Dream arena

Keeping your arena clean, tidy and in great working order will help you get the most out of your training sessions. With gear galore and a beautifully harrowed surface, those hours spent schooling will fly by, and you’ll be at the top of your game in no time. Find out how you can keep your arena looking its best right here.

Sleek surfaces

It’s super-important to make sure the surface of your arena is level. Uneven surfaces can negatively affect your pony’s performance and cause accidents so here are our four top tips on how to keep your surface looking immaculate…

1. Off the beaten track
   Constantly riding on the track causes a build-up of surface in the corners and along the sides. Try riding away from the track to stop this from happening – this will help to improve your pony’s balance, too.
2. Keep it clean
   Poo-picking the arena daily prevents the surface from becoming dusty and dirty. Avoid riding through droppings that haven’t been picked up yet, so you don’t scatter them around. Keeping a skip bucket and fork by the arena is super-handy and makes removal quick and easy.
3. Work out
   Harrowing the arena on a regular basis is the best way to keep the surface level. But if that’s not an option you can use a rake instead to dig out the corners and edges. This is a tough workout, but getting friends involved makes it great fun and a much easier job!
4. Move it
   Get into the habit of moving jumps around regularly. This will stop the surface from becoming compact in the take-off and landing areas. Mixing up your courses is essential for your training, too.

Did you know?

Riding right into the corners of the arena is as great for the surface as it is for your pony’s balance.

For more ways to make sure your surface looks spic and span, check out the September issue of PONY mag!