The sun is shining, and we are spending as much time outside with our horses as possible. Our evenings and weekend are a balance between embracing time spent outside the arena as well as keeping up the hard work inside it.
After the longest, wettest winter in years, it’s no surprise that your surface might have taken a battering, but without proper maintenance, a winter of soggy, waterlogged and frozen arenas, can be replaced with a summer of more problems, with surfaces drying out and becoming deep, dusty and heavy.
Whether a busy livery yard or competition venue, we are using our arenas more than ever, expecting the surface to suit a range of different disciplines and be ready to use whatever the weather. A surface that isn’t performing, is at best, annoying and disruptive, and at worst, has the potential to cause injury.
To keep our horses fit and sound enough to enjoy all the benefits the summer has to offer, all riders need a working knowledge of arena surfaces which we ask our horses to train and perform on. Poor surfaces can damage joints, soft tissue, muscles, hooves, and the respiratory and vascular system. Creating a proper riding surface is necessary to maintain a horse’s safety, longevity, and performance.
A short-term solution to a deep surface is to level and water the arena, replacing the moisture which has been lost due to the warmer weather. However, the beneficial effects will only be temporary. By rotating more fibres into an existing sand and fibre surface, there is potential for more moisture to be retained, but what if your school has a different surface altogether, or you are looking for a longer-term solution?
Reconstructing an arena is a costly business, but there are other options available for improving what you already have. Surface top-ups are a quick and cost-effective solution. A top up of a multi-purpose surface, such as Equestrian Direct’s Flexiride, can be used to improve footing and retain moisture on the majority of existing surfaces. Flexiride works as an insulating layer stopping the surface from drying out in the Summer and preventing it from freezing in the Winter.
Flexiride is cost effective, all-in-one all weather surface which is low maintenance, yet offers exceptional ‘cushioning’ qualities to enhance horses’ natural athleticism and reduce potential for injury and lameness. Flexiride has high impact absorbency, is environmentally friendly and does not freeze, blow or rot.
Equestrian Direct is a leading company in the area surface industry, with 30 years of experience providing customers with a personal service that is tailored to the needs of the horse and rider. Providing top quality riding surfaces to suit all requirements and budgets.