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Information about Building Arenas
The following hopefully provides some points to consider when building an outdoor arena. There are three key elements to building a successful arena: good drainage, a solid base and a sound surface.
Size The average size for an arena is 20 metres by 40 metres. Higher level dressage tests use an arena 20 metres by 60 metres, so if you are planning to get to this grade it is worth accommodating this extra length. Plan for an extra 5 metres for horses to warm up around the edge if you are going to hold competitions. Site It is important to have easy access to the arena particularly in winter - will deep mud make access impossible? Starting off with as level a piece of land as possible will help reduce the costs of moving earth. When you choose the site for the arena make the most of sunshine as the warmth of the sun will help the arena to defrost. A line of trees can make a useful windbreak. Turned out animals may become excited and are a distraction to the horse you are trying to school if the arena is sited is too close to grazing land. Drainage You can build an arena just about anywhere as long as you make sure that you put in the necessary layers of drainage. Many arenas suffer from poor drainage, the water lying on the surface can turn into an ice rink in very cold weather. The goal is to make sure that water will flow around your arena and whatever water lands on the arena will flow off quickly. Good drainage can help to reduce this problem enormously. Some areas have soil types that provide a naturally effective drainage system. A membrane is not always necessary as it is designed to stop clay or sub-soil moving upwards into the base. Membranes are not suitable for all surfaces and can rip and start to lift if incorrectly applied. When building your arena it is worth considering putting internal drainage within the arena together with drains situated around the sides of the arena. If you are able to site your arena on a hill, sloping the arena slightly, this can help water to drain away. Foundation A solid foundation is essential and is made up of good drainage, a sub-base and a base. Surface There are many different types of surfaces available on the market, the most common being sand. Others are wood fibre, waxed coated mixed surfaces, rubber and simulated grass surfaces. Some people use a combination such as sand with a topping of rubber. Prices vary considerably so your budget will have some bearing on what you choose. Bear in mind that some surfaces such as sand alone may freeze when wet. The supplier may be able to supply an address of someone in your area who would let you see the surface in use. Normally 4 inches of a top surface is applied. A woodfibre surface needs to be laid at a minimum 250mm/10" uncompressed depth which reaches a compressed depth when rolled of 150mm/6", which is the required working depth of a woodfibre riding surface. This gives the characteristic bounce and spring that is synonymous from a woodfibre surface. Lighting
TIP - add salt to the track area of the arena to help prevent freezing (the type used to pack vegetables not grit roads). Maintenance In order to keep your arena in good condition it should be kept to a consistent depth as an un-level surface will freeze more readily. There are several levellers on the market. Rolling the surface after levelling means that you could use the arena even in freezing conditions. Top up the surface as and when you need to, this will prolong the life of the arena, preventing the membrane from freezing. Your arena needs maintenance if: troughs begin to appear and excess material builds up against the kick boards, the footing is dry and dusty, the arena foundation is uneven, stones or clods of earth appear on the surface, wet or slippery spots appear or pot holes begin to appear. How much maintenance you have to do will depend on the surface you choose and how often the arena is used. Watering the surface controls dust and firms up the surface though make sure that if you are using a sprinkler system you don't over-water areas. N.B. The average size for a round pen would be approx. 20metres in diameter. Dressage Arena Markers
WOODFIBRE AS A RIDING SURFACEInformation supplied by: Ransfords Equestrian Surfaces
Woodfibre should not be confused with woodchip – it is produced by a different process and is an upgrade specifically for riding surfaces.
Woodchip was the first riding weather surface ever to be produced. In these early days, chip could be purchased from any UK timber mill as it was not a specialised riding surface as such – simply, all those years ago, the only one available at the time.
There were initial problems because of this – every timber mill puts different woods through their machines and cuts chip differently with different blades, they still do, so there is no regulation over the chip which is when problems can arise when using it…..the chunks are too large, they wedge in the horses feet, they don’t bed in an settle, the wood is too soft, etc etc.
Look at the particle size of any wood based sample you are sent
Some wood based products are produced for something else other than a riding surface so the size and type of wood particle will be set for another purpose and will not be suitable for equestrian use. The particle size is therefore very important.
If the pieces of wood are too large then the wood will not settle, too small and lightweight the particles will snap or in windy weather will blow away, therefore only using the highest quality, durable and weighty wood for an equestrian riding surface is vital.
Woodfibre can be used for all riding disciplines and for both indoor and outdoor surfaces - the outdoor being all-weather gallops, manéges, lunge ring, turnouts and horse-walkers.
Woodfibre is completely eco-friendly as not being treated with chemicals or colourings in any way it is completely non-toxic and being a natural product there is also no smell / fumes from the surface in very hot weather. Surfaces that give off even the faintest smell can be unsettling for horses who have a much more sensitive nose than us and are actually much closer to the surface vapour than their rider.
No riding surface will last for ever
No all-weather surface lasts for ever, not even sand, so rather than having to pay for the disposal of a rubber or other synthetic surface (Council rates are approximately £35 plus VAT per ton, plus transport to the nearest landfill site) when untreated woodfibre is no longer required it can be simply put in a manure spreader and spread on any ploughed land you or a neighbouring farmer might have.
As a riding surface, woodfibre produces a firm surface but is immensely cushioned, with a slight bounce, which is why it is such a popular choice within the UK racing industry as there is no “drag” like a sand or sand mix produces so in turn woodfibre is kinder on the horses’ legs.
Make sure you choose a woodfibre that is low in dust thus avoiding any respiratory problems. Less dust also means that, when used outside, none of the free draining qualities are lost when the surface is laid.
Ride out in freezing temperatures
Sand surfaces will freeze. With correct drainage to ensure that there is no puddling on your all-weather surface, a woodfibre surface is much less prone to freezing (if at all) but again this is down to the quality of wood and bark content. Unlike sand, wood is a natural conductor of heat and laid at the correct depth generates its own heat from below. The less bark (or non at all) in a woodfibre surface means that less water is soaked up and this reduces the chance of freezing even more.
Woodfibre can be added to sand to improve the riding surface when the sand surface is riding deep and heavy. When sand rides too deep it has suffered what is called the “emery board effect”
Every type of sand immediately starts the emery board effect as soon as it is laid – again an act of nature’s logic. It undergoes the natural process of grinding against itself, whether by itself or as a mixture and with the action of hooves it simply gets finer and finer so rides deeper and deeper. When this happens a sand surface retains yet more water and apart from freezing even quicker, the ride becomes even heavier going for your horse.
This means that in Summer sand is dusty and in Winter it holds water and will freeze. Adding woodfibre will lighten the surface, but do ensure that “builders sand” is not used on a riding surface. This type of sand should never be used and there is no remedy to the ride when this has been used. Every supplier should be able to tell you what their surface is made from and how it is produced. Ask plenty of questions. Remember, you are spending the money and you should be confident that you are spending it wisely. Don’t be embarrassed about asking the potential supplier as many questions as you want – if need be write them all down beforehand.
Recycled wood should be questioned. This can range from recycled old post and rail to kitchen units, door and window frames and pallets which, once the wood has been cut up, goes through a magnetic device to remove the wire, nails and staples that have held them together. The supplier must confirm in writing that they give you their 100% guarantee and assurance that there will be no metal residue in their surface. This way, if any metal is found and your horse is injured you will have some comeback.
This is why the racing industry is not enamoured with recycled wood.
Recycled timber also means that the wood used has reached the end of the life it was intended for, thus the wood is already aged. Also when wood is recycled there is no jurisdiction over what wood has been processed, often recycled wood is very soft (because it is easy to nail and cut), which means that non-durable ground contact wood will have been used.
The wood for a riding surface needs to be a heavyweight durable ground contact wood. Softwood or hardwood means nothing. For example, Beech is a hardwood, yet is classed as a non-durable ground contact wood. Wood for a riding surface needs to be made out of a specific durable species – not low quality woods.
It is the quality of the wood that is the important factor because as soon as any wood is put in ground contact, no matter whether it is dried or otherwise, it will still soak up exactly the same amount of moisture. It is therefore paramount that a specific hardwearing durable species is selected, to also cope with pounding hooves / shoes, not one where there is no guarantee what it is.
Treated riding surfaces again will be recycled wood that was originally treated. Woodfibre cannot be treated after it has been cut. Treated woodfibre therefore is aged timber and makes no difference to ground contact durability whatsoever, again it is the quality of timber that is chosen to cope with pounding hooves.
Bark free woodfibre is a popular choice because bark is the part of a wood based surface that quickly breaks down under the pressure of hooves. Bark has a sponge like consistency so it soaks up water exactly like a sponge which increases the rotting process. Taking bark out of a surface, increases durability and with less of a water content in the surface, reduces the likelihood of freezing. Again, why this is such a popular choice within the horse racing industry as it means, unless there is heavy snowfall, horses can be trained 365 days of the year.
Another clear indicator in checking for quality
A clear indicator of how good a wood based riding surface is, is how many horse racing trainers does a riding surfacing company supply?
The UK horse racing trainers are the most discerning of clients when it comes to making their choice of a wood based training surface. With horses costing hundreds of thousands of pounds, often millions, using their training surfaces, they need to be 100% sure that they have made the right choice, 99% doesn’t even come close.
They need to choose the ultimate, not only in terms of performance and quality but, with many, many horses using the surface, they also need to rely on durability.
Bearing in mind all of the above points regarding the need for superior woods, always obtain a woodfibre riding surface from a reputable supplier. Don’t think that you can obtain off-cuts of timber cheaply and produce a satisfactory riding surface – cheap timber will break down quickly, can block drainage, can splinter, can be slippy - in general can often be quite dangerous.
Don’t use “peelings” which are the off-cuts of posts when they are pointed at one end (a bit like peeling a carrot). These can be very slippy when wet, are very light so will blow around (away!) in windy weather and because they are thin and have bark on one side, will break down quickly.
Life expectancy of a woodfibre surface
The life expectancy of a woodfibre surface can vary considerably depending on the quality of wood chosen by a supplier – this is therefore one of the pertinent questions when making your enquiry. An example of a good quality woodfibre outdoor arena, given correct maintenance, should be between 10-15 years, depending on usage. A busy riding school, around 8 years.
You will need to top up a woodfibre surface periodically, again ask for clarification from a supplier as this will vary, again because of the variation in the quality of wood used by different companies. Every riding surface degenerates over time which gradually affects the riding performance; adding a small amount of woodfibre to the existing woodfibre surface means that this new layer continues to protect the layer underneath.
Working/Riding depths for a woodfibre surface
The minimum required finished depth for any woodfibre riding surface should be 150mm-175mm (6-7”), some prefer more cushioning at 300mm (8”). A horse’s hoof impression at speed, jumping or even playing (or playing up!), can be up to 4” so there needs to be cushioning from the unyielding drainage stone underneath the surface.
If any surface is below 4” then the horses can suffer concussion injuries and when a membrane is used then this will get scuffed to the surface, will tear which then allows the drainage stone through into your chosen surface.
Woodfibre compresses when it is rolled so to reach the required working surface for horses of 150mm-175mm / 6-7” it needs to be laid at an uncompressed depth of 250mm / 10”, any less than this will cause the above problems.
Quantity of woodfibre required to surface a standard 20m x 40m arena
To surface a standard size 20m x 40m manége there would therefore be a requirement of 200 cubic metres of equestrian bark free woodfibre.
This quantity would give an uncompressed surface depth of 250mm (10”) which once compressed (rolled) would reach the required working surface for horses of 150mm – 175mm (6-7”).
To give a 200mm / 8” compressed woodfibre riding surface, there would be a requirement of 240 cubic metres. This gives a starting uncompressed depth of 300mm / 12”.
Always obtain a sample of every riding surface you enquire about
This is very important. Don’t just rely on price comparisons even if products sound similar as there will be a variation in the choice of wood used and therefore the quality – always ensure you obtain a sample of every riding surface you enquire about to see the quality for yourself. Products might sound the same but often they are not and can vary immensely. Compare the quality of these samples and never place an order before seeing a sample. This way you can also ensure that when the riding surface is delivered, it should be exactly the same as the sample you were sent.
If there is anything that you have been verbally told by a supplier but would like confirmation of this in a letter from them, then ask them to confirm this in writing – if this is not forthcoming, why not? Never be shy about asking questions and getting written answers when it comes to the safety of your horses.
A woodfibre surface from a reputable supplier can provide one of the best riding surfaces on the market.
Cardigan Sand & Gravel Co Ltd - Riding Arenas - lost of useful information on building a riding arena. |
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