loz9
Well-Known Member
as the title says really.
what does it ride/jump like?
any issues with slipping?
does it freeze/flood easily?
thanks!
what does it ride/jump like?
any issues with slipping?
does it freeze/flood easily?
thanks!
views on woodfibre surfaces
- Thread starter loz9
- Start date
cptrayes
Well-Known Member
It freezes easily because it holds water. It rots so it degrades when other surfaces don't, so it has to be totally replaced on a periodic basis. The fine fibre stuff rides beautifully but I would only ever use it indoors.
f_s_
Well-Known Member
I have a wood chip (clean wood chip) surface on an outdoor school. It has never frozen, even when other surfaces around us have, it has been down for four years and doesn't need topping up yet.
Also, it's environmentally friendly, and soon disposing of other surfaces will be charged for, and the water runs clean through it.
As with all schools the main part to get right is the drainage.
Oh, and it rides really well, probably better when it's damp
Also, it's environmentally friendly, and soon disposing of other surfaces will be charged for, and the water runs clean through it.
As with all schools the main part to get right is the drainage.
Oh, and it rides really well, probably better when it's damp
cptrayes
Well-Known Member
"As with all schools the main part to get right is the drainage."
My neighbours got that bit wrong! I wondered why it rotted so quick.
My neighbours got that bit wrong! I wondered why it rotted so quick.
loz9
Well-Known Member
thanks, the drainage is all in & flowing beautifully with all this torrential rain! we hav chosen to build a raised menage to further help with the drainage. its a DIY build so is taking a while to complete! however, after contacting a local company to source woodfibre, they asked if i planned to jump on it as it would slip on landing, however larger companies have not said this. do you think they were just trying to get us to purchase a more expensive surface or is there some truth in this?
thanks!
thanks!
f_s_
Well-Known Member
We jump on ours without a problem, I don't know what the motive is there!
Obviously, any company will tell you their surface is better than another. We did a lot of thinking and research before we put ours down, and I haven't had a problem with it.
I also think there is a lot of "snobbery" when it comes to school surfaces. People think that it's cheaper and therefore not as good.
It is actually no cheaper, especially if you have clean and properly graded wood chip (no nails or bark in it).
I also thought ahead. In the future, should you decide to lift your plastic/fibre/sand/rubber school surface, and dispose of it, you will be charged...a lot!!!
With the wood chip, should I decide to replace the lot, I could use it as wood chippings in the garden, or pile it up and let it decompose
Obviously, any company will tell you their surface is better than another. We did a lot of thinking and research before we put ours down, and I haven't had a problem with it.
I also think there is a lot of "snobbery" when it comes to school surfaces. People think that it's cheaper and therefore not as good.
It is actually no cheaper, especially if you have clean and properly graded wood chip (no nails or bark in it).
I also thought ahead. In the future, should you decide to lift your plastic/fibre/sand/rubber school surface, and dispose of it, you will be charged...a lot!!!
With the wood chip, should I decide to replace the lot, I could use it as wood chippings in the garden, or pile it up and let it decompose
susannita
Well-Known Member
One of the equestrian centres near us put wood fibre down when they first built their schools (inside and out) The indoor stayed down less than 6 months as although fine on top, underneath a layer packed down (a bit like chipboard) and they had horses turning over in there when jumping. (they used the right harrows etc as they had been told by the suppliers) The out door ones stayed a bit longer but froze very quickly (went crusty on top and then froze downwards) They now have rubber in the outdoors and softrack inside (all £38k of it!!!)
Have been at a yard which had bark down and that was quite nice once it rotted down a bit, but this was litterally huge strips of tree rather than a proper arena surface.
Have been at a yard which had bark down and that was quite nice once it rotted down a bit, but this was litterally huge strips of tree rather than a proper arena surface.
soloequestrian
Well-Known Member
I'm very interested in this thread - also building an outdoor arena, must be at about the same stage - our drainage has coped beautifully with the floods and we're going to put a raised hardcore bed and then the surface. I'm still not sure on membranes - plan to put in Terram between both base layer and hardcore and between hardcore and surface, but I've read bits that say the surface can slip on the top membrane. I've pretty much set on getting sand and fibre for the surface as every wood surface I've ridden on has been deep and/or slippery, but none of them have been proper chips made for arenas.
spike123
Well-Known Member
the school at our yard is woodchip.It was put down 18 months or so ago and last winter was unuseable from end of October til middle of February.This year it is unuseable again. It was great in the summer providing it is harrowed regularly and would probably be okay in winter too if the drainage was sufficient.Unfortunately it holds every bit of water and currently reasseambles a swimming pool rather than a school. Personally I will not ride on it as it is slippery and uneven.The YO plans to put more woodchip in but I actually think that will just make matters worse.
Booboos
Well-Known Member
I had a sand and woodfibre one and my friend had woodfibre. On the plus side they never froze, but the sand and woodfibre was lethally slippy right from the start (the woodfibre would collect in pockets and if you hit one of those they would give way), and my friend had to remove and throw away all her woodfibre one after 5 years as it was rotting away. It is a natural product so it will biodegrade, and as it turns into mulch it is pretty much unusable (throwing more on top does not help).
scally
Well-Known Member
We completed ours in August and have cusionride in it. We put 10" in the school. It has taken a couple of months to bed in and knit together but now rides beautifully, the horses move nicely on top of the surface.
It is fine to jump in now, but was deep and moved to start off with, but to be fair they did say not to jump in it for upto 3 months while it all settled.
It doesnt flood at all, even after last nights rain. You do need to level it well and we do ours everyother day.
The reason we went for cushionride as as above, our council refused rubber as it is now classed as toxic waste and to get rid of it costs a forture, plus the water that drains off of the arena is contaminated due to the rubber.
We havent had any freezing weather yet, but they do so it doesnt freeze, so will have to wait and see.
It is fine to jump in now, but was deep and moved to start off with, but to be fair they did say not to jump in it for upto 3 months while it all settled.
It doesnt flood at all, even after last nights rain. You do need to level it well and we do ours everyother day.
The reason we went for cushionride as as above, our council refused rubber as it is now classed as toxic waste and to get rid of it costs a forture, plus the water that drains off of the arena is contaminated due to the rubber.
We havent had any freezing weather yet, but they do so it doesnt freeze, so will have to wait and see.
loz9
Well-Known Member
plz could people clarify what they mean by woodchip or woodfibre? from what the companies hav told me woodchip,ie the stuff you would find in childrens playgrounds that is quite large pieces,is totally unsuitable for riding on, whereas woodfibre is much smaller pieces (half the length of woodchip but about 5mm wide) is ok. also if the wood is recycled it will degrade at a much quicker rate than dried (ie sap free) new wood.
we hav the same issue as you scally with rubber & its toxic run off, so the options are woodfibre or sand & fibre (as we are also on a budget & cant afford the gorgeous surfaces we would like!) im being put off having sand as every yard i have been at seemed to flood really badly & also seemed to freeze even with the lightest frost.
soloequestrian - for our membrane between the soil & hardcore we have used a cheap garden membrane that is designed to stop weeds growing, bought from ebay. we hav yet to decide on the next membrane as it is dependant on the surface as to whether you put down a woven or non-woven membrane. this website : http://www.new-dentex.co.uk/index.html has been very useful for us& we bought the DIY guide from them that gives ideas on quantaties needed,etc.
thanks!
we hav the same issue as you scally with rubber & its toxic run off, so the options are woodfibre or sand & fibre (as we are also on a budget & cant afford the gorgeous surfaces we would like!) im being put off having sand as every yard i have been at seemed to flood really badly & also seemed to freeze even with the lightest frost.
soloequestrian - for our membrane between the soil & hardcore we have used a cheap garden membrane that is designed to stop weeds growing, bought from ebay. we hav yet to decide on the next membrane as it is dependant on the surface as to whether you put down a woven or non-woven membrane. this website : http://www.new-dentex.co.uk/index.html has been very useful for us& we bought the DIY guide from them that gives ideas on quantaties needed,etc.
thanks!
f_s_
Well-Known Member
Ok, I have woodfibre, but it is a clean source and no sap. The key is the drainage.
I have a geotex membrane put down before the woodfibre, and ours is to a depth of 12".
It has never frozen, the drainage is on a ring all the way round the school, and channels through the school too.
Here's a photo
I have a geotex membrane put down before the woodfibre, and ours is to a depth of 12".
It has never frozen, the drainage is on a ring all the way round the school, and channels through the school too.
Here's a photo
loz9
Well-Known Member
thanku f_s_! urs looks gorgeous! you'v made me very jealous that ours stil isnt finished!
im startin to think that woodfibre may be ok to use, & the guy was just tryin to get us to buy a more expensive surface!!
thanks again!
im startin to think that woodfibre may be ok to use, & the guy was just tryin to get us to buy a more expensive surface!!
thanks again!
scally
Well-Known Member
Ours is woodfibre and looks like f_s_'s.
I must admit I had huge doubts like you, and there was no way I could stretch to the fibre surfaces that I loved one quote was £20k, but it is working and riding really well. I think the thing is is drainage, drainage and more drainage, and a good membrane we used the geotex membrane also. Even the rain today it is still dry, not one puddle.
The good thing about the membrane also is that if you do need to remove it in the future, you can take it up easily and replace.
We bought Cushionride through Giffords, at a greatly reduced price than direct from Cushionride, and the driver was fantastic and helpful, even giving us advise over what we needed to change to make it work well. He was the one that gave us the best advice on using it and maintaining it so it worked well.
I must admit I had huge doubts like you, and there was no way I could stretch to the fibre surfaces that I loved one quote was £20k, but it is working and riding really well. I think the thing is is drainage, drainage and more drainage, and a good membrane we used the geotex membrane also. Even the rain today it is still dry, not one puddle.
The good thing about the membrane also is that if you do need to remove it in the future, you can take it up easily and replace.
We bought Cushionride through Giffords, at a greatly reduced price than direct from Cushionride, and the driver was fantastic and helpful, even giving us advise over what we needed to change to make it work well. He was the one that gave us the best advice on using it and maintaining it so it worked well.
loz9
Well-Known Member
thanks for that company scally, i hadnt heard of them & their price is about a third of what i had been quoted! hopefully will be able to afford a couple of extra lorries of limestone at that price
im deffinately coming round to the idea of woodfibre!
im deffinately coming round to the idea of woodfibre!