Surface for a Horse Manege SAND or WOOD CHIPPINGS!!!

[Gucci_b]

What kind of surface do YOU prefer in the horse manege !! sand or wood chippings. and the cost, which is cheeper!!!
Which is easyer for maintenance..

 

[ginnyspinner]

Neither - I like rubber, we have fibresand with rubber on top and the horses all go really well on it.

 

[zizz]

Had wood chipping at are old yard and whilst it didn't cost a penny to maintain (free wood chip from tree surgeon next door) it got very deep in the winter and required alot of harrowing. during the summer it was perfect but only really suitable for lunging in the winter. But it was an older school, 20+ years so maybe the drainage is better for woodchip schools nowdays.

 

[Gucci_b]

fibresand !!
Where did you get that from! Was is costly!!

 

[jes_nibley]

Used to work on a private yard that had a wood-chipping manege and a wood-chipping t/o pen for when the fields were too wet (they were on clay)
I would now swear by them, and, as previously mentioned, are cheap if you have a tree surgeon nearby!

 

[Gucci_b]

I no the feeling I to am on CLAY (yurk).... in the winter
Great in the summer as the grass never stops growing.

 

[ginnyspinner]

A company in Mansfield Notts,

http://www.mansfieldsand.co.uk/

It was not cheap, but if laid properly makes a great surface and doesn't freeze in the winter.

 

[Gucci_b]

thank - u for that x

 

[Mid]

Wood chippings can be really slippy

We have sand mixed with rubber which is fantastic, and perfect to ride in whatever the weather.

 

[Llwyncwn]

We had bark down for 2 years which, as it degrades, turns into a lovely surface. However when you have it topped up it can be rather slippy, especially for an unbalanced horse/rider.

We now have Cardigan sand which unfortunately retains water in the winter and is a dust bowl in the summer.

 

[Evil_Cookie]

I love sand or water controlled sand or gelled sand,

But the yard we are on now has a wood chip arena, it's not slippy at all, has a sand base and apparently has nevr been water logged, even though the surrounding area is quite wet. Think it works well, my only problem with it is it has a tendency to run a bit deep if you've got a horse who doesn't pick up their feet very well, as it scatters and leaves pot holes, usually it looks worst after lunging. But I quite like it, I prefer it to rubber too, find it less synthetic, sometimes rubber is a bit bouncy, hmm don;t really know how to describe it.

 

[Baggybreeches]

My manege was made and designed by ME!
When I told people I was putting in a menage, I got so much advice (good and bad), but I have been around long enough to learn from other peoples mistakes.
The most important thing is to get the drainage and level right. Then a sub layer of hardcore, topped up with large limestone gravel, then the membrane (the fleecey one) and on top I just have beach sand.
In the winter I use it to turn out in, I poo pick religously and it is always rideable any standing water clears within an hour!
Wood chip breaks down and holds too much moisture.

 

[lisan]

So how much did you spend on yours Elaine? (Pm if you don't want to say on here!!) And where did you get your beach sand from - Formby Beach???

 

[horsegirl]

Also woodchip is more painful if you fall off, you get quite scraped! And it holds the water and could freeze and then be dangerous

 

[LusoLover]

Our yard's wood chip surface lasted about 4 years and then went to mulch. It got so deep that my horse refused to trot in it and I couldn't blame him. We've now got turflo which is fab but very fluffy at the moment where it's so new.

 

[Judie]

Niether, I've seen horses slip over on wood-chip and one got a piece stuck in her frog, very painfull.

Sand can get very heavy in the winter and can blow about and get dusty in the summer. I would mix something with the sand, i.e. rubber or fibre.

 

[Gucci_b]

What's turflo!!! There seems to be LOTS & LOTS of choice...