Has anyone done a DIY arena mirror installation on indoor arena?

[Laureltree]

Hoping to put up a full line of arena mirrors soon in our arena... so exciting!

We'd rather do them ourselves than pay for the install - has anyone else done this?! Can you give me any thoughts/tips/tricks?!

Thanks guys!

 

[Hanno Verian]

Iv'e not done it but had my horse on a yard with DIY mirror installation, I'm not sure what they were made from, but it rippled and had blindspots because they werent aligned exactly. I rode my old KPWN x TB down the track when he was suddenly ambushed by a horse 'his own reflection' jumping out at him from nowhere, he spooked and dumped me so that I came down with my femur on the wooden edge to the school surface, I was very lucky.

In principle a great money saving idea, but you need to be sure the mirrors are rigid so there are no ripples, that they are exactly aligned otherwise you end up with disjointed distorted images, you need to think about cleaning them, the surfaces deteriorating and positioning them so they dont reflect the sun.

Its not as easy as you think, plus you need to work to very fine tolerances otherwise your going to have a disappointing result, plus you need to be careful that its put up safely.

Having said that I use the ones on our current outdoor school they're great - Good luck

 

[turnbuckle]

Installation "should" be quite easy, but make sure you have a smooth edged frame surrounding them. I knew one horse who was turned out in the school, fascinated by his new friend and stuck his head behind the mirror to say hello - caught his neck on the edge and needed 30+ stitches! He wasn't even a self-harming TB.....