Arena Construction
Transform Your Arena with Peter Morrison Arenas
Do you want to build a new arena, or upgrade your existing one?
Peter Morrison Arenas delivers expert arena construction services, creating durable, high-performance arenas tailored for equestrian events and designed to meet the demands of modern use.
Arena Surfaces
Eque-Fibre & Sand
This surface is a specifically blended equestrian fibre and sand medium. It is our own mixture of textile fibre and sand that protects your horse by offering excellent impact absorption, high traction and stability. All this at an affordable price.
- Eque-Fibre Training
- Eque-Fibre Competition
- Eque-Fibre Indoor
Eque-Track
This is a blend of carefully selected polymer, sand, fibre and PVC granules designed to eliminate dust, reduce water requirements and create an absolutely consistent riding surface.
- Training
- Indoor
- Competition
- Racing
Ebb & Flow
An Ebb & Flow arena is a fully automated drainage and irrigation system installed below your arena surface. It optimises on water retention and usage which is critical to the performance of your arena and protection of your horse against injury.
This system combines the base and surface in one and guarantees ideal moisture conditions from below.
What is a good riding surface?
The Science Behind the Sand
Arena Surface Characteristics
An ideal arena going allows a horse to move efficiently through the three phases i.e. landing, loading and rollover. (See Image) The surface should reduce concussion, absorb shock, provide support and return energy back to the horse. To accomplish this, the surface should have;
- Firmness
- Cushioning
- Cupping
- Rebound
- Grip
FIRMNESS
The firmness, or hardness, of the surface affects the amount of support and how shock forces are distributed during the landing phase. A surface with ideal firmness offers support with minimal concussion to the bones and joints and is soft enough to aid in absorbing shock.
CUSHIONING
Cushioning refers to how the arena layers dampen shock during the loading phase. An ideal amount of cushion should distribute shock through the arena layers and provide enough resistance under the hoof for the horse to balance and move into the roll over/push-off phase.
CUPPING
During the loading phase, the hoof capsule expands. Pressure under the frog and digital cushion aid in supplying blood to the structures in the hoof capsule. As the weight is released the hoof contracts, pumping blood up the leg and through the body. This process is called hoof mechanism. The surface under the foot influences hoof mechanism.
​To benefit from hoof mechanism, the surface should cup into the sole and collateral grooves of the frog. Resistance in the surface supports the weight and force placed under the foot, while the pressure under the frog and digital cushion encourage blood flow through the hoof capsule.
REBOUND
Closely related to cushioning is responsiveness and rebound. This refers to the resiliency of the surface to return to its original form, returning energy after the weight of the horse is applied.
An active and springy surface with ideal rebound returns energy to the horse at the same rate it was applied. This reduces the horses need to use its own additional energy for momentum. Rebound time is dependent on how the surface is used, for example for dressage or showjumping.
GRIP
The tightness of the surface affects the grip. Grip aids in absorbing shock during the landing phase, and provides support and traction during push off and turns. The hoof must be allowed to slide during landing and stopping enough for the ground to absorb impact forces. The amount of grip is dependent on how the surface will be used.
During landing and stopping, the hoof must be allowed to slide enough for the ground to absorb impact forces. During push off and turns, the tightness of the surface must provide stability for the horse without causing concussion.
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Lunge Rings
A lunge ring is a valuable addition to any equestrian yard and it provides a facility to exercise and work your horse. At Peter Morrison Arenas we are able to construct lunge rings from start to finish as well as provide the surface to existing lunge rings and horse walkers.
Lunge rings usually start at about 20 metres in circumference but they can be tailored to individual requirements. We use the same construction, planning process and materials as our normal arenas and surfaces.
Trotting & Canter Track
