its fine ,

if the sand is quite deep it may benefit from rollin & may take several bouts of maintenence to get it back good if its got a bit of a state
 
Hi thanks to you all for your replies, think as you suggest will have to attack edges with hand rake (how depressing) and go buy leveller, think harrow may be a bit harsh as tonight saw a couple of bits of the membrane poking through deep joy! Owlie185 will email you as have feeling may need to contact the company you suggest.

Thanks again everyone
 
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