A ménage à trois, or menage a trois, is a domestic arrangement involving three people in polyamorous romantic or sexual relationships with one another. The phrase is a loan from French, meaning “household of three,” and it may refer to a temporary fling between two people with an additional lover or it could be used to describe a committed relationship in which the partners share a common residence and engage in sexual activity with each other. Historically, the term menage a trois has also referred to a threesome in which a man and woman have sexual relationships with each other and share a common interest in another person.
The word menage is also a noun referring to a horse arena or schooling area, often filled with washed and processed silica sand on top of a geotextile membrane. This type of surface is ideal for training horses, jumping and lunging and is commonly found at riding schools and personal stables. It can be constructed either indoors or outdoors, depending on the weather and space available.
To build a menage, the ground must first be prepared to ensure that the surface is level. This is usually done using a JCB digger which digs into the ground and compacts it. The resulting sand is then spread evenly over the ground and rolled out, using a large tractor. Once it is completely flat and settled, the membrane can then be laid over the top, using a tarpaulin to provide protection from the rain.
Once the membrane is in place, it will then need to be stapled down and held down with piles of stone so that it can’t blow away in a storm. It is essential that the sand underneath is level, so that Aunt Caroline doesn’t end up doing downhill piaffe. This is why the levelling stage of building a menage is so important – get it wrong and you have a very expensive, unusable area!
Once the surface has been finished, the next stage is to fence it. This is a vital stage, as it will prevent your horse from running out of the arena and being injured, or causing damage to your property. The fencing can be made bespoke to suit your needs, and the height of the sides will depend on whether the menage is going to be used for dressage or jumping. For jumping, it is usual for the side to be quite high, as this will make sure that the horse cannot jump out of the arena and potentially injure itself or your property. For a more low key, dressage menage, it is likely that you will only need the lower fences. The cost of a menage UK is dependent on the size and materials chosen. For an average sized outdoor arena, the cost will be around PS30,000. You will also need to consider the drainage and any other features that you wish to include. The construction of a menage will require planning permission and a detailed site survey is usually required in order to secure this.