Why should you maintain your arena?
Horse arena quality affects both horse and rider. These enclosed spaces, often meticulously designed and maintained, play a pivotal role in keeping horses safe and producing the best training or event outcomes. While the term “harrowing” might evoke images of hardship, in the context of horse arenas, it just means grooming an arena for an improved training or competition surface.
Arena surface quality
One of the primary functions of harrowing horse arenas is to maintain and improve the quality of the footing. Footing refers to the surface on which horses move, comprising materials like sand, gravel, rubber, or synthetic fibres. Harrowing, which involves dragging specialized equipment across the arena surface such as the Redback Arena Rake, helps redistribute and level the footing. This process prevents the formation of uneven spots, ruts, and compacted areas, which could lead to discomfort or injury.
Prevent injuries
Harrowing creates an optimal surface for various types of training and exercise. Consistent harrowing helps prevent injuries and tendon damage by minimizing the risk of tripping or slipping caused by uneven surfaces. It is well known that a maintained arena surface encourages the proper movements needed to develop strong muscles, tendons, and ligaments while reducing strain on joints.
Improve confidence
Beyond its physical advantages, harrowing also provides a predictable environment that instils confidence in horses as they train or compete. The consistent footing allows horses to focus on their training without distractions or uncertainties and builds trust between horse and rider.
Improve performance
For competitive riders, the condition of the arena can significantly impact performance outcomes. Harrowing ensures that the footing remains consistent and supportive, allowing horses to perform at their best during training sessions and competitions. Whether navigating intricate dressage movements, executing precise jumping courses, or accelerating along a raceway, horses rely on stability and traction to stay safe and perform.
Sustainability
Beyond its direct benefits to our equine athletes, harrowing is also a sustainable practice. By regularly aerating and redistributing arena footing, harrowing helps prevent soil compaction and erosion, maintaining the integrity of the underlying ground surface. This practice reduces the risk of runoff and soil degradation, preserving the surrounding soil and pastures.
Redback Arena Rake & Premium Arena Groomers
The Redback Agri ATV Arena Rake is a popular choice in New Zealand & Australia for keeping arenas in great condition. However, as a multi-use tool, once the arena is sorted, it is also the perfect solution to level your tracks and harrow manure in pastures, promoting quality pastures long term. We also manufacture larger harrows suitable for all applications including our famous Triangle & Chain Harrows, Heavy Duty Harrows, Seed Cover Harrows and Detachable Harrows. See our ATV Harrows in action below or ask for a demo at your local farm machinery dealer. Buy Direct online:
If you are looking for the ULTIMATE arena surface, you won’t find a better tool than the Redback Premium Arena Groomer.
This Arena Groomer can be towed behind ATV’s, and Quads and even has a removable drawbar so you can use it on the 3-point linkage of your tractor. (Contact us to find out if you have the pull power for this groomer) Our arena groomer has plenty of adjustment options with locks to ensure the height/ tine depth doesn’t change when grooming. High-quality European conditioning tines mix even the most complex area surfaces to the desired consistency and depth, from 10mm right up to 200mm deep. Optional packer bars on the roller make it quieter and are a good addition to create your desired surface, whether it be sand, limestone, fibre/ synthetic, wood or rubber chip mixtures – this Arena Groomer is handing you the keys to the best riding surface possible. See our Premium Arena Groomer in action and learn more about its unique features on the product page.