What IS the best arena surface??

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MillionDollar

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I've been debating for some time now what surface i'll be using for my arena. It will be 60 x 40 and used by approximately 30 horses most days. So it needs to be good enough for all disciplines as well as being easy to maintain.
 
Have you seen the new surface which is in the Wolves at college? Thats not too bad
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Yes its very swish isn't it?! Although one of lecturers was saying some of the College horses were having really bad reactions from it and it sticks to everything
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They're hoping it gets better with use.
But yes something like that would be good!
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At home we have sand and rubber which is OK, rides quite well though it has taken its time to settle. My instuctors indoor school has the surface from HOYS from about 3 years ago and I voted that as I have never ridden on such a nice surface- the horses go really well on it but it does'nt have to contend with the elements which I guess helps.
 
I loved the ecotrack at hickstead this year, Sid dropped me in the warm up and it just springs back
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Actually one of the nicest surfaces I have ridden on
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My RS which has around 30-40 horses has 2 arenas with the rubber on sand mix.

Both have been down a good 4 to 5 years now and are still spring to jump off etc. Saying that though - they've been looked after well, harrowed every day
 
I dont know what its proper name was but i rode on a surface of silicon sand and carpet mixture and that was brill, it was frosty when we rode and you could never of told from the school, its like riding on cotton wool or something
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If there's all 3 arenas free I'll always use the Wolves because the surface is fab and at 100m x 40m you had tonnes of space (before they split it up and put jumps in 2 thirds of it but you get plenty of spac to jump and your not crammed in). I have no idea whats it's like to jump on but I should imagine it's nice. Neither of mine have ever had a reaction to the surface (haven't heard of any horses having a reaction to it) but I make sure all surface comes off their legs but it sticks like buggery to anything with feathers and is a sod to get off.
 
We have Pasada (which I think is silicon sand?) It doesn't freeze or get dusty, but it can get deep at the edges so needs regular harrowing a couple of times a week. The surface in our school has been down about 15yrs and they jumping competitions and everything on it.
 
sand and PVC

rubber has been investigated by BDressage 2 years ago in regard to soundness effects on horses trained on that surface - particularly in regard to the large chip type of rubber surface.

I also hate rubber for staining the white legs of horses when they are worked on a wet rubber surface
 
do you find that a woodchip surface rots down fairly quickly and gets almost slushy and needs replacing more often ?
 
Not if you have proper dainage. It is the most important thing. No point cutting corners there because it will not work. Will cost heaps long run and short term you will have a flooding boggy manage. Good dainage means even in proper down poor your manage should be bone dry.
 
I voted for pre mixed as the gelled sand and rubber is definitely the most solid footing but has some give in it too.
We couldn't afford that and used rubber/silica and sea sand.
The surface is almost as good and drains superbly even without any drains under it. We are going to put a drain across the entrance though as the water pours off there like a river in heavy rain!
If cost doesn't come into it the gelled sand and rubber. Wouldn't attempt woodchip as with that much work it will disintigrate as ours did to dust over time.
 
Is there such a thing as a surface that won't freeze?

(and anyone that says an indoor one gets a glass of cold water lobbed at them!)
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Martin Collins surfaces. Geltrack or Polytrack depending on circumstances. It needs periodically harrowing to prevent it from getting too compressed.

Depends a lot on your financial constraints. Techno surfaces like Geltrack are great but expensive. Wood shavings can be free but they break down and have to be replaced every so often.
 
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