Riding arena footing
Horse arena footing
Arena footing
Footing Facts |
Fines, Masonry and Concrete Sand. Please keep in mind every quarry across the country will have different names and types of sand. Arena footing plays a huge part in every horse's performance and soundness. If the arena footing is hard, the horse will shorten its stride to minimize jarring or adversely modify his jumping form to avoid the sting of landing. Hard footing will also stress his joints. If footing is too soft and rolls away under the hooves, it will cause strain to his soft tissues – tendon, ligaments, and muscles. If the footing is slippery, or insufficient so that the hooves penetrate to a slippery base, the horse may fall or feel insecure and move cautiously. Good footing is safer for your horse and boosts his confidence and performance. To help our readers understand the many complexities of what constitutes good footing, Premiere Equestrian provides this primer: Footing Properties When you walk on a beach, the dry sand above the high tide mark has no traction, rolls away underfoot and is tiring to even walk over. The damp sand in the middle feels cushiony, yet is supportive with good traction, while the wet compacted sand at the wave line can actually feel hard with minimal give underfoot. Rolling vs. Stabilized Footing Particle shape is the first of several factors that affect footing particle stabilization. The shape of the footing particles affects stability underfoot - whether the footing will roll (round particles), compact and become hard (sharp particles) or provide cushion and stability (angular particles). Angular particles offer some resistance to movement between them, preventing rolling, but permit enough give for a cushioning effect. Particle size is the next factor. Footing that contains particles very close in size and that have been washed of all fines, silt and clay will be less stable and more likely to roll under hooves than footing with a moderate range of particle size. Extremely washed cleaned sand can cause a rolling effect. Watering plays a part, too. An intermolecular attraction is formed between water molecules that acts to hold wet sand together and can help stabilize rounded sand footing that would otherwise roll if dry. "Fines," including clay, silt and organic matter, will hold moisture for a longer period of time, however these fines will become dust when completely dried out. Hard vs. Cushion: Each discipline has its own requirements for the amount of give and rebound that enhances optimal performance. The firmer footing with good traction that helps jumpers safely push off may not have enough cushion to preserve the joints of an aging dressage horse, while arenas needing all-around capabilities cannot be specialized to either extreme. Understanding the needs of the arena will help you make the proper selections in sand and additives. Sand is defined by its size rather than what type of mineral it is. Particle size or grain size refers to the diameter of a grain of granular material. Technically, particles that fall between one-sixteenth of a millimeter to two millimeters in diameter are referred to as "sand." Most sand producers will have a technical data sheet available for the types of sand they sell. Having this information will help you to determine what type or size of sand you will want for your Why is the right sand so important? Sand is the key ingredient in all good arena footing. However, not every sand is suitable for riding arenas. Many factors contribute to the performance of an equestrian arena. A proper base, ability to water, maintenance and grooming equipment, type of sand, along with footing additives, will all contribute to how your arena performs. Just adding a footing amendment may not solve all your issues. However, adding the appropriate footing additive to certain types of sand may enhance the quality and life of your arena immensely. Old, broken down, dusty sand arenas may be renewed with a textile such as GGT-Footing. Textiles will minimize compaction, while stabilizing sand particles, and deliver cushioning and energy rebound. Hard compacted surfaces will improve greatly by adding a rubber type footing, such as ProStride Arena Footing. Rubber prolongs sand life by minimizing sand grain breakdown. It will also lessen compaction and provide cushioning in arenas that contain crusher fines, stone dust or manufactured type sands. Article provided by Premier Equestrian, which has a variety of footing additives to increase arena performance. They offer a free sand specifications booklet found at this linkhttp://dressagearena.net/pages/footingindexNew.html and, for a limited time, a free consultation and sand analysis report. For more information visit www.PremierEquestrian.com or call 800-611-6109. |
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