What is the best atttachment to.....

[Odonnks]

Hello all,
I have a area my wife uses to practice horse riding. It's mostly sod except where she has a oval tracked in at the fence perimeter.
The tracked in area is pretty hard from use.

I'd like to loosen up the hardened and sod areas and would like the whole 60x120 ft area to be the same sort of base.

Is a PTO tiller the best way to do this?
My tractor is a 50 hp model.

My thought is to loosen it up with a tiller then as it needs loosened again mix in a few loads of sand to keep it from packing as much.

Any feedback is appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[arrow]

If you didn't want to waste any time Odonks, the roto tiller would be the fastest. Our riding area had a base of tailings (remnants when they screen loam) then 4" of processed gravel then 4" of river wash. I used a reversed back blade to keep the entire area groomed. I'm not sure I'd mix the sand in but once you have the base softened up, certainly a layer of sand will be beneficial placed on top. Grooming will be quite simple after that.

 

[Rocky Hoffler]

I do a lot of tilling beaches usually about 4 to 6 inches deep after tilled if you walk on them sink up to ankles. But after tilling you use a land scape rake it smooths and takes the fluff out of it.

 

[jeff9366]

A TR3 rake from ABI Equipment is the most versatile arena implement.

LINK:

TR3® Rake Arena Drag by ABI Equine® >>> Best Selling Arena Equipment

 

[Odonnks]

I've seen the TR3 and agree that it works great for arenas.
I don't have a arena but instead I have a relatively flat section of pasture whose surface I want to break up into as fine a material as possible given the partial sod and bare areas that I'll be starting with.

This is a area that would see use by one horse 2 to 3 times a week during good weather.

 

[Rocky Hoffler]

I've seen the TR3 and agree that it works great for arenas.
I don't have a arena but instead I have a relatively flat section of pasture whose surface I want to break up into as fine a material as possible given the partial sod and bare areas that I'll be starting with.

This is a area that would see use by one horse 2 to 3 times a week during good weather.

Seems like the rake would work after you have it broken up good with tiller. might take a number of times for it to get grass out.

 

[boggen]

i am a tad bit against a tiller in new ground. grass, roots, etc... = tangled mess.
a middle buster / potatatoe plow most likely going a tad to far deep.
but a bottom plow / mulboard plow, would turn the grass up side down, and break up some roots. and then go back over it with a tiller, or disc, or some other tilling like device.

though being you are in a small sized fenced in area, a tiller would more likely be optimal, being able to back right up into corners and let it down. everything else out there, you need a good descent amount of starting area for it to do its magic.
if you had something with scraficer teeth like a box blade, some rear blades come with them. drop them down, all the way and scare things up to bust up all the hard compacted stuff first, and then run tiller. a box blade would help serve dual purpose, of helping to smooth stuff out (fill in holes / move dirt around) once tilling is done.

be careful with what ever you get, most stuff does not like taking turns very well. might advise, getting your sway bars/chains, and/or check bars/chains for the 3pt hitch so you do not mangle up the 3pt hitch

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50hp tractor = large rear tires, and not so easy to look down and around to see edge of 3pt hitch implement/attachment. would suggest something that = width of tires, but nothing over it, if you get say an offset tiller, that can be shifted over to one side a few feet, so you are more likely able to look over fender and see the edge, that might be just right, but other wise, if you can not see the edge, the fence post and what ever you have, will have a good old show down, one or both will not walk away.

 

[whistlepig]

We don't work the ground. We dump a load of pea gravel on it. It works the horses and is gentle on their hooves. Scraping snow off pea gravel is no fun though.

 

[shadetree]

Rip it (Google soil ripping) then use your tiller.