October 2003

Go Indoors For Less Money

Fabric buildings can bring indoor riding to more horse farms.

The “dampened” sound of a fabric building is appealing.

Like the tennis and aeronautical worlds before it, the horse world is turning to fabric buildings to escape the high cost of traditional structures. But these cloth arenas aren’t soft playhouses for kids. They’re tough, all-weather structures that are a viable option for indoor riding comfort.

You’ve probably seen them as “tennis bubbles.” They are those large, moonbounce-looking structures that have rounded tops and sides. Unlike a moonbounce or tennis bubble, however, these don’t need air pressure or fans to keep them inflated. They’re built on trusses that hold the fabric up with tension hooks, which keep the fabric firm so it doesn’t blow and flap in the wind. …