Arena Footing
When working with your horse, the surface should be safe, provide cushion, and provide traction to have the ability to move forward with energy and elasticity. Having the wrong kind of footing can result in injuries; either to the horse or rider. When thinking about the footing for a working area; knowing the soil, topography, climate, arena uses, and materials are all important when choosing the right material. Knowing the subbase (native soil, 'the earth') and base (layer of material between the subbase and the footing that is well compacted) before laying the chosen footing will give an idea of what you might be dealing with, for example, having loose grounds will cause more holes with a higher chance of causing a leg injury because of tripping.
When deciding how much footing you will need, this formula will give you an idea in cubic yards. A side note, commonly one dump-truck load is around 5 to 10 cubic yards.
cubic yards of material needed=(length of an arena in feet x width of an arena in feet x depth of footing in feet) / 27
Make sure before you start laying down the footing of choice that you know where it will be going and what kind of soil (the subbase and base) you while be putting the footing on.
7 Different Arena Footing Ideas
1. Grass or turf
Grass or turf has an aesthetic appeal but does not provide great footing when exercising your equine. Maintaining could take more time out of your day than expected with weeding (toxic matter if not handled/maintained properly), fertilizing (toxic matter if not handled/maintained properly), watering, or repairing. Grassy areas can create a more rigorous workout, and heightened when the ground freezes.
2. Topsoil
Topsoil has differences depending on the local soil types. Usually does not drain well, compacting quickly when used, and be quite dusty if not watered. Commonly topsoil consists of primarily clay, loam (soil composed of sand, silt, and a small amount of clay), and sand. Most include dirt to lighten and loosen the soil to increase drainage and add a cushion.
3. Sand
There are different types of sand you can choose from. The highly recommended sand would be medium-coarse that are uniform size (examples include beach sand and builders sand). The sand has to be well maintained and cannot get to wet or to dry from either natural or human causes. When just using sand for arenas could stress tendons if it is too deep, knowing the right depth to lay sand will prevent future injuries.
4. Stone dust
Stone dust has many different names such as bluestone, rock dust, limestone, decomposed granite, etcetera. Stone dust would be well combined with deep footings, such as sand. It can create a dust issue but when looking at the different types, look for the screened or graded at a single medium to course size.
5. Wood Products
Wooded Products have to be maintained regularly. When dry, it is known to break down quickly becoming small particles leading to dust. When wet, it can rot and become slick. Be cautious when buying wood products because some can be toxic to horses.
6. Rubber Products
Commonly, rubber products are to combat hardness from the arena. The rubber footings are usually recycled from tires, ideally without metal (does come with metal at times). There is an option of colors other than black. When ordering a different color, check to see what agents have been used in case of toxins.
7. Coated Sand
Coated Sand is not readily available and has a higher price tag. It does provide good cushion, traction, and minimal dust if maintained properly. Two different examples are wax-coated or polymer-coated. Wax-coated is recommended for the colder climates and will lower the chance of watering the arena. Polymer Coated has added weight that makes it a higher chance of being dust-free because the particles are too heavy to hover in the air.
Each one has pros and cons to them but fitting it to your facility will be different than the facility next door possibly. Knowing your land and the intended disciplines provide the best outcome for your arena's life span, and reducing higher costs in the long run. Creating a design can be tedious and time-consuming but we are here to assist in making the processes easier for you. Thanks for joying the Equidae Family and find us on social media for more equine fun!