What tips and techniques have been used to put mirrors around an outdoor dressage arena?
Any particular source that is good? Any alternative methods to actual glass mirrors? Any estimates on costs?
Looking into options. Thanks for your input. 
The Horse Journal info would be great. Do they have a website, maybe?
I do have friends with mirrors up, but am looking for any alternatives, etc.
Thanks so much.
What tips and techniques have been used to put mirrors around an outdoor dressage arena?
Any particular source that is good? Any alternative methods to actual glass mirrors? Any estimates on costs?
Looking into options. Thanks for your input.
i could be wrong,but i’m pretty sure they make 4’X 8’ acryllic or plastic sheets with a mylar mirrored type backing.a few years ago i was thinking of framing a couple and putting them up outdoors.
call home depot or a few local plastic companies.
I have never heard of putting mirrors in an outside dressage arena, but I do know how to put them inside! IMHO it would be way to hard and expensive to do that outside…why not ride inside if you are wanting to watch yourself?! Hope you find some help!
Sadie
I purchased two sliding glass mirror closet doors that are 4’ by 7 1/2’ at a cut rate because some of the hardware was missing. I used a 3/8" plywood backing, a 1" x 4" frame on the plywood, followed by a 2" x4" frame on top of that to hold in the mirror. I also repeated the 2 x 4 frame on the back with a crosspiece for rigidity. I took a 2" pipe with two angle iron pieces to a welder who made a mounting bracket. The pipe ends protrude about 18" on either side. It all sits on two telephone pole posts with grooved tops for the pipe. A 2 x 4 block on the posts prevents the mirror from turning and can be easily removed to adjust the angle. I always cover the mirror with a tarp that’s connected on the back top rail. so that when it’s flipped over the mirror it also protects the face from rain etc. It works very well. I’m in Southern CA but we do get frost here and the frame is loose enough to accommodate the changes in the wood from temperature and moisture.
I’ve put up one horizontal mirror at E.
A vertical will follow at the end of one long side. Next one will be a bit lighter
construction. Works great after more than a year. If you put up mirrors
never forget to cover them if you turn out.
Major injuries can result if not covered.
John G. & Areon
John G. & Areon
I plan on getting outside mirrors very soon, probably this Summer. I live in NJ, so we do get the freezing weather and snow.
My nextdoor neighbor had them put up in her outdoor last year. She hired a contractor and he coordinated the job. She has them on the complete length of the short side.
Hers was a quality job. I didn’t ask the price, but it was over 10k. You need very good mirrors for this. The mirrors were mounted on sturdy wooden framework.
I did not ride in her arena, but the only disadvantage I noted was that there was some ‘wavy-ness’. She said it didn’t bother her when she was riding in concentration.
There are a lot of outdoor mirrored arenas. I saw a nice example in one of DeKunffy’s books, but I’m pretty sure it was in California. A good while back, I initiated a thread on another forum and found that there were a couple of facilities in New England that had them and they were working out fine.
IMO, mirrors are essential if you ride dressage.
Wow, what great thoughts John!
July 1999 was the issue of Horse Journal that did a good sized article on arena mirrors. No, they do not have a website 
. For back issues:
Horse Journal
PO Box 2626-BI
Greenwich, CT 06836-2626
Each issue is $8 plus a $2 handling fee.
You can also email them at customer-service@belvoir.com.
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>I have never heard of putting mirrors in an outside dressage arena, but I do know how to put them inside! IMHO it would be way to hard and expensive to do that outside…why not ride inside if you are wanting to watch yourself?!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Allow me to speak for Cactuskate…
Because in Arizona it’s too @#$% HOT to ride inside. 
Besides, they don’t have indoor arenas there… only covered arenas. No walls to hang mirrors on.
Seriously, I’ve seen lots of places with outdoor rings and mirrors… I know I’ve seen them in Florida at a place right near one of the CDIs (blanking on which one.) Lots in Arizona and California.
sigh I miss having mirrors. Watching my shadow isn’t quite the same…
I moved to a new house 6 months ago, it has an indoor with mirrors.
They are really weird, the ones on the long sides are hung real high, and angled so you have to look across the arena. At first I didn’t like them , but now I’m used to them. At least they are safe, and they look like they weren’t that expensive. They are set in wooden frames and hung by chains, then there is a chain adjustment for the angle.
VB
Thank you Erin, for clarifying that point. This person has obviously never seen the Wild, Wild West. 
I am approaching the time of year when riding at 5:30am is the only option, because by 8:00a it will be 90 degrees, and 5:00p after work it is 110 degrees. Remind me why I live here? Oh yeah, job, affordable horse care and housing.
I really miss the indoor arenas from the Northwest. You could ride anytime, day or night, rain, snow, sleet or hail. And of course we had all of the above.
But out here, clear yourself a flat spot, park some letters around and voila, you have a dressage arena. Unfortunatley, I can’t seem to find a facility that thinks FOOTING is as important as I do!!!
How right you are about the shadow thing. Not quite the same.
Keep the info coming, however I don’t think the 10K thing is an option.
They are at the short end of the arena. And we have one level with X at the side. I look forward to the palaver they will cause when covered during a show.
last year, I think? Maybe you could order just that issue. Let me know if you want/need the exact issue and I’ll look it up.
They talked about at least one alternative to glass mirrors (polished metal), lots of tips about mounting them (the article was targeted at outdoor mirrors in fact, though much of it could be applied to indoor), and to consider what time of day you normally ride and where the sun would be (and place the wall of mirrors so it’s back was to the sun).
I’m not really doing it justice; the whole article was very good. Estimated a 70 foot long wall of mirrors mounted outdoors in the area of $7,000 - $12,000 if I recall correctly.
