School Surface Bark or Sand Menage.

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Charmel

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I have cordoned of an area of a field at my new yard to use as a menage area. It is very slightly sloping and well draining and 30m x40m in size. We have used it happily all summer but with the rain although not boggy at all it has become to slippery to ride in. This will not be the permanant site for a menage so I can't put a proper surface down and will be applying for planning in a different part of the yard, when finances allow (lots of other priorities first). I wondered if I can put anything down like sand or bark just to provide a better footing for the horses on a temp basis, and would I need planning to do this is? It would involve no excavation and would be moved when new menage is put in.
 
Bark tends to go to mulch, or did at yard I was at, which made it as bad as the mud. Keeping it clean (such as picking up all poo) helps extend life.
 
You won't need PP just to put a surface down on the field, once you get into excavations and foundations for your 'proper' arena you will.

I've heard that bark gets very slippery when wet, I've known of horses having nasty falls on it. A former trainer of mine put sand down on top of part of her field and it worked very well, she had an old arena which used to flood in winter but was able to teach on the temporary surface if the arena was flooded. The area she picked for the sand had very good natural drainage though. Sounds good that you have a slight slope, so excess water should drain off.
 
Someone near me has put down sand in their fields to keep the grazing down for their Shetlands, the grass still grows so helps stabalise the ground but the sand provides a firm-ish surface and drainage

I'm not sure what sort of sand it needs to be - would imagine that would need research
 
I tried a horse out at some dodgy dealers once and their 'school' was a fenced off area filled with builders sand. It didn't feel very nice to ride in and it was very boggy but then again they clearly didn't look after it very well. I think if you looked after and maintained it properly it would be great.
 
Bark will soon turn to mulch, especially in the wet. Sand is the better option but I wouldn't be thinking about moving it as the grass will grow through it pretty quickly.

You shouldn't need planning.
 
you may not need planning, but make sure your land isn't 'protected': we rent land which the landlord gets an agricultural grant for to keep the grass form being poached. so we would get in trouble if we put a surface down which would then of course kill the grass underneath.
 
pip6 said:
Bark tends to go to mulch, or did at yard I was at, which made it as bad as the mud. Keeping it clean (such as picking up all poo) helps extend life.
Click to expand...

I was going to say this, I remember walking out of a well rotted bark school, blowing my nose and black gunk coming out, and picking black globs from the corners of my eyes... Sand!
 
Bark is slippery and will go mulchy, wood chips are too loose and sand should not be builders sand as it will pit easily and be very heavy to level. I've had them all on a small school in the past. Road grit may be an option but anything on grass with no membrane will eventually give way to mud.
 
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