using 1/4" minus (screenings) as arena base

[myblackmorgan3]

After trying to get my arena in for the past 2 summers - and the guys I hired each summer screwed up, it looks like I finally have the help I need. And to top it off, a world renowned cross country course designer and international competitor (World Games plus more) is helping for a couple days! There IS a God…

They are suggesting a simple gravel base, as my sub-base is good but does tend to hold water for a while and the dirt gets very dry in the summer. They are suggesting just 1.5" of footing to start with and I will never go deeper than 2" for what I do.

I don’t need to go the route of a bigger gravel, compacted, then topped by a smaller gravel, compacted. Just a 3" depth of compacted screenings are sufficient, to make a bit of barrier and keep the sand footing from being lost into the sub-base.

So my question…One of the guys thought that screenings tend to more easily get disturbed and end up in the footing. But it’s small enough that I don’t see the harm. Has anyone experienced this? Anything you can tell me about using only screenings as a base layer? And how deep of a layer did you go with - good compaction at that depth?

Thank you!

[eightpondfarm]

i have two corrals that are about 2 to three inches deep of limestone screenings. A lifesaver in the rainy season. My horses stay high and dry! It packs, but not so much that it is as hard as concrete, and it does runoff some in heavy rains. I add some every year to low areas and over time i’ve built up a nice firm footing. Never used it under sand though… In my experience with it it does take a bit of time to get compacted enough to provide solidity.

[fourfillies]

Growing up in Northern VA it wasn’t unusual for ring footing to be “bluestone” which IIRC is in the vernacular of stone products very close to 1/4 minus? Drained great. Got hard in summer. But as a base I’m not sure it will pack enough? I have 1/4 minus in my small run outs, great there but definitely not packing tight.

[ToTheNines]

I used limestone screenings (1/4 minus) for my base. 6" over a very hard compacted subase. I like it very much. It was watered and compacted by a big road roller, and I let it sit for a couple of hard rains to make it was draining correctly. Then added about 2" of granite sand.

It did take a while to really set up hard. After a really hard rain it would get somewhat soft and I stayed off it.

That was three years ago. I probably need to add more sand now. Sometimes I see some white where a hoof has pulled up a bit of base. But it mixes fine with the sand. I think I probably have an inch or so of interface, with mixed screenings and sand. And then sand on top of that. Makes a very nice footing.

I will add that my arena drains across the short side, and I have footboards to keep footing in. After a really hard rain, the low long side will be the last to dry, and I still baby that part. I will drag all but the outer 12 feet or so, and let it dry a day longer.

[myblackmorgan3]

To theNines - Thank you for your reply. So you think that there is about an inch in depth where the compacted limestone base broke up a bit and mixed with your sand footing – or the sand particles just filled in any empty space? Did you ever get rock up into your footing - but at 1/4" minus, I don’t see that being an issue.

Just curious - was your sub-base black gumbo (I see you are in Texas). So far, my guys are using a loaded, 4 wheeled truck (about 15 tons, total ) for compaction. They are not adverse to also using a heavy roller but I can’t get my hands on one right now.

My arena drains across the short side, too and I will start with 1.5" of washed, coarse sand. Upping to 2" if needed.

I will also use footboards. These guys can get their hands on cement railroad ties and have used that in lieu of a footboard. But I just visualize getting tossed on one and breaking my head open, or breaking my neck, or breaking my back…

Thanks again!