We can’t get away from it, but winter is coming. For most people, winter is the season of ‘comfortably sitting on the couch’. But for the horsey people among us this is completely different story. With rainy weather it can sometimes be quite challenging to continue training in the winter as fanatically as in summer. Especially when you only can use an outdoor arena, it can be quite a struggle. But with the tips below you ensure your outdoor arena to be ‘winterproof’.

Drainage
The first thing that is important for a ‘winterproof’ outdoor arena is a well-working drainage. The drainage ensures that you can keep the water level in the arena or paddock in order. Especially in the seasons when it rains a lot, it is not desirable that the surface changes into a swimming pool. Not only is training on a very wet surface bad for the drainage system, a horse also runs a higher risk of injury. Besides the fact that you want to prevent this, another consequence of poorly functioning drainage is that when it starts to freeze, the arena will be unusable very quickly.

Anti-freeze
Are you sure that the drainage is in order and you are aware that frost is on its way? Then make sure the water level in the arena is as low as possible. This will ensure that the surface is as dry as possible, which makes the chance of freezing a lot smaller. What also helps in this matter is the addition of polyflakes (also known as Geopad). These contribute to the support and stability of the surface and keep it airy. Because of this effect, the polyflakes sort of act as an anti-freeze. For an arena with polyflakes, compared to a normal sand surface, temperatures have to drop an average of 5 degrees more, until the surface freezes.

Dragging
Is the surface dry enough to prepare it for the frost? Then we recommend that you drag the arena preventively. The perfect way to do this is for example with our Equilizer. Due to its small dimensions, this arena leveler is extremely suitable for levelling a paddock or lunge pen. The Equi-lizers can even be provided with different surface drags, so that each surface can be maintained perfectly. By dragging, the top layer is finely loosened and airy, which reduces the chance of freezing. If the outdoor arena still becomes too firm when it freezes hard, then at least it is even. This makes it possible to turn out your horses without running the risk of them stepping into a pothole.

Dry and dusty roughage is a problem that many horse owners will recognize. Especially with the changing temperatures of the past period, it is even more common that the quality of the roughage deteriorates rapidly. Consider for example traces of mold on the roughage that can be found regularly. This is one of the reasons why nowadays 1 in 6 stabled horses has chronic breathing problems that have come from eating poor quality roughage. But with one very simple device, these complaints can be prevented and even reduced.

Clean lungs
It is well known that dust in hay and straw is one of the main factors for causing a respiratory tract infection. Yet, too little is being done to prevent horses from getting an infection. This is evidenced by the fact that over 80% of the stabled horses have ever contracted an airway infection with the cause of too dusty or moldy roughage. Even more than 15% of the horses with a respiratory tract infection are left with permanent damage, making performance sometimes impossible. These figures might be quite shocking, but it does indicate the seriousness of the situation. Fortunately, our HayGain can help you to optimize the health of your horse.

Perfect temperature
In short, the HayGain is a steam box that combats all dust, mold spores, bacteria and mites. This makes the machine also suitable for use with horses that have certain allergies or are hypersensitive. Steaming roughage in the HayGain is done using a unique method. Inside the insulated container is a steam generator that has been specially developed by HayGain itself for steaming roughage. The steam generator ensures that the steam that is produced is above 100 degrees Celsius, so that all fungi and other harmful pathogens are killed. We often see that when the roughage is dry, this is made wet with a garden hose. What only very few people know is that this only produces wet roughage to which the dust sticks to even faster and because the roughage will easily heat up due to moisture, and creates the perfect circumstances for bacteria to grow and that is precisely what you do not want.

For everyone
In addition to the advantage that the health of your horse will increase enormously when using the HayGain, there are even more advantages to it. At Equitrend we have three different sizes of the HayGain in our range. The HayGain HG2000 that can steam one whole bale in one go, the HayGain HG600 that is suitable for half a bale and the HayGain One+ that is suitable for hay nets or a quarter bale. In addition, at HayGain we understand that not everyone has hours to spend waiting until the roughage is steamed. That is why all HayGains are equipped with a strong steam generator that can steam the entire content within 60 minutes.
Make sure your horse does not become part of that 80% of horses that have contracted an airway infection and convince yourself with the HayGain.

For more information go to HayGain HG2000, de HayGain HG600 of de HayGain One+ our check our other products.

What would be better than in the summer setting up a jumping course in the outdoor arena without having to carrie around the obstacles endlessly? Not much indeed! Not everyone has the luxury to leave the obstacles in the arena after building a jumping course. Many riders will therefore be carrying and lifting poles time after time. With our pole trolley we release you from endless walking back and forth. All you have to do is load the poles on the trolley in one go and push the trolley back in its place.

Huge capacity
At every riding facility where poles are used, only once in a while or regularly,  the pole trolley is essential. Due to the special design, the pole trolley has a huge capacity with the possibility to hang 120 jumping poles. This makes it possible to transport all poles of a complete course in one go. What positively surprised many users of our pole trolley is that is extremely stable and easy to maneuver, both loaded and unloaded. This stability is due to the sturdy turntable and wide pneumatic tires. Due to this design the trolley can be used on any surface.

 
Jump trolley
But when building or dismantling a course, it is not only the poles but also the uprights that must be transported. The other version of the pole trolley, the jump trolley, is the best solution for that. Equipped with a special eye-ring on the handle, it has the possibility to link the jump trolley tot the pole trolley, making it possible to build and dismantle the course even faster. Just like the pole trolley, the jump trolley is extremely stable due to its wide pneumatic tires and sturdy turntable. An additional advantage of both the jump trolley and the pole trolley is the fact that both wagons are quite narrow and can therefore easily be stowed. The jump trolley is only 150 cm wide and 350 cm long, the pole trolley is with its 120 cm wide and 250 cm long even smaller.

 
Increased longivity
We understand, of course, that when all your valuable jumping equipment is properly stored, it must also remain clean and tidy. A special canopy is designed for both the pole – and jump trolley. This is a canvas hood that protects the obstacle material and poles against all weather conditions and keeps them dustfree as well. This is the perfect way to store all your jumping materials outside and ensures that the material will last longer and the poles will rot less quickly.

Have you become so enthusiastic about the Pole Trolley and Jump Trolley? View them here!