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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.....

  • 'I've been quoted for cheaper framed arena mirrors which are 4mm thick mirrors, why should I get 6mm thick ones for my arena?'

 

Yes, 4mm thick mirrors are cheaper, but we would definitely not recommend them for arena use, they're just not strong enough.  If you saw a 4mm sheet being carried you would see how flexible it is and they are therefore liable to distortion and cracking.  6mm thick mirrors are much safer and stronger.  Make sure you get quotations based on a 'like for like' basis, as some suppliers can be misleading on what thickness of mirror is included in their prices, or fail to mention the thickness altogether.

  • 'I have a building bordering my school, can I attach mirrors to it?'

 

Yes, our arena mirrors are around 50kgs each so if the building is strong enough you can attach cross-rail bearers to your building and attach arena mirrors to the cross-rails.  This will be a similar situation for indoor arenas.  Please get in touch & we will give you some help & advice.

  • 'I would like mirrors for my short side which is 20 metres, how many do I need?'

 

If you go all the way across the 20 m with mirrors in landscape you would need 8 mirrors, however it's very common for the 2 end mirrors to be in portrait orientation so you can see yourself riding down the long side.  This would be a total of 9 mirrors in this configuration:

If a full short side isn't an option, the most common areas people concentrate on are centre-line and the corners.

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9 Arena mirrors, 20m short side

  • 'Do your mirrors have a tilt capability?'

 

Yes, the 2 part bolt-down posts have the ability to tilt to your individual requirements

  • 'The short side of my arena isn't square to the long side, is that a problem?'

 

If your arena is out of square (a bit like a parallelogram or rombus) it's imperative that you square the mirrors off the long side and centre-line.  Think Pythagorus' 3-4-5 rule to check it out (google it if it's a distant memory from school, I promise it'll make more sense now!)

  • 'Why should I install my arena mirrors on a steel structure rather than wood?'

 

Wood is a natural material and as such warps and twists with changes in temperature and humidity.  The key to a good reflection from your arena mirrors is a strong, stable structure to mount them on.  The mirrors will follow the line of the framework so warped posts / cross-rails will lead to a distorted reflection.  Steel is more durable and lasts much longer than wood - we have had many customers come to us who are on 2nd and 3rd time round of installing arena mirrors as their wooden structures have failed, in some cases with the mirrors dropping out of the frames making them incredibly dangerous to remove and dispose of. 

  • 'Do you install arena mirrors?'

 

We don't offer an installation service, however we have made installing our arena mirrors as simple and straightforward as possible.  If you don't have the necessary skills (digging holes & putting posts in straight), then a fencing contractor is probably the best trade to try.  Having said that, we have contractors dotted around the country who have installed our mirrors on behalf of our customers and have put themselves forward to install others as they've found our systems so easy compared to our competitors.  We can usually recommend someone in your area to help you - just ask!

  • 'I can buy sheets of mirror cheaper & just put them up myself can't I?'

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Yes, you can do, and we can supply them if you wish but it really isn't recommended.  You will be handling an 8ft x 4ft sheet of glass mirror which weighs around 50kgs and will probably have sharp cut edges.  It's not just the handling which is tricky, it's mounting it so that the reflection is good and not distorted, and also so that the silvering on the back of the mirror is protected to prevent moisture 'rusting' it and making it go that horrible brown colour.  If you're going to mount them yourself, you're probably thinking in some sort of wooden structure.  Wood is a natural material and will twist and warp over time, distorting the reflection possibly leading to breaking the mirror.  Wood doesn't last as long as steel - if you're going to spend a fair amount on your mirrors you want them to last!

  • 'I've found acrylic mirrors cheaper, can I use them for my arena?'

 

We don't recommend acrylic mirrors for arenas at all.   The reflection is usually very poor, if think of the 'Hall of Mirrors' at the fun-fair then you're not far off.  The problem is that they're very flexible, so getting them mounted flat to give a good reflection is near impossible.  They also scratch very easily giving a poor reflection.  If you're thinking of buying some, please make sure you see them first or ask for a money back guarantee.  We supply stable / companion mirrors in acrylic mirror as they are very safe and shatterproof & horses don't normally mind how good the reflection is!

  • 'Do you supply shatterproof / toughened glass mirrors?'

 

We've been in the glass trade a long time, and although many suppliers claim to supply toughened / shatterproof mirrors, what they usually mean is that they're safety backed, which ours are and conform to British Standard BS EN 12600 2B2 frontal impact standards, which replaced the BS6206 standard.

  • 'We've been told about tinted mirrors, what are they?'

 

Tinted mirrors are a darker mirror, generally a bronze tint which can reduce glare.  Some suppliers claim to sell tinted mirrors.  If they did, (which we doubt they do) they would be very expensive.  You can soon tell if a mirror is tinted by putting a normal mirror in front of it & looking at your reflection; the difference would be obvious.

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