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Category Archives: equestrian irrigation

Water water everywhere…and not a drop to irrigate.

04 Friday Jan 2013

Posted by buyirrigation in bowls green irrigation, drought, equestrian irrigation, Football irrigation, Golf, golf irrigation, Greenkeeping, Horticulture, irrigation, Landscape, landscape irrigation, pitch irrigation, private garden irrigation, rainwater harvesting, Soccer pitch irrigation, sports field irrigation, sports irrigation, sports irrigation, tree irrigation, tree watering, Uncategorized, underground water tanks, water storage

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bowling green, bowls green, bowls green irrigation, bowls green watering, bowls irrigation, bowls irrigation kits, bowls irrigation systems, drought, dry roots trees, flooding measures, football pitch irrigation, garden irrigation, heavy rainfall, landscape irrigation, pumps, rainwater harvesting, soccer field irrigation, soccer pitch water, trees drought, underground water storage, water new trees, water storage tanks, water tanks, water trees, watering, watering football pitch, weatherproofing

Buy Irrigation water storage

Full to the brim…are rain soaked summers the future?

According to recent news, here in the UK we’ve just had the second wettest year on record. Seems a long time since those water bans were put in place earlier in 2012, doesn’t it?

Rusty barbeques and sodden vegetable patches all over Britain attest what a lousy summer we enjoyed, and the rainfall we endured was exceptionally heavy and prolonged. Now, climate experts tell us that we should expect this type of pattern to continue into the future. Woop.

Lovely weather for ducks (or swans). Not so great for greenery though.

Lovely weather for ducks (and swans). Not so great for plants and turf though.

Is this the end for the UK irrigation industry? Are the 100 plus (wild guess there) UK irrigation companies ready to shut the doors and move to warmer climes? I think not. I believe that most will see the climate situation as an opportunity for increased business in challenging times. Adapt and survive, as they say.

While we may see heavier, more frequent heavy downpours of rain throughout summer and winter periods, we will still get warm summers when golf courses, sports fields, plants and lawns require water at specific times during dry periods.

Cancelled games, postponed matches. 2012's rainfall played havoc with sports pitches.

Cancelled games, postponed matches. 2012 rainfall played havoc with sports pitches.

You could argue that a heavy deluge of rain (where most of the water runs off the land into ditches and rivers) is not effective at irrigating the ground, as the soil just can’t physically accept the water quick enough for it to do any good. So, we could therefore assume that more irrigation is required…maybe a little simplistic, but I suspect it contains more than a shred of truth.

Whether we get these high volumes of rainfall or not, water is one of the planet’s most valuable commodities, as the drought situation earlier in 2012 testified. It therefore suggests that if we can store rapid-falling rain for use during a drought, or during dry periods, then we can be self-sufficient. This is absolutely true, however the storage of water can be very expensive because of the quantities required for long-term irrigation purposes.

A bowling green, for instance, or any area of fine turf lawn of a similar size could need a very conservative estimate of 20 cubic meters (4400 gallons) of water for just 1 week of watering (and that’s just half the quantity recommended by turf professionals). That’s a tank measuring 5m long x 2m high x 2m wide…just for 1 week’s water at half a full application.

The same scenario applies to planting areas. Just think how long your water butt lasts if you are using it every day to water your plants or vegetables.

Anyone for sub-aqua golf?

Anyone for golf? Don’t forget to bring your snorkel.

Golf courses, especially, need masses of water to irrigate the course. An 18 hole course could require 250 cubic meters (55000 gallons) just to water the greens over a week in the hottest part of the summer. That’s a very large and expensive storage requirement for any period of time in drought, and to maximise the collected rainfall.

Right now, the challenge for professional irrigation advisors and installers is give the client an irrigation system which, contrary to opinion, will still be valid and useful in the future. An irrigation system which makes the best use of natural resources (the free water falling from the sky), while keeping costs at economic levels. More importantly, to design an irrigation system that uses that water as efficiently as possible, without wastage.

Underground water storage tanks could help you conserve water efficiently.

Underground water storage tanks could help you deliver water efficiently.

Irrigation equipment manufacturers are currently investing millions in the quest to provide the latest highly efficient controllers, sensors and delivery equipment, proven and tested around the globe, to make the best use of the water available.

In summary, even if we continue to get more rainfall, there will be times of the year when you will need to water your garden…golf course…bowling green. So, if you do decide on a system, think about storage of surplus water and remember you’ll need a large storage capacity for long term use, (usually bigger than you think). Don’t consider this storage without thinking about a highly efficient irrigation system. The more efficient the system the longer this storage will last.

Finally, seek professional advice (mine, preferably!). If you don’t feel as though you are getting the right answers, or your needs are not fully covered, try someone else (like me!).

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You say Menage, I say Manege…let’s call the whole thing Equestrian Irrigation. (with apologies to George and Ira Gershwin)

02 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by buyirrigation in Equestrian, equestrian irrigation, irrigation, Landscape, landscape irrigation, pitch irrigation, private garden irrigation, sports field irrigation, sports irrigation, sports irrigation, Uncategorized

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dusty riding arena, equestrian irrigation, irrigation, manege water, menage watering, riding arean watering, riding arena, sprinklers, water equestrian arena

Buy Irrigation's ProRide system for dusty riding arena surfaces.

Outdoor and indoor riding arenas come in many shapes and sizes. Typically, the smallest standard size is a 40m x 20m area, but over the years I have seen arenas of many different shapes and sizes.

A low angle irrigation sprinkler watering an indoor riding school

A low angle irrigation sprinkler watering an indoor riding school

Indoor riding schools can be built to fit an existing building (a barn, for example), and many equestrian menages are constructed in new purpose-built structures with viewing galleries, lighting etc. Outdoor riding arenas also come in a vast range of lengths and widths; some arenas are are fenced, some not.

An example of an outdoor sand-built riding menage

An example of an outdoor sand-built riding menage

The common thread with all arenas is that the surface is constructed of an imported material, usually sand-based, with an addition of a number of different products such as rubber crumb, fibre, wood pulp, textiles and polymers and similar. The addition of these materials helps to create a firm, but cushioned, riding surface that suits most disciplines.

A typical sand-based indoor riding school

A typical sand-based indoor riding school

A big problem however, with indoor AND outdoor surfaces, is the presence of dust; especially throughout the summer months. A dusty riding arena is unpleasant for the rider, the horse…and any one else in the building (if inside). Outside arenas are prone to having their surfaces blown away.

Enter Buy irrigation’s ProRide arena watering system, giving automatic, precise irrigation for indoor and outdoor horse riding surfaces, regardless of their size. The ProRide is designed for DIY. A self-install kit, the automatic watering system is tailored to suit equestrian arena surfaces and can water up to a 30m wide surface from the perimeter. (In fact, we can go wider than this, but the wider the arena, the more expensive the kit to cover from the outside.) For wider surfaces, it is sometimes more cost-effective to cover the majority of the surface from the perimeter and simply place a one or two central sprinklers along the centre line of the surface, for 10 minutes or so, to cover the middle of the riding arean surface.

The Buy Irrigation ProRide system for an outdoor menage

The Buy Irrigation ProRide system for an outdoor menage

The ProRide system is driven by a small water tank and pressure pump, which is usually located near the building, or close by the arena. This provides more than sufficient flow and pressure to operate the water sprinklers (town water mains rarely provide adequate water pressure). From the pump and water tank, sprinklers are installed (usually on the top of the kick boards in an indoor set up or clipped to a fence on an outdoor layout), spaced down each side of the surface. The size of the surface will determine the quantity and type of irrigation sprinklers we supply you. The water sprinklers are then connected to a set of solenoid valves (electric taps) that are open and closed via a small electronic control box. When the valves are opened, the pump automatically starts delivering water to the riding arena surface.

The ProRide irrigation controller

The ProRide irrigation controller

The irrigation controller allows the user to program one or a number of automatic starts throughout the day, so the watering system can operate fully automatically or manually (by simply pressing a button). Either way, the system will stop when watering is complete, so once started you can walk away – knowing the surface has the required amount of water applied.

With the ProRide system, a couple of manual drain points are included, to empty the water from the pipes as protection against the frosty weather (because you won’t need the system during this time).

The ProRide kit is supplied with everything needed to complete the riding arena watering system installation. You will need to connect your water supply to the ball float valve provided for the water tank, and provide 2 x 13 amp plug sockets for the controller and pump. That’s it!

We will deliver the ProRide system to your riding arena after receipt of your deposit (usually 40% of the order value). When we deliver, we’ll spend some time taking the installer through the correct installation method, and explain clearly how the irrigation equipment goes together. This usually just takes a couple of hours. Then we’ll collect the final payment for the system, and leave it with you. In the unlikely event of any problems, questions can be dealt with speedily, by phone or email.

Buy Irrigation's ProRide system gives fine mist spray and even coverage

Buy Irrigation’s ProRide system gives fine mist spray and even coverage

There are many examples of the Buy Irrigation ProRide system around the UK –  indoor and outdoor installations. Please contact me if you’d like further information, or if you have any specific questions.

Water, water, everywhere…

03 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by buyirrigation in bowls green irrigation, Equestrian, equestrian irrigation, Golf, golf irrigation, Greenkeeping, Horticulture, irrigation, Landscape, landscape irrigation, private garden irrigation, sports irrigation, Uncategorized

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bowls green irrigation, equestrian irrigation, garden irrigation, irrigation, landscape irrigation, pumps, sprinklers, watering

Hello. And, thank you for stopping by our new blog.

We’re new to blogging, so please let us know what you think – any hints and tips are gratefully received!

Whilst we may be amateurs in the blogosphere, we’re very experienced in all things irrigation, visit our site buyirrigation for more info. So, if you want to gen up on any aspect of irrigation – landscape, private garden, golf, leisure, equestrian, bowls green, sports, yada yada…please keep coming back. (Better still, follow us, it’ll make our day).

We aim to post every fortnight – on a range of topics, giving advice and tips and sharing some of our irrigation knowledge.

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