They are delivered with a clear plastic cover over the mirror face and to protect the surface from accidental damage during fitting, we recommend this should not be removed until after the mirror is fitted in position.

Please note that if they are not fitted properly they can bow giving a 'bent' reflection. If this occurs it can be corrected by removing the stable mirror and refitting correctly. Fitting a mirror incorrectly so that it is bowed or unsupported can also lead to cracking if it is pushed against.

Horses and ponies suffer from boredom in stables fitting a stable mirror has been proven to reduce this significantly and to reduce or cure stable vices.

Fit it at a height where your horse or pony can see into it at a natural relaxed head height. The optimum height will vary from horse to horse and particularly for ponies. For a large horse this will be approximately 1.5m from the ground to the bottom edge of the mirror but for a small horse or pony the distance should be reduced to suit. It must be able to see itself full face from its normal relaxed head carriage position.

Research has shown that a distance of 0.5m or thereabouts to one side of the door is a suitable position. However fitting it close to a source of food or water is not to be advised. Your horse or pony is likely to get feed onto the stable mirror and may even think it has a competitor trying to steal its food!

In fitting any stable mirror a flat and level surface is necessary to prevent distortion or mechanical damage. Mechanical damage can occur if a stable mirror is not supported against a flat surface and pressure is applied to it. In extreme cases this could lead to breakage and the possibility of sharp edges. NOTE - This can occur if mounted to a brick or block work wall without a backing plate.

We recommend using a waterproof exterior grade plywood of 12mm (½ inch) or thicker. MDF can be used but only if properly treated first. It provides an exceptionally flat surface, but it will absorb water from the atmosphere and swell unevenly if not painted with waterproof primer paint. This also needs to seal thoroughly through the holes drilled for mounting. Read all safety precautions on MDF prior to using.

The backing plate should be mounted with countersunk screws; flush with or below the backing plate surface and offset from the pre drilled holes in your mirror.
If have a timber stable which has no interior cladding Do Not fit a stable mirror directly to the vertical timbers because this would leave the stable mirror unsupported and liable to breakage.

If you have an unlined timber stable you MUST fit a solid backing plate between the joists and mount the stable mirror to this. If you have a stable lined to full height with plywood then you may be able to mount direct to this lining so long as it is flat and level.

When positioning the screw though the hole in the Stable Mirror ensure that it is central and not touching the sides of the hole, this allows for any minor expansion or contraction of the mirror through temperature changes.

Take Care with the final tightening of the screws, this should be by hand to avoid over-tightening. Over-tightening a screw into a wood backing plate or stable lining can cause the screw to be drawn into the wood and this may distort the stable mirror and cause cracking around its fixing point. This will not happen if you avoid over-tightening the screw, if you see any distortion of reflection around the screw - slacken it off until this disappears. For this reason use great care if you are using a drill to screw the screws in, stop before the screw is tight and finish off by hand. We can not accept any responsibility if you do not follow this simple precaution.

Cutting or drilling Stable Mirrors
We recommend that you do not try to cut or drill your stable mirror and cannot accept any responsibility for damage or injury if you do. Even with very sharp and fine toothed saw blades there is a danger of cracking to the sides of the cut leaving sharp or dangerous edges

CAUTION: Fixing to the Wall or Backing Plate
If you are fixing anything to a building wall you must ensure that you have followed all normal safety precautions and particularly to ensure that you are not going to drill or screw into a power cable or water pipe! This may seem unlikely in your stable but it is better to be safe than sorry, if in any doubt check first.