title: Effect of superficial harrowing on surface properties of sand with rubber and waxed-sand with fibre riding arena surfaces: a preliminary study.
abstract: 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. Post-harrowing, none of the parameters were altered significantly on SR. On WSF, maximum vertical deceleration and maximum vertical load significantly decreased post-harrowing. The differences in the effects of superficial harrowing on SR and WSF could be attributed to the different compositions and sizes of the surface material. The results suggest that different maintenance techniques may be more suitable for different surface types and that the effects of superficial harrowing are short-lived due to the rapid re-compaction of the surface with repeated drops on WSF. Further work is required to determine the effects of other maintenance techniques, and on other surface types.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Equine Studies, Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, Kentford, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 7UU, United Kingdom. Electronic address: carolyne.tranquille@aht.org.uk.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Tranquille
authors.affiliation: Centre for Equine Studies, Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, Kentford, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 7UU, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: Unit of Equine Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7046, Uppsala S-750 05, Sweden.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hernlund
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7054, Uppsala S-750 07, Sweden.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Egenvall
authors.affiliation: Unit of Equine Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7046, Uppsala S-750 05, Sweden.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roepstorff
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maine, 5711 Boardman Hall, Orono, ME 04469, United States.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Equine Studies, Animal Health Trust, Lanwades Park, Kentford, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 7UU, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Murray
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005430:Floors and Floorcoverings; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D006736:Horses / Q000293:injuries*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal; D012408:Rubber; D012822:Silicon Dioxide
chemical_list: D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D012408:Rubber
keywords: Arena surface; Harrowing; Horse riding; Surface properties