The arena needed some tweaking before the final layer of sand. All the white areas carried water after the rains so the leveling and rolling wasn't up to par. This was disappointing especially after spending a lot of money but I guess this stuff truly is difficult to work with so the next best thing was to get some limestone dust, haul it in my truck and do it myself. Yesterday was a nice day, so something told me to do it and I did! Uggh, what a job it turned out to be for little ole' me!
It doesn't look like it, but that is 1.80 tons of wet limestone dust minus a bit that I already shoveled out. This was very hard manual labor but there was no other choice. It was useless to hire the big bulldozer again since nobody can really judge how the dust lays to prevent puddling. Plus I saved some money and since I was so sore from the day before (began lifting with a trainer) I was hoping this work would help rid the lactic acid build up in my poor arms.
It was hot and miserable, but little by little. the truck bed emptied.
Finally! When I got to this point I was very happy. Almost done! Still had a lot of work to do, like even out the areas and pack them down....and had to spray the truck out. This stuff hardens fast! The rains were coming, so no rest for the weary.
There were so many 'white' areas to fill! All of those areas puddled after the heavy rains. Most of the work is on the left side.
All finished shoveling the limestone dust out of the truck bed. Now I need to pack it in. This photo doesn't show all the little areas that I worked on and the view is from the opposite end.
The rain pounded down on the farm last night. I was worried since I didn't get to pack all of the areas as I was just too exhausted, but looks like the rain did some of that for me. I did put a call into the excavator for him to come for an hour with the roller. Who knows when that will be, but hopefully soon.
This little 'run off' place definitely needs to be reworked and rolled. I also need to surround the entire area with railroad ties. Put a call in today so we shall see! Eventually this will be completed! Please!!
-5.jpg)
7 comments:
Oh my, you have all my respect. It makes me tired looking at that truckload of limestone dust. It looks like you will soon have the arena you have wanted for so long.
Quite the ongoing project you've got there! Oh, I can totally feel your pain. Good for you for taking the bull by the horns and gettin' 'er dun! I can only imagine how much work that was. But that's the great thing about projects like that...afterwards, you can step back and say, "yep, my hard work paid off!" It definitley makes it that much sweeter!
The hard work will pay off! We had our outdoor arena done professionally many years ago(10 I think), and it is still mud free. In the Pacific NW, this is unheard of! We had 30 dump trucks haul in crushed rock to build it up,(our friends own an excavating business, or we couldn't of afforded it!) we have french drains all around it.. and that was the best thing we could of done. No body in this area has out door mud free arenas!
I know how hard you are working on your arena! It is so much work. But you are going about it the right way! You started with the footing!
When we started ours, we cleared, brought in 10 dump trucks of fill dirt, than I bought fencing. I can't afford footing now. But my most important thing was the fence, had to have it with 2 green horses! One side of my arena is harder than the other, so I use the soft side for loping. I can't wait to get the proper footing though!
I don't know much about horses, but I do know hard work when I see it!
We did the same thing....limestone worked wonderfully - and is very easy to work with and doesn't wash away as much -
these are difficult times financially for owning horses aren't they? the hay is outrageous! right now!!
i know when we built our outdoor arena.. it felt like it was never gonna happen... on on ... and before you know it.. you'll be footloose and fancy free in it...
sounds like you're really putting your horse's well being first too!
gp
Post a Comment