Gypsum Mineral used in turn out arena?

[IrisGreen]

So, My ground is like a hard clay. It dries like cement. When you till it up it turns to power then settles and gets hard again.

I've been working to get my arena ground softer by dumping manuer and using a spike tooth harrow to mix it in. This is helping to soften the ground and keep it from turning to cement but it's just so dry and gets compacted.

I was told to use Gypsum and mix it in with the ground and that will help keep a moisture balance and keep it from turning to cement. There is an ad on Craigs list for Gypsum by the ton and it's pretty cheap, $40 a ton delivered.

I don't want to use sand if I can avoid it or maybe just a little mixed in but not a layer of it, it gets over 100 degrees, hot and dry during the summer so I need something to help keep a moisture balance. I use sprinklers to wet the arena but it drys out with in 30 mins. It's like watering concrete and only the top layer absorbs the water but then drys out quickly leaving the layer underneath dry as a rock.

In winter it turns to thick wet clay but drys out as long as it's not a low spot/puddle.

So, I was wanting to know if any of you have heard of mixing Gypsum in with your arena ground?

[IrisGreen]

Found some info:


http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s164943.htm

"Gypsum. This is an imperative in clay soils, making clay particles cleave together improving friability and drainage. But there's gypsum, and there's gypsum. Geologist Sean Kennedy enlightens us. "Gypsum is a natural product that forms in different geological environments such as dunes or lake beds", and therefore can contain impurities such as sand or clay. It is the ratio of sulphur to gypsum which is important, 94% gypsum to 17.5% sulphur is ideal. The other important aspect is the grain size of the gypsum. The finer it is the more quickly it is effective. It's colour is also an indication of its purity. Gypsum is very pale and more colouration is an indication of impurities. There are standards for gypsum. South Australia recognised 4 grades. Anything below 54% gypsum or 4% sulphur does not count as gypsum. Malcolm looks at three different brands of 'premium grade' gypsum and discovers that two don't live up to their labels."

The ad I'm looking at says that it's 85-90% Pure. So, at least I know I'm getting what I pay for if I do buy a load.

[natisha]

Being that gypsum is a kind of rock I'm not so sure it wouldn't get hard too.
I use calcium chloride in the arena to hold moisture. It works great. Even so I have a guy come in once a year & 'plow up' the arena (indoors) as it gets hard packed under the top couple of inches that I can keep loose. There is no one time fix that I know of.
Maybe you could try the gypsum in a small area first to see if you like it?