Surfaces to ride on

[Pennyhp]

I have a nice level fenced field to ride in.
The ground here is clay, so it is inclined to hold water and also to get churned up.

I cannot afford to get a propper menage built, but is there anything I can do to improve what I have?

If I put boarding around the edge and filled it with several inches of sand would that help?

I would like to know what others have done or any ideas.

 

[kerilli]

Umm, clay is the worst thing, tbh. having had clay fields in the past, i think that anything you do to try to use in winter is just going to be churned in and wasted. You could probably improve it for summer use only, to stop it being rock-hard, but not for winter. full drainage and then a cheap surface on top would work, but you have to build the drainage layer of stone, and proper drains to take the water away, in order to have a dry top to work on.
sorry! (i've built 3 menages now and i'm getting a fair idea of what works and what doesn't, i think.)
Even if you put down a really good thick membrane on top of the clay, and then woodchip on top of that, unless the woodchip is amazingly thick (which would prob be too deep for the horses anyway) the wet clay will 'heave' upwards and downwards and suck the membrane down, i think.

 

[madhector]

we have clay here. and it is difficult. But our field has several drainage ditches which do stop it getting waterlogged. After spending last winter doing nothing but road work I decided I had to do something about a surface this year. I had hardly any funds, and didnt want to spend alot on something that wouldnt be that great, as I knew unles I spent thousands it would never be fantastic.

So I put some boarding up and then put down 8 inches of woodchip. Total cost was around 2K. Didnt put a membrane in as without the drainage didnt think it would last. What has happened is the wood chips are slowly bedding in to the clay and creating a sort of mulch underneath. It isnt great for cantering on, but walk and trot is fine, by the spring it should be bedded in enough to the clay to add another 2 inches on top. We have never had a single puddle left on the surface either as it is above the ground due to the boards. Not in anyways a good surface but better than nothing!

Hope this helps

 

[RichardRider]

Kerrilli, Wood chips outdoors(not pretending to know anything?) This is better than sand, or cheaper? Am thinking myself(and hiding these thoughts from Dominique, who isn't horsey AT ALL and hates it when I want to spend money improving things,) of doing an outdoor arena here.

And since you have built 3, would you ever consider a channel hop accompanied with lots of Cammenbert Cheese, red wine and a pork sausage barbeque(special this month.)

By the by, and can you drive a backhoe?

 

[Muddywellies]

Kerilli is spot on. we built our arena on a shoestring (supposedly!) also on clay. We had to go for planning permission. then with a big JCB scraped off the top few inches of earthe, to form banks around the sides of the arena, then got local skip companies to offload their building rubble - this took months as we weren't paying for it so had to wait for it as and when it was available. This was all flatted out with a bit roller. On top of that went a good few inches of type 1 or type 2 (can't remember) scalpings. this was compacted down hard with a bit vibrating roller then on top of that went 8 inches (ish) of wood chip. We didn't put in drains as they weren't necessary as we had the first layer of rubble to assist with drainage, and didn't use a membrane as they are more trouble that they are worth. If the job is done properly, one shouldn't be needed. We had fencing contractors to do the fencing, which was quite pricey, but could probably be done by yourself. We eventually had an amazing arena, located on what once was a bramble covered bog, and never ever flooded or even had any squelch bits or puddles. Rediculous thing is weve now moved and have to do it all over again !! So yes, clay is tricky and you would benefit from doing it the best you possibly can, or else in the long run you will have to keep forking out and end up possibly with an arena which can't be used half the time.

 

[Pennyhp]

Thanks everyone

The good thing about living in Canada is that I don't need planning permission to build a menage.
I could even (if I were rich) build an indoor school and all I would need is the man from the council to come out and tell me how far from the road I have to be as a minimum and then a get a building permit.
I love this country!

On the other hand I face a long winter with lots of snow and difficult land to manage.

It is our first year here and until we start earning some cash we cannot fork out thousands on a menage.

I think I wil be better to forgo the riding through the worst of the winter and save to have it properly done in the future.

Clay really is the pits.