ARENA SURFACES NZ
Who runs this?
Kiwi Entrepreneurs | Horse Breeders
Rachael & Peter Macdonald | Wanganui, New Zealand
Arena Surfaces New Zealand is a specialist business led by a husband‑and‑wife team with over 50 years of combined equine experience.
We provide high‑quality arena surfaces, products, and technical support to equestrian venues, riders, trainers, and property owners across NZ.
Our focus is on delivering reliable, evidence‑based solutions that enhance performance, support horse welfare, and future‑proof equestrian facilities.​
Peter brings a background in mechanics, tertiary education, and upper management, paired with practical Kiwi ingenuity. Rachael has spent decades breeding and producing competition ponies and sport horses through her business, Nitro Equine, founded in 2013. She established Arena Surfaces NZ in 2021 after identifying a gap in the market, with Peter joining in 2024 to expand the business further.
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We specialise in all aspects of arena development—project management, renovations, surface selection, maintenance, grooming, consulting, and footing education—leading positive change within New Zealand’s equestrian industry.
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Our team supports both private and commercial facilities nationwide, helping owners protect their investment while ensuring safe, consistent footing for the horses that rely on these environments.
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Do it once, Do it right.
Enjoy the convenience of expert advice from anywhere with our online consultation service via phone or video call.
Walk us through your site, include your contractor, and get clarity on conflicting information or project requirements.
We’ll help you stay on track with professional guidance, a step-by-step plan, or direct communication with your contractor if needed. After the session, you’ll receive a summary report of everything discussed. Additional consults can be booked to confidently guide you through each stage of your arena project.​
Up to 1 hour
$500
We offer a personalized on-site consultation to discuss your project goals and challenges in detail. Our team conducts a thorough inspection of your arena, measuring size, depth, hardness, and taking precise laser levels to assess the surface profile. We can collect a sample of the surface or base for further lab analysis.
Ideal for new builds, renovations, or troubleshooting existing surfaces. You’ll receive a concise one-page report outlining our findings, tailored recommendations, and practical next steps to help you move forward with confidence.
1.5 hours
$750
This service is for those seeking a clear, unbiased understanding of their arena’s current condition. Whether you're addressing performance issues, planning upgrades, or needing documentation for formal submission. Our assessment provides the technical insight and visual clarity needed to support your case. We tailor each report to your specific goals. With our expert guidance, you’ll be equipped to take the next steps confidently to stakeholders and decision makers, funding applications, disputes, or simply improving your arena’s safety and performance.
3 hours
$1250
Take the stress out of show day arena preparation with our expert team providing full arena management for the duration of your event, working closely with show managers, ground staff, judges, and ring stewards to ensure optimal footing and performance conditions.
We can supply equipment or use yours. We arrive early to prepare and stay after to restore. Handling the grooming, moisture monitoring, and ground hardness checks. Irrigation adjustments are made using real-time data. Ask us about sponsorship package to elevate your event even further.
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Events from
$500
Take the stress out of your arena build with our expert project management service. From planning to completion, we oversee every stage to ensure your project meets both your expectations and our high standards.
We manage briefs, tendering, contractor coordination, and stakeholder communication - keeping everything on track, on time, and on budget. With rigorous checks and balances throughout, we don’t build arenas ourselves, but we make sure they’re built right. Keep it simple, do it once - do it right build your dream arena with the arena gurus.​
20 + hours
$10,000
OUR BUSINESS VALUES
PACKAGING
Whilst it is early days for this business; we are acutely aware of the impact packaging has on the environment. So we use paper and recycled packaging where possible.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN ACTION
In this day and age everyone is aware of the impact our actions have on the environment, with this in mind we have come up with a product range that supports recycling. Collaborating with local & nationwide businesses diverting by-products destined for landfill and re-purposing into usable resources. This is circular economy in action.
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THINKING ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY
Mining our land, rivers, and seabed is detrimental to the environment. Traditionally mainly sand has been used to service the need, until now. Whilst sand is still an important component of horse arenas, adding certain footing products or additives will cushion and protect your sand which also means less wear and tear on equipment, therefore prolonging the life of your sand. Or converting to a synthetic product which lasts many more years than sand, will in turn, less mining attributed to the equestrian industry.
We offer a range dedicated to eco-friendly and sustainable surface options for your arena including 100% natural but hard wearing materials,
Extend the life of your sand by scheduling routine maintenance for your arena. Care for your investment and bring your arena back to its best. Discover the benefits with our arena cleaner, the only one in New Zealand available commercially to clean sand. Condition your arena then have us custom design a maintenance plan for you.
We can assist with purpose-built groomers, optimal irrigation, and recommend additives to improve or protect your sand from degradation, and reduce the need to replace your surface.
STRIVING FOR ZERO WASTE FROM OUR OWN OPERATIONS
Our policies and procedures reflect our ongoing commitment to sustainable business practices. 90% of our packaging is recycled or recyclable. This is a shared view we have with most of our suppliers and partners.
Clients have options for disposing of our packaging.
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Our Take-Back Scheme - send your clean and undamaged bulk bags back to us via your nearest Move Freight depot (at our cost). We will either return those bags to our suppliers for reuse, refill with our custom-made arena blends or dispose of in an environmentally approved way, with Plasback or Ag Recovery.
MINIMIZING OUR PRODUCTS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
We are exploring and trialing solutions for filtering arena runoff at drainage points to intercept products going into waterways.
Cost-effective, straightforward ways to catch, save and return precious surface to your arena.
Through blogs and social media posts provide clever ideas and simple solutions for containing your surface from the elements such as horse safe planting, fencing, barriers, mitigating loss of surface, dust reduction and many more topics.
We are also looking for a solution for screening surface from manure picked up from the arena so you can safely compost or return to the land.
Currently the 'End of Life' process for synthetic products is landfill. However if you are replacing your surface, we would be happy to assist in finding it a home if re-usable.
Arena Surfaces NZ offers an Eco Consult where we visit your site to assess where we can implement reductions in environmental hazards which will give you piece of mind you are doing your bit for the future.
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WHY CHOOSE US
​NZ Owned and Operated.
NZ produced products are chosen first and foremost.
Products we offer are chosen for their innovation, quality and long term durability.​
We say sustainability needs to be at the forefront of business decision-making.​​
We reject the idea of
throw-away, single use or limited life products.​
Our business is inclusive of all discipines in equestrian sports.​​​​
We are committed to striving toward a world where we put waste to work.
We support local in our regions, as priority.​​​
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We operate with integrity; we won't sell you one product that solves everything.​​
From start-up, we made the decision to source recycled and repurposed materials.​​
Private Use | Pony Clubs
Commercial Operations
We listen, offer advice and make a plan with you, for you. ​​
Providing ranges for entry-level to professional riders.​​​
OUR PARTNERS
businesses we partner with | suppliers we use | businesses we support | cool products | environmental businesses
