Crushed glass as arena surface

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GrofieldAbigail

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Has anyone got any experience of crushed glass or know anything about it as an arena surface? We are in the middle of constructing a arena and have been recommended crushed glass however I have not heard of this previously.

Any advise greatly appreciated!
 
I've never heard of it either! Doesn't sound like a good idea to me, unless it's crushed really finely (like sand.) Bet it'd be really abrasive.
 
I have never heard of it. Is it a new thing or has it been around a while. I've also been looking at surfaces and none of the companies i have got in touch with have mentioned it.
 
Don't like the sound of it myself. I know glass is made from sand but the structure is completely different. I know you won't be munching on it but I have heard a tiny amount of crushed glass can kill you if you ingest it. What happens if you fall off???
 
I find falling off on sand painful and when it gets in boots it can rub, so would think glass is the same if not worse. How do they guarantee there won't be shards/splinters of glass??
 
I've seen crushed glass mixed up with sand used as a landing and take off surface before. This was at an affiliated event so presumably safe.
 
Quote from website:

Horse Gallops & Horse Rings

Our Recycled Crushed Glass has successfully been used in the creation of state of the art indoor and outdoor equine facilities. Given the amount of investment involved in this industry, the specification requirements are high, and significant time involving great cost and care is taken to construct an ideal horse racing gallop. The area must be well-drained, absorb impact well but not be so soft as to stress the horse’s feet and legs.
For best results, well-drained “sharp” sand is the preferred aggregate to be used for horse gallop construction. When it is crushed and screened to a sand consistency, recycled glass is considered “sharp” sand, not because it could cut when handled, but because the angular surfaces, as seen under a microscope, provide more open spaces between the granules. This provides better drainage and prevents “clumping” when wet.
 
Sounds pretty reasonable to me - after all, what's the difference between it and sharp sand? Even that description puts it like that. Our sand surface used to be misted too often so it got very compact and hard which puts me off, but I suppose that's the very thing sharp/glass sand is designed to avoid.
 
I would want to see some feedback from people who have had it installed and used it with the same horses for a prolonged period. My main thought would be how abrasive is it to hooves over a long-term basis. That would be more for someone who had one installed at home, or a riding school I suppose who used it with the same horses on a continual basis.

It is another thing having them installed at competition venues as the same horses will not be using it on a continual basis. If I was having a school put in at home, I think I would stick to a tried and tested one.
 
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