Yard surface?

YorksG

Over the hill and far awa
Joined
14 September 2006
Messages
16,142
Location
West Yorkshire
Visit site
We are looking at putting a surface on our yard (currently mud!) It would have to be SUDS compliant and cope with four large horses, regular use of one small tractor and once a week hay delivery from a large tractor and our cars every day. We have three gateways and the back door of the house, with a small garden/patio area which we wouldn't want covering. Anyone any experience with the resin bonded ones, or any other suggestions please :)
Oh and it is on a slope and on to an unmade track!
 
Last edited:

Red-1

I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
Joined
7 February 2013
Messages
17,814
Location
Outstanding in my field!
Visit site
I have no idea what SUDS compliant is, but one I would avoid, avoid, avoid is the kind of concrete printed with a cobble type pattern. I have walked on them a couple of times before I learned that horses go backsides up as they are very slippery.

My yard is stones on hard core, which is great, but would not work if you are on a steep slope.

A yard near us has squares of cobbles, about 1.5 m across, filled with concrete. That looks great, and is also very functional.

My previous place of work had purpose made horse bricks, we called them chocolate bricks as they looked like the top of a Dairy Milk bar. They were good, but the frost would get under the grout, and they needed maintenance. I have also been on yards with concrete or asphalt, am no expert on the types, but they worked well. Have also seen beautiful York Flags on a yard, which was heaven, but I would imagine would cost the earth!

My mum needed a surface that would drain water, she has a block pave with no grout or whatever it is called, just sand between the bricks. It has been down a couple of years, and looks well, but I am not sure they would cope with a big tractor.
 

Honey08

Waffled a lot!
Joined
7 June 2010
Messages
19,008
Location
north west
Visit site
Ours is concrete in front of the actual stables, then road planings, which work wonderfully with horses, they drain and aren't slippery. You're welcome to pop down for a look,if you like..
 

YorksG

Over the hill and far awa
Joined
14 September 2006
Messages
16,142
Location
West Yorkshire
Visit site
Thanks Red-1 :) It is a bit of a nightmare, as the water needs to drain through it (like your mums) and it needs to be none slip for the horses. We have looked at the resin bonded stuff, but I'm not sure that the reviews fill me with confidence. The york stone would be a no no, my memories of slipping on my grandmothers flags and bashing my head on the rockery tell me that the horses would slide from top to bottom in the wet! It's all a bit of nightmare tbh, so many pro's and cons for each alternative.
 

Red-1

I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
Joined
7 February 2013
Messages
17,814
Location
Outstanding in my field!
Visit site
What about concrete just near the stables as Honey 08 says, then hard core after that? We had a time with no stones on our hard core, and it was "to dust" as in not clean stone, and once rolled was actually hard enough to sweep. That way, if the tractors damage it you can just roll it again, or we just drove on it for a while, and it flattened down again ;)
We have the stones on top as they are pretty! :D Plus you can hear if anyone walks on the yard :eek:

The patterned concrete, really go try ride on it before installing, it is a death trap.:eek3:
 

turnbuckle

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 April 2014
Messages
1,512
Visit site
Bit suburban, but what about that honeycomb plastic stuff filled with hoggin or gravel or a combination?

I'm no expert though....
 

View

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 March 2014
Messages
3,662
Location
exiled Glaswegian
Visit site
I think SUDS is about drainage.

Block paving , with sand in the joints won't work around horses. Hoses and sweeping will remove the sand, allowing ponding to occur. It looks good, until the first time that you need to disturb the surface - and then it all unzips and is never the same again.

I agree about the concrete with printed cobble pattern. Dreadful: slippery, and didn't even stand up to an unladen coach reversed on and off it twice.

SMA is not great for skid resistance either.

I don't have any experience of road platings, so can't comment.

Reinforced concrete if laid with an appropriate surface pattern shouldn't give problems with slipping in frost/snow/wet conditions, but does need to be laid to allow a fall to drains.
 

YorksG

Over the hill and far awa
Joined
14 September 2006
Messages
16,142
Location
West Yorkshire
Visit site
What about concrete just near the stables as Honey 08 says, then hard core after that? We had a time with no stones on our hard core, and it was "to dust" as in not clean stone, and once rolled was actually hard enough to sweep. That way, if the tractors damage it you can just roll it again, or we just drove on it for a while, and it flattened down again ;)
We have the stones on top as they are pretty! :D Plus you can hear if anyone walks on the yard :eek:

The patterned concrete, really go try ride on it before installing, it is a death trap.:eek3:
We could only use patterned concrete with gaps between it :D as it wouldn't drain, and then we would be in the awful position of getting pp and extra drainage etc etc. The resin bonded stuff looks nice, but the reviews are awful, including slippy and not hard wearing :(
 
Top