Riding Arena Consultancy
Now what? You know the permeability of the ground at your chosen site. You have an idea of the pros and cons of geotextiles, you've read about graded filters, and you've had a look at some example arena designs, and read about how best to maintain your arena.
We offer a consultancy service to help you design your arena, evaluate materials, and purchase the materials at trade prices. We will give you advice, source, price and test products in your locality, arrange for their delivery (via an account with us), and arrange for a quote. A basic consultancy would cost about £350 + VAT. We feel that our consultancy is well worth the charges, as it guarantees you an arena that is fit for purpose. You are also protected by our Professional Indemnity Insurance cover.
How much should I budget?
An example budget, without prejudice, for a 40m x 20m sand school is laid out below. Actual costs will vary depending on local availability of materials, ground conditions etc.
| Description | Quantity | £ |
|---|---|---|
| 150mm deep Manege Sand or approved equivalent | 200 tonnes | 2,500.00 |
| 4.5m x 100m Rolls Terram 700 Geotextile | 2.5 No. | 500.00 |
| 100mm deep 40mm single sized drainage stone | 130 tonnes | 1,500.00 |
| Backhoe or tracked 360° excavator | 2 weeks | 2,500.00 |
| Kicker boards/kerbs/sleepers | - | 700.00 |
| Sundries | - | 250.00 |
| Planning Consent | - | 200.00 |
| Consultancy fees | Basic Fee | 350.00 |
| Subtotal: | £ 8,500 | |
| OPTIONAL: Fencing and gates | - | 2,500 |
| OPTIONAL: 150mm deep 75mm Crusher Run (on poor ground) | 200 tonnes | 2,500 |
| OPTIONAL: Terram T2000 (on poor ground) | - | 1,500 |
| Total (inc. extras): | £ 15,000 | |
Work is charged out on a time basis in 15 minute segments
| W J Lyon, MCIOB | £ 40.00 per hour + VAT |
| M J McGee, BEng MIHIE MIHT | £ 40.00 per hour + VAT |
| L J McGee, BA MSci MSc DIC | £ 40.00 per hour + VAT |
| T O'Neill, Architectural Technician | £ 20.00 per hour + VAT |
Getting the Right Sand
Different sands have different properties. Use the right sands, and your riding surface with be foreshore firm even in heavy rain. Use the wrong sand, and you will have an arena that is porridge in the winter, and a dust bowl in the summer. We offer expertise in sands that few other quarries can match, testing each sand before use to ensure that it has the right gradings, drainage rate, capillary rise and critical tension, to ensure an optimal riding surface.
Getting the Best Prices
To minimise transport costs, we will source appropriate sands close to you. By buying through an account with us, we can use trade contacts to get the best trade price on a product. We will also arrange for delivery to site.
Getting a Precise Quote
To be able to give an accurate cost for your arena, we would need to know the following:- Are you building a new arena, or repairing/renovating an existing one?
- Where is your chosen site?
- What is the permeability of the ground at your chosen site? (See article: Permeability)
- Do you want a sunken or a raised arena? (See article: Example Arena Designs)
We charge for the time taken to prepare a quotation and rebate the cost against orders.
Contact Us for a Quote.
You can contact us by telephone (Mon-Fri 0800-1730, Sat 0800-1200) at 01239 612560, by fax at 01239 615238, or by email at arenas@cardigansand.co.uk. We look forward to hearing from you!
