Project background
Mandy Berry has been riding horses since she was a child and such is her passion for all things equestrian, she is also Head of Equine Operations at, HAPPA, Burnley. Her son, James is also a keen rider and competes in amateur British show jumping around the UK and all the family, including her grandchildren, are big horse lovers.
Project brief
Despite having her own land and stables, Mandy had never benefited from having an all-weather riding arena and in over 30 years of owning and keeping, this had always been a distant dream.
The family would exercise and school their horses (weather permitting) on grass, however due to the challenges of global warming and climate change, the days of jumping and schooling at home were very much compromised. As a result, the horses had to be kept fit by venturing on the very dangerous roads and lanes.
After a lifetime of waiting and wallowing in mud, Mandy was finally able to realise her dream – to own her own arena.
And, doing her research, there was one company that stood out above the rest to carry out the work and that was Ridesafe Arenas.
Project works
Ridesafe Arenas constructed a 40m x 20m arena, with economy track surface, supplied by Equestrian Surfaces, a car park and a hardstanding trackway down to the arena on Mandy’s land.
Neil Harper, of Ridesafe Arenas, said: “It was very much a straightforward build; we just had to be mindful of a water main that supplies Burnley running across the far end of the land and take the drainage channel around it.
“It was fantastic to be able to bring Mandy’s lifelong dream to reality and the arena really does look incredible and in keeping with the area.”
Project results
Mandy is absolutely thrilled with the result of the build. She said: “It really is a luxury to have my own arena and the surface is perfect for riding in all weathers.
“We did have our concerns about how the arena would stand up to testing weather conditions as we do get a lot of standing rain water, but we needn’t have worried.
“The arena has been hit by all the elements and it remains perfectly dry and intact, with no puddles or standing water, whatever the weather, it really is fit for purpose.”
“I cannot fault the Ridesafe team for their work. They started the project on time and worked tirelessly every day to complete the arena within 9 days. The job is top class and I pinch myself every time I ride in it, the whole specification is of a high quality.”
Mandy said: “After years of waiting to finally ride in my own arena is a dream come true, it’s like all my Christmases have come at once and the surface and drainage is amazing. It really is my happy place.”
