New arena sending horses nuts!

[badgerdog]

We have just had our new arena completed so I walked my two year old round it to familiarise herself with it. My normally quiet youngster got quite spooked, spinning round and trying to take off. I decided to get my retired oldster out of his stable and turn them out together as he is very calm. He went absolutely mad! I've never seen him so animated for years. He bronced and galloped all over the place. They were both in such a frenzy I thought I'd better get them out. I herded them into the yard and then put them back in their field where they proceeded to charge around setting off the rest of the horses. In the meantime my 5 year old was spinning around in his stable so I let him in the yard. He trotted up to the gate and before I could open it he calmly jumped over it (a 4 foot metal gate!)
I just stood looking at them open mouthed. They've never gone on like this before. How can an arena be so scary!

 

[Flibble]

Is it the ground colour or the smell?
Some surfaces have a pungent aroma.

 

[LankyDoodle]

For some reason, no matter how many times I just read your post title, I was convinced it said 'new arena selling horse nuts'. I was intrigued anyway. Lol.

 

[badgerdog]

It's silica sand and shredded carpet. It's heavy going as it hasn't bedded down yet so the surface will feel strange to them. I haven't noticed a smell but I'll have a sniff later on.

 

[Theresa_F]

Possibly the colour. I have competed in hand and ridden on various dark coloured arena surfaces, but when I took Chancer to the Jays, their arena is very light - great for white feathered legs

.

He spent the first 15 mins of his class really spooking and unsettled - not like him. I then was able to ride him after the class in there for another 15 mins and he was fine.

Only thing I could put it down to was the colour as it was sand and rubber which he is very used to, there was nothing that different in the surrounds either.

We recently had our surface redone but with same sort of sand and rubber mix and no problems.

 

[badgerdog]

I hadn't thought of the colour, it is very light. I'll just have to keep taking them in to get them used to it (although the retired nutter can stay out, he doesn't even get ridden any more!)

 

[scotsmare]

It probably feels quite different under foot to what they're used to - particularly if it hasn't bedded down yet. It'll be a fab surface to ride on though

 

[Bosworth]

I have known some horses overreact to the surface underfoot. My 17'2 sat down and refused point blank to enter the Pet plan arena at the David Broome Event Centre. We eventually had to be lead in by a 12'2 pony and then crept around the arena trying not to touch the ground. We managed the first jump - but then lost the plot we were almost doing piaffe - just to stop his feet touching the surface. I retired - we were going no where!!