A great arena surface and the right maintenance equipment are two sides of the same investment. Get one right and neglect the other and you'll be spending more money and riding on a worse surface than you should be.
Combi-Ride are one of the UK's most established equestrian surface specialists, with over 40 years of experience and more than 2,000 arena surfaces supplied nationwide. ArenaMate® is the engineering arm of Jelka, designing and manufacturing precision arena levellers used by professional yards, competition venues and private facilities across the UK. The two businesses work together because their expertise is complementary: Combi-Ride know what goes into the ground, ArenaMate® know how to keep it performing once it's there.
This guide covers what you need to know about both.
The surface: what Combi-Ride supply and why it matters
Not all arena surfaces are equal, and the material you ride on determines everything from dust levels and moisture retention to how frequently it needs levelling and how long it lasts.
Combi-Ride's core product range focuses on sand and fibre surfaces, which are the most widely used for equestrian arenas in the UK. Their surfaces include:
Dual Stabiliser Fibre
Combi-Ride's flagship product, developed in collaboration with Askham Bryan College and exclusive to them. The Dual Stabiliser combines pulverised nylon-based polymer and rubber fleck to bind with silica sand and create a stable, cushioned surface with good moisture retention and consistent footing. It is suitable for all disciplines and is the recommended choice for yards that need a durable everyday surface that holds its structure under regular use.
Combi-Pro Advanced Premix
A ready-to-use premixed surface combining equestrian-grade silica sand and Advanced Stability Fibre. It is suitable for new builds, full resurfacing, and as a top-up solution for existing surfaces that have lost depth or fibre content. Delivered direct, it removes the inconsistency that can come from mixing components on site.
Equestrian silica sand
Sourced from the UK's most trusted quarries including Sibelco, Bathgate and Mansfield Silica Sand. Combi-Ride work with sand specifically graded for equestrian use. That means the right particle size and shape to hold moisture, drain freely, and cushion hoof impact without the performance problems that come from using building sand or unsuitable aggregate.
If you are installing a new surface, topping up an existing one, or assessing whether your current surface needs attention, Combi-Ride's team can advise and supply nationwide.
Daily Arena Maintenance Tips
Horse arena maintenance will help your surface remain in good working condition for many years. Simply picking up droppings and fallen leaves and carrying out regular maintenance can add years onto your surface.
For an arena surface to remain at its optimum for your horses, you need regular levelling.
How often your surface needs levelling depends on the frequency of usage, climate, surface type, type of riding and more. However, signs your surface needs releveling are:
- A deep track around the outside of the arena which needs re-distributing and levelling
- Riding corners starting to be loose and unstable
The maintenance: what an ArenaMate® leveller does for a sand and fibre surface
A Combi-Ride sand and fibre surface is designed to perform for years but only with the right maintenance equipment. Sand and fibre surfaces rely on the fibre remaining evenly distributed throughout the sand. Every horse that works on the surface disturbs that distribution: the fibres migrate, the sand compacts, the footing becomes inconsistent. Regular levelling and appropriate irrigation with the right equipment reverses this.
This is where leveller choice matters. A drag, gate, or chain harrow will smooth the surface visually but cannot break up deep compaction or churn the fibre back through the sand. ArenaMate® levellers use agricultural-grade curved tines specifically suited to mixed sand and fibre surfaces. Curved tines work into the surface at less than 90 degrees, folding and mixing the components rather than just scratching the top layer which is exactly what a Dual Stabiliser Fibre surface needs to stay consistent.
The ArenaMate® Type 3 is the recommended leveller for sand and fibre surfaces. It features:
- Four rows of agricultural-grade curved tines with adjustable depth settings to suit surface condition
- Twin split rollers front and rear that consolidate the surface with minimal scuffing when cornering
- An adjustable side blade that pulls material back from kickboards into the arena, removing the need to rake the perimeter by hand
Tine depth should be set to suit the surface condition, around 5-10mm for a newer surface, 10-20mm for an established surface with compaction to work through. The goal is to mix and redistribute, not to tear up. On a Combi-Ride Dual Stabiliser surface specifically, keeping the fibre evenly mixed is the priority; too shallow and you're only skimming, too deep and you risk a loose surface.
How often should you level a sand and fibre surface?
There is no single answer, it depends on usage, weather, discipline, and the number of horses on the surface. As a practical guide:
- Sole-use arenas ridden 4-5 times a week: level at least once or twice a week
- Shared or hire arenas with 4-6 horses per day: level at least twice a week, more in wet or heavy-use periods
- Competition arenas: level before every session if possible
The principle Combi-Ride's own maintenance advice follows and the one that holds true regardless of surface type is little and often. Light, frequent levelling maintains the fibre distribution and prevents the compaction that requires more aggressive treatment to reverse.
Signs your surface needs attention beyond routine levelling
Some problems indicate the surface material itself needs addressing rather than just more maintenance:
- Visible fibre loss or surface riding noticeably firmer than when first laid: consider a Combi-Pro Advanced Premix top-up to restore fibre content and depth
- Persistent deep compaction that levelling alone doesn't resolve: may indicate the fibre-to-sand ratio has dropped below a functional level after years of use
- Uneven drainage or water pooling in the same spots after rain: this points to a base or drainage issue rather than a surface problem and needs professional assessment
- Surface depth significantly above or below the original specification: check depth in multiple spots with a probe and compare to the original install depth
For surface top-ups, additional Dual Stabiliser Fibre, or a full assessment of whether your surface needs rejuvenating, contact Combi-Ride directly.
For advice on the right ArenaMate® leveller for your surface type and towing vehicle, visit the ArenaMate® product page or get in touch with the Jelka team.