# Question to those who have built their own sand schools...



## StarcatcherWilliam (15 September 2012)

I would really love to have my own sand school at home as I currently have nowhere to ride my horse, which involves boxing her every time I want to ride.  Can sand schools really be done on a budget?!!  How much did you pay for yours and what did you get for your money?  Thanks in advance


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## glamourpuss (16 September 2012)

Yes a perfectly good riding arena can be built on a budget. 

Lots of people will say it can't be done and the arena will fail but it won't if you are sensible. I'm in a position where I'm looking at building a manege and what I have learnt is very interesting. 
The main thing is if you do lots of leg work and finding of suppliers yourself thereby cutting out the middleman then you can save lots of money. If you are able to do work yourself...again you are saving lots of money. 

My friend has an arena that cost her £3,000 it rides fabulously, in fact better than another friend who spent over £20,000!! 

Her site was flat and ok in terms of drainage. She was able to borrow plant to clear site, she dug in drainage ditches - herringbone, these had a decent fall on them to soakaway drainage ditches, She covered all this with a membrane but she didn't use plastic tubes. She then filled with rubble....she actually got this for free from a house that was being knocked down. They actually graded it for her and delivered it for nothing (it would've cost them money to get rid off so she was helping them) They put the larger rubble (bricks etc on first) The large bits were then rolled and then smaller pieces (broken bricks) this was then rolled again until completely flat, so you weren't aware of the fall from the drainage ditches. 
Her rubble base also went a little bit above the surrounding ground (does that make sense)  Her theory being that being above the ground would ensure no water ran into the arena from the surrounding ground. She covered her base with a membrane  then....where lady luck REALLY smiled on her she was able to get a surface for cheap from someone who was getting rid of a manege to replace with a swimming pool! 
She has telegraph poles and sleepers around her arena and used the soil taken from the clearance to bank up against the telegraph poles on the outside (avoiding the soakaway as much as possible) so although the arena is a little 'raised' compared to the surrounding field it looks pretty smart. She hasn't bothered to fence the outside. 
I can honestly say her system works brilliantly.  Having had quotes ranging from £50,000 (Martin Collins) to £8,000 (Equestrian Direct Eco Arena) I'm actually seriously considering just trying her way.


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## StarcatcherWilliam (16 September 2012)

Thanks for your reply and so glad to hear a positive story!!  I have done so much research and there is such conflicting advice and so many horror stories that I have been half scared to death about the whole thing!  Unfortunately, I do not have any suitable areas at present, the only flat areas are very wet or totally inaccessible for lorries and the well draining areas are very steep!  I am however, willing to do all the hard work myself so this should save money.  Also, lots of the land here is on shale, which drains well and could be used as a base once the area is dug out.

I know of a 100m x 50m arena near where I live which has just been "disposed" of which had a cushionride surface.  GUTTED is not the word!!


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## Booboos (16 September 2012)

A number of factors will affect the cost of the arena including:
- ease of access for large lorries
- transport costs from quarries for stone and surface
- suitability of the site, a site that needs a lot of excavation for example will need many more days hire of the large digger and driver, plus you will need to dispose of the soil
- type of surface. 

You can certainly do parts of it DIY, I have, but if you cut corners you may pay for it later. In my experience if you don't put clean stone you will have drainage problems sooner or later as your subbase clogs up. If you don't put good quality membrane (which alone costs 2-3k) you will be building a pool (and the membrane has to be correctly secured). If you don't get a very good digger driver to level off and do the falls any bumps will be apparent in the final surface.

If you do a search you will find plenty of people with problem arenas, usually installed by disreputable firms.


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## FfionWinnie (16 September 2012)

Would Terram work for a membrane. I have this on my drive and turn cattle trailers and lorries on it. Can't see why it wouldn't work. It was about £100 for 100x5 m


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## StarcatcherWilliam (16 September 2012)

Booboos said:



			If you do a search you will find plenty of people with problem arenas, usually installed by disreputable firms.
		
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Don't I know it! 



FfionWinnie said:



			Would Terram work for a membrane. I have this on my drive and turn cattle trailers and lorries on it. Can't see why it wouldn't work. It was about £100 for 100x5 m
		
Click to expand...

Will do some research on that, thanks.


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## Booboos (16 September 2012)

Terram is the commercial name of a geotextiles manufacturer, they make a number of products to different specifications.

Membranes are identified by a number which refers to their density. It is advisable to put a membrane between the soil and the clean stone and this can be the cheap, common variety of membrane found in most garden centres, builders' merchants, etc. the 100. This one can be laid quite quickly and does not need to bonded together, the weight of the stone will keep it in place. Then you need the membrane between the surface and the stone, which has to be able to keep the surface away from the stone but let water through. For this you need non-woven (if a horse's hoof goes all the way down to the membrane you want it to tear easily otherwise it is a horrible trip hazard) the higher number you can afford, 500-600 ideally. This is a specialist, expensive membrane, but you can find it online if you search.


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