At Leisure Ride we’re not just about selling you a new build arena or some bales of fibre – although if that’s what you need simply call us for a no-obligation quote and samples.
As horse people ourselves we’re passionate about getting your arena the best it can be. We’ll give you straight, no-nonsense advice and support – after all your horses welfare is paramount to you and us.
So we’ve compiled some handy free riding arena plans & guides for you to download and some interesting links to click to help you make the right decisions for your arena.
Arena types: Pros & Cons
It’s a minefield out there, especially if you are starting from scratch and aren’t sure what surface to buy. There are tons of different arena surfaces on the market – woodchip, PVC, Rubber-mix, and Sand and Fibre are the basic types. Read a few forums and it’s clear that everyone seems to have an opinion as to what they think is best. There’s a lot of nonsense talked by a lot of people who aren’t qualified to give intelligent advice. Let’s be clear for a moment: the correctly installed and maintained Sand & Fibre type of surface is the best for most types of riding be it racing or dressage.
Click here to down load the FEI whitepaper on arena surfaces – it is the latest and most definitive study, published in 2014 and the result of many years work by vets, equestrian experts, the governing body for racing in the US and the Animal Health Trust.
In short – sand and fibre is best, and if you are specialising in a particular discipline, tailor your surface to this discipline. Here at Leisure Ride we are experts at this and will show you how.
Leisure Ride Guides:
How to install a pre-mixed surface
Other interesting links
We only do Sand & Fibre because we know what’s best and refuse to settle for anything less. Here’s what the Animal Health Trust has to say on the subject of best arena practice. This is an independent study, run by the University of Stockholm.