Another advantage of an insulated building is reduced noise level within the building. The personnel at Midway College caution that a horse needs time to get used to an indoor arena and to a new surface. A large arena can be intimidating to a green horse, and shadows can startle him until he has had time to get used to the indoor environment. Echoes or noise and commotion can frighten an inexperienced horse in an enclosed arena. A large arena can be a scary place, but a small arena can pose a hazard to the joints and muscles.
Some arenas are too small for the horse and rider to canter comfortably through the turns.
Such an arena should not be considered a suitable place for winter training. All horses need time to acclimate to the space of an arena and to the footing. A week or so of relaxed hacking usually is all that is needed to make the horse feel secure with the surroundings and to acclimate his joints and muscles to the surface. When a horse goes on the shredded rubber surface for the first time, he is apt to pick his feet up higher and feel unsure going around a turn. Give the horse time to get used to the springy surface before jumping or doing speed work.