On 24 February, a “horse hotel” will open at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre, expecting around 200 European guests. In total, 238 temporary stalls of approximately 9 square metres each will be set up in Hall Three of the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre for both international and domestic horses. Construction of the stalls will begin about five days before the event, and dismantling will start as the last guests depart late on Monday night, 2 March.
When horse transport vehicles arrive in Helsinki, they are met by a stable team made up of event volunteers. With their assistance, horses and equipment are unloaded and the horse truck is cleaned before being driven to the parking area. In winter conditions, this can also be done indoors in the warm facilities of the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre. Upon arrival, the horses undergo a veterinary health inspection, and veterinarians monitor their well-being throughout the entire event.
New Rubber Mats Throughout the Stable Area
The stable area is divided into two sections: domestic and international. Horses arriving from abroad remain in their own designated area. All horses have their temperature checked daily and their condition monitored so that any potential infections can be detected and contained quickly.
Veterinary services and an equine clinic are continuously available for the horses, as are the services of a farrier. The safety and well-being of both horses and people are supervised by stewards, and even at night, on-duty stable staff are available to assist if needed.
The stable area provides shared wash stalls, several water points, manure disposal areas, approximately 24,000 kilograms of bedding, and 4,500 kilograms of hay. The aisles and the route to the warm-up area are covered with new rubber mats to prevent slipping.
2,000 Tonnes of Special Sand to Be Spread and Maintained
For the first time in the 40-year history of the Horse Show, two competition arenas and warm-up arenas are in use, giving horses significantly more space to move than before. Outdoors, horses have access to walking areas that are kept free of ice and snow regardless of the weather. Horses are kept warm with wool, fleece, and down blankets.
The arenas are covered with a total of 2,000 tonnes of high-quality fibre sand, which will be further refined with the help of a footing expert to create an optimal surface for competition horses. In addition to the fibre sand previously in use, more material has been ordered from Belgium to cover the more than doubled surface area of the arenas and warm-up areas. The sand is stored under an insulating cover, beneath which runs 3.5 kilometres of heating cable used to thaw the sand before the event.
Footing expert Oliver Hoberg visited Helsinki in September and tested the best methods for maintaining and treating the Horse Show’s fibre sand. The elasticity and grip of the fibre sand require precisely the right level of moisture, which was determined through several days of testing. As a result of these tests, an additional innovation will be installed beneath the sand: Finnfoam panels to increase shock absorption.
Five-Star Accommodation for Horses – Competitions at Many Levels
Hotels are rated according to star classifications. At the Helsinki Horse Show, the stable area is of equally high quality for all horses, while the competition horses compete at different levels in Helsinki.
Horses competing in the World Cup qualifier compete at the highest five-star level, and Helsinki hosts horses competing at many different levels, all the way to riding school lesson horses. All are equally valuable and important.
