Less dust dispersion, greater animal comfort and reduced management costs thanks to the use of rubber recycled from End-of-Life tyres in competition fields.

Two fields in recycled rubber and sand of the overall dimensions of 1,150 m2 will be installed at TravagliatoCavalli thanks to Ecopneus. Activities and competitions on flat surface as well as jumping will be held on them.

 

TravagliatoCavalliIn stables and horse riding centres, the typology of installed floors represents a crucial factor for animals’ health, comfort, and wellbeing. A new typology of horse riding outdoor areas have been spreading in Italy for some years now. Instead of – or combined with – the traditional sand, recycled rubber from End-of-Life tyres is being used in these training areas. It is an innovative solution able to combine sport, environmental sustainability, and the wellbeing of both horses and riders.

Two training areas will be made in TravagliatoCavalli thanks to Ecopneus and UISP to show the characteristics of the racing area made with recycled rubber to specialists of the sector, horse riders, and also to curious and passionate people. Exhibitions, activities, and competitions both on work on flat surface and jumping will be carried out on these two surfaces. Ecopneus is the non-profit company that manages the collection, transport, and recycling of an average of 210,000 tonnes of End-of-Life tyres every year. At the same time, it is strongly committed to promote and consolidate the uses and applications where recycled rubber can effectively make the difference compared to the other commonly used materials, such as in outdoor horse riding training areas.

The fields in recycled rubber of TravagliatoCavalli

The two training fields of TravagliatoCavalli have an overall surface of 1,150m2. They have been made with the technical support of Promix and are composed of over 25,000 kg of “nobilitated” recycled rubber granules, that is, coated with a coloured acrylic pigment mixed with some encapsulated sand. Under this layer there is synthetic turf, placed, in its turn, on a specific layer of rubber slabs. This guarantees the correct stability of granules: this specific composition makes the racing field particularly good for jumping, where the strong strain on the surface during the activities require a stable surface that, at the same time, is also able to guarantee a soft and comfortable support.

Recycled rubber horse riding surfaces are a state-of-the-art technology that has been developed with a constant work of Research & Development. At the same time, it offers advantages both from the point of view of the management of sports centres and for horses’ health. A recent study carried out by the Department of Veterinary Studies of the University of Perugia, coordinated by Professor Marco Pepe, has confronted three fields with different surfaces. This piece of research has confirmed how recycled rubber surfaces are as excellent for training and relaxation as the best traditional sand fields are. Moreover, recycled rubber surfaces allow a good comfort of use, both for horses and riders. A research on the respiratory system, instead, has highlighted how these recycled rubber fields noticeably reduce the breathing in and inhaling of dust. This decisively contrasts the appearance of respiratory pathologies, such as silicosis, with clear benefits for horses’ and riders’ health.

 

Giovanni Corbetta, General Manager of Ecopneus stated: “the equestrian sports sector appears to be very receptive towards this concrete technological innovation. We have involved one of the most qualified departments of veterinary medicine to scientifically analyse the benefits a soft and comfortable surface made with recycled rubber has on animals. A simpler and cheaper management of horse riding centres and the use of a material as precious as recycled rubber are to be added to the already-mentioned advantages”.

For all information and to find out how to reach the Exhibition, please visit the website of TravagliatoCavalli.