Do I need to maintain my all-weather riding surface?

Yes, there is no such thing as a maintenance free equestrian surface. How often will depend on the type of all-weather surface and the usage.

Can I mix Equivia with my old surface?

Yes. As long as the surface is a sand-based product and not contaminated with a lot of organic matter we can look at mixing Equivia with older surfaces, from other manufacturers.

In many cases we will be using similar sand, the same wax and same machinery as the other market leaders. We can take a sample of the old surface and mix it with a suitable amount of an Equivia surface for you to see and touch prior to commencing installation.

Do I need to buy special equipment to maintain my surface?

Yes, a wax surface is designed for the horse to ride on top of the surface not into it, therefore you do not want to be ‘digging’ into the surface and all you need to do is ‘comb’ the surface.  This will help to remove any hoof prints and decompact sections due to jumping in one place etc.

You should not use a chain harrow or other agricultural equipment as they can cause damage to the surface buy causing undulations and pulling fibre from the surface. Whether you have a waxed or un-waxed surface we have the appropriate maintenance machine to correctly maintain your surface.

Do I need to remove droppings from my riding surface?

Yes, any organic matter including horse droppings should be removed as soon as possible.  If it is allowed to stay in the surface it will reduce the effectiveness of the wax coating.

Can I adjust the ride depth or ‘cut’ of my surface?

Yes. Personal preference and different disciplines can require different types of ‘going’ or ‘cut’.

Depending on the type of surface you have and the type of maintenance equipment you have at your disposal, you can change the way of going.

How can I make sure my un waxed riding surface doesn’t get deep and dusty?

An un-waxed surface will need to be watered regularly during dry spells of weather in order for it not to become dry, dusty and deep.

If your dry sand surface has added fibre, and the sand is allowed to significantly dry out, the fibres will migrate to the surface.  If this happens you will need to both power harrow and rotavate the fibre back into the sand.  This should be followed by watering and rolling in order to regain compaction and stability within the surface.

Can I prevent my arena from freezing?

This will depend on the type of surface you have.

If you have an un-waxed surface and it is retaining moisture and there is a hard frost it is very likely to freeze.  One of the many benefits of a wax coated surface is, if maintained correctly, it is unlikely to freeze. However, over compacted surfaces of any type, waxed or un-waxed, prevent surplus water from draining, causing a ‘backlog’ of moisture in the surface, which can then freeze.

What materials are Equivia all weather equestrian surfaces made from and do I need to be worried about contamination/safety?

Equivia is made from premium washed silica sand, premium crystalline wax, polypropylene fibres and rubber. Our exclusive supplier of fibres sources their raw carpet materials from industrial sector offcuts ensuring there is no contamination from previous usage. Foam backing is removed first to eliminate the chemical filled dust associated with many fibre or carpet products, before a process that pulls, then chops, the fibres.

Once you have installed my all weather riding surface how should I look after it?

Equivia’s team have a long track record of maintaining surfaces. Having worked at Jockey Club Estates, Keeneland and managing private training establishments we can offer a wealth of knowledge and full support. We will carry out initial training and can offer the machinery necessary for day-to-day maintenance.

Of course, we will always be just a phone call away to advise on the occasionally needed deep maintenance.

We take pride in the fact that Equivia surfaces installed more than ten years ago are still in great shape thanks to working closely with our clients to keep them in first class condition.

My waxed Surface is looking old – do I need to replace it?

The Equivia team are often called in to look at older, tired surfaces, from a range of suppliers. Quite often it is possible for us to advise on a medium-term plan of topping up or rejuvenation as opposed to complete re-surfacing.

We pride ourselves on our ability to work with clients and take a long-term view to a surface allowing you the time to budget for that new surface down the line.

I have specific requirements. Can you cater for this?

Being a smaller company, Equivia are able to be very nimble and will always aim to find a custom surface if one of our mixes needs some tweaking to create your perfect surface.

To find out more about our all weather  surfaces, request a quote,
or if you need any additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact us today.

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