Cushionride – The most frequently asked questions

What is Cushionride?

Seasoned, recycled wood fibre with a mixture of hard and softwood, eco friendly with no added preservatives (approved by Local Planning Authorities).

How long will it last for?

With correct drainage, for average family use, it will last four years before topping up may become neccesary, with no need to remove the old surface. On a commercial arena we would recommend a top up after two years, but this would depend on the initial installation depth.

Is Cushionride suitable for all equine disciplines?

Over 18 years, Cushionride has been used for all equine disciplines as the surface roots and knits together. Horses ride on the top and not through it.

Is it suitable for all weather conditions?

Cushionride is suitable for all weather conditions. It is not dusty in the summer, and we have had no notification of it freezing over the past eighteen years. It is very suitable for exposed sites. It does not blow around. Cushionride arenas can be used on frosty mornings when other surfaces are too hard.

Can you use Cushionride for an indoor arena?

Cushionride can be used internally but will need to be watered on an average after every six weeks.

Can you use Cushionride for turnout arenas?

Cushionride is especially suitable for turnout arenas. The surface is very horse friendly and is recommended by Newmarket vets for horses recovering from sprains, strains and laminitic conditions as it is very supportive.

How to maintain Cushionride?

After initially laying and levelling, it is ideal to use a vibrating roller to compact and knit together the fibres. Cushionride will require a settling in period for the first two months.

To level any tracking there are many specialised pieces of equipment and we have found the Arena Mate from ‘GG Engineering’ to be very successful.

For budget conscious customers, we have found two lorry tyres bolted together, or a field gate pulled by a quad/tractor, to be ideal for maintenance. The product can easily be raked manually (unique specialised rakes can be purchased from us for this purpose). The Cushionride surface should not be turned over or heavily spiked

When do I need to top up my surface?

Our twenty years experience shows that this depends on three main factors:

• the type of construction of the arena.
• the quantity of Cushionride laid initially.
• usage and type of horse.

Those matters can be discussed with our technical advisor and he would be able to give you an indication of Cushionride durability. Our own customers’ research shows as a guide for a 20m x 40m arena an allowance of £250.00 a year for maintenance (cost equivalent to five sets of shoes, 35 bales of shavings, 41 bottles of wine).