Effect of superficial harrowing on surface properties of sand with rubber and waxed-sand with fibre riding arena surfaces: a preliminary study

摘要

A recent epidemiological study identified various aspects of arena surfaces and arena surface maintenance that were related to risk of injury in horses and that arena maintenance is important in reducing injury risk. However, there has been little research into how properties of arena surfaces change with harrowing. This study aimed to compare the properties of different arena surface types pre- and post-harrowing. The Orono Biomechanical Surface Tester fitted with accelerometers and a single- and a three-axis load cell was used to test 11 arenas with two different surfaces types, sand with rubber (SR) and waxed-sand with fibre (WSF). Three drop tests were carried out at 10 standardised locations on each arena. Mixed models were created to assess the effect of surface type, pre- or post-harrowing, and drop number on the properties of the surface, including maximum horizontal deceleration, maximum vertical deceleration, maximum vertical load and maximum horizontal load.