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Riding Arena Footing Material

Selection and Management

HORSE FACILITIES 6

C O L L E G E O F A G R I C U L T U R A L S C I E N C E SA G R I C U L T U R A L R E S E A R C H A N D C O O P E R A T I V E E X T E N S I O N

Table of Contentsng rena ur ace ................. .................. ........

Understanding Footing aw Materials ...............

Common Footing Materials .................................

a eng ng oot ng ater a s ................. ...........

Locally Available Materials .................................

oot ng ec pe to ry ................... .................. ..

Characterizing Footing Materials........................

Dust Management ...............................................

ater se an ec n ques ................. .................

Surface Maintenance ................... .................. ... 1

Summary ................. ................... .................. ...... 1

t ona esources ................... .................. ... 1

Acknowledgments .................. .................. ......... 1

Riding Arena SurfaceUnfortunate y, t ere are no universa

ecommen ations for t e perfect

rena surface or footing materia .

A perfect arena surface s ou e

ushioned to minimize concussion

n orse egs, firm enoug to pro-

vi e traction, not too s ic , not too

usty, not over y a rasive to orse

ooves, resistant to freezing uringo weat er, inexpensive to o tain,

n easy to maintain. Cost of foot-

ing materia s is epen ent on oca

materia avai a i ity an transporta-

tion expense. T e inten e use of

t e arena for jumping, reining, or

riving, for examp e, a so influences

footing materia attri utes suc as

traction an ept of oose mate-

ia . Manufacture or tra emar e

materia s are options t at epen

ess on oca avai a i ity an provi emore guarantee of uniformity in ma-

teria properties. Natura y occurring

inorganic materia s (san , etc.) are

ffere y quarries t at can provi e

aw materia s or mixtures t at ave

efine c aracteristics of partic e sizean composition.

A an icap to recommen ing astrict formu a for footing materia sis t at materia s vary great y arount e county an country. For examp e,san from one ocation is often very

ifferent from san in anot er oca-tion. Loca terms for materia s canvary wi e y an contri ute to t econfusion. However, it is possibleto eve op some gui e ines an usecommon sense to get a goo , wor -a e footing materia . Quarrie in-organic materia s (san , stone ust,grave , roa ase mix) from quar-ries can e esignate accor ingto standard adopted nomenclaturet at re ates to partic e sizes an t e

istri ution of sizes foun in t e pur-c ase pro uct. Partic e size istri u-tion escri es a footing materia in astan ar format. T e istri ution

is etermine y s a ing t e footingmateria t roug a set of sieves t at

ave increasing y sma er o es so t atfiner materia en s up on t e owersieves w i e arger partic es are eon t e upper sieves.

repared by Eileen Fabian Wheeler, associaterofessor of agricultural and biological engineer-

ng, and Jennifer Zajaczkowski, owner/manager,estless Winds Farm.

Visit Penn States College of Agricultural Sciences on the Web: http://www.

as.psu.edu/enn State College of Agricultural Sciences research, extension, and resident

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onwealth of Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Department o f Agriculture.

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start out as a composite of two or

more materia s.

Regar ess of type, most arena

surfaces wi nee amen ment at

east every coup e of years since

arena footing materia oes not ast

forever. Every to 0 years, p an on

a comp ete footing rep acement orat east a major over au . Even wit

proper management, t e est, most

carefu y se ecte footing materia s

rare y maintain t eir goo attri utes

in efinite y. T e ey is to earn to

manage w at you ave at a stages

of its ife.

T is u etin focuses on arenas

t at ave a mo erate to ig amount

of horse traffic, such as at a commer-

ia faci ity. A private ac yar arena,

se once or twice per wee , wou

e expose to muc ess wear an

tear an may suffice wit a simp e

rena esign. Most important y, it as

een proven t at a successfu arena

urface is no etter t an t e un er y-

ng foun ation of ase an su ase itests upon (Figure ). A goo in oor

r out oor arena surface is just t e

top ayer of a mu ti ayer composite.

e ase materia is ar -pac e

ateria simi ar in construction to t e

ase supporting a roa surface. See

t e A itiona Resources section for

u ications wit ase an su ase

ayer esign criteria for arena con-

truction. The loose footing material

ooting is actua y a rat er y-

amic materia t at un ergoes com-

positiona an property c anges wit

time an use. A most a arenas wi

ave manure natura y mixe in

ver t e years an t e resu t can e a

oo , wor a e footing t at no onger

as a simp e escription. In a ition,footing materia s rea own from

t e impact of orse oof action. In

ome cases, t e arena surface starte

s one materia t at ro e own into

ma er partic es or compacte over

time. As o er materia rea s own,

t ese arenas are toppe off wit fres

materia t at may e ifferent to sup-

port or renew t e property t at was

lost. Many successful arena surfaces

Figure 1. The footing material is only the top layer of riding arena construction and is dependent upon the support of asuitable base and sub-base.

od

opso

Pressure-treated boardre uces ase m grat on

ence ra

ooting- oose- we - ra ne

- 24 inches thick

ase- compacted- we - ra ne

- solid, uniform, level- well-graded aggregate- 4 6 nc es t c

1 Subbase- compacted- u t-up pa o

s te su so - slight crown or

slant at 12% slope

1A Optional:Landscape fabrica. .a. geotext e ayereparates ase anub-base materials

1A Optional:an scape a r ceparates ase anubbase materials

1 u ase- compacte- built-up pad of site subsoil

- sli ht crown or slant at 12% slo e

ase

- compacte- well-drained

- solid, uniform, level- we -gra e aggregate- 4 6 nc es t c

oot ng- loose- well-drained

- 3 6 nc es t c

20 eet Fence rail

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3

of ru er. Compaction occurs w en

t e voi s etween partic es fi wit

sma er partic es, t us ri ging t e

matrix of partic es toget er. Compac-

tion is a function of t e range of par-

tic e sizes an partic e s apes foun in

t e materia . For t e iscussion t at

fo ows, t in sma w i e picturingcommon partic e s ape an its re a-

tion to neig oring partic es.

T ere appear to e two main ap-

proac es to arena surface materia

se ection. On one front are t ose w o

prefer to start wit a arge portion of

t e footing compose of t e native

soi . T ey t en frequent y manipu ate

t e surface wit equipment to ac ieve

t e esire ri ing c aracteristics. T e

ot er approac esigns a surface

compose of e ivere materia s t atmeet criteria for t e expecte arena

activity. Bot approac es wi wor .

T e approac c osen often epen s

on oca soi con itions an avai a i i-

ty of oca y mine raw materia s. Most

of t e iscussion t at fo ows in t is

section re ates to esigne surfaces.

W en one wor s wit t e native soi as

a primary component, the decision to

use this material is a local one based

on soil characteristics at the site.

Soil is not the same throughout thecountry or even t roug out t e farm.

For t is iscussion of arena footing

materia s, it is instructive to out ine

c aracteristics of suita e materia s,

w ic t en a ows eva uation of t e

suita i ity of oca soi .

T e range of partic e sizes is t e

first ey component for se ecting

footing materia s. W en footing is

primari y compose of materia s wit

one partic e size, it cannot compact.

In t e extreme, t is can e suc aoose footing t at it is unsta e wit -

out muc purc ase for c anges in

irection or spee w i e ri ing. In

contrast, w en a wi e y gra e ma-

teria is use , many partic e sizes are

present (up to the maximum size you

specify). Wit t is wi e istri ution of

partic e sizes, t e sma est partic es fi

t e gaps etween t e arger partic es

o t at ventua y t e materia s are

ffective y containe in a sma er

vo ume, or compacte .

Aggregate partic e s ape is t e

econ ey component in footing

ateria se ection. S arp y angu ar

ateria s ( i e manufacture san or

tone ust) are more prone to com-action t an su angu ar partic es.

S arp y angu ar materia s fit tig t y

toget er an ave sma er voi spaces

etween t e partic es t an t e ess an-

ular particles. Subangular particles

ave a rea y a t e s arpest corners

ro en off so t ey o not fit as tig t y

toget er an provi e arger voi spac-

s etween partic es. To e p visua ize

t is, picture a ric p ace next to

jacent ric s. Visua ize new ric s

t at are s arp y angu ar p ace tig t yn even y so t at t e spaces etween

joining surfaces are even an very

arrow. Now visua ize ric s worn over

time into a su angu ar s ape wit

ro en corners. P acing t ese su -

ngular bricks tightly against each

t er wi eave more space etween

ric s. An arena surface t at is com-

ose of su angu ar partic es wi

e re ative y sta e ecause t e wi e

ange of partic es can nest toget er

wit out ro ing (roun partic es wi

o ), ut wi not compact ecause

t e roun e e ges ave voi s etween

t em t at provi e cus ion. Manufac-

ture partic es fit toget er i e pieces

f a puzz e an ave no air space an ,

t erefore, no cus ion.

Particles need some angularity to

ffer resistance to movement etween

t em. Roun partic es wou appear

to offer t e iggest voi space e-

tween a jacent partic es, t us eingess compacta e. But a footing pri-

ari y compose of roun partic es

s not suita e since t ere is too itt e

ta i ity etween partic es. Picture a

iant-sca e footing compose of a

earings or mar es. Beac an river

an ave roun e partic es t roug

t e wear of water action t at as re-

oved most angular corners. These

iscusse in t is u etin is insta e

n top of t is supporting ase. T e

footing nee s to nit to t e ase

materia , meaning t at oose footing

is not a owe to free y s i e a ong t e

ompacte ase as orses wor in t e

rena. Knitting is natura y ac ieve

wit some footing materia se ectionn is esigne into ot er footing

materia insta ations.

oting materia s use on a farm s

in oor an out oor arenas may e if-

ferent. Consi er t e con itions an

use of eac arena. For examp e, t e

in oor arena may e primari y use

uring co -weat er mont s wit an

ut oor arena use t e ot er seasons.

The outdoor arena may have to shed

onsiderable quantities of rainwater

nd snowmelt with the expectationthat most footing material will stay

in p ace, so a we - raining, eavy

materia t at oes not float wou e

esira e. An in oor arena footing

mixture t at o s moisture onger

wi re uce t e nee for frequent

watering. T e in oor arena surface

materia may incorporate sa t for ust

ontro via moisture retention.A ter-

ative y, a wax, po ymer, or oi coating

may e a e to re uce ust.

Understanding FootingRaw MaterialsT e primary princip e of se ecting

footing materia s is to o tain materi-

s t at maintain t eir oose nature

wit out compaction w i e provi ing

ta i ity for ri ing or riving activity.

T e major component of most foot-

ing is a mixture of natura y occur-

ing san , si t, an c ay partic es. In

sieve ana ysis (avai a e from mostin ustria mines or san pro uc-

rs) t ese are iste from argest to

ma est partic e size. In a ition to

t e partic es of san , si t, an c ay

in t e footing mixture, t ere can e

rganic materia (origina an or

e t roug orse manure rop-

pings) an per aps a itives suc as

oatings, synt etic fi ers, or pieces

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4

no arger t an inc ; any arger

can ruise a orse s oof). Crus e

stone is t e pro uct most usefu as a

compacta e ase materia .

W en a noncompacta e ut

sta e footing surface is esire ,

c oose an even y gra e materia

so t at t e majority of partic es arewit in a imite size range. C oose

a materia wit su angu ar partic e

s ape. Type of ri ing or riving activ-

ity wi partia y etermine t e sta i ity

nee e in t e arena surface. Even y

gra e materia wi ave a range of

partic e sizes, most y in t e mi e

range of suita e arena partic e sizes,

ut it oes not ave t e extremes t at

contain the fines (leading to dust and

compaction) an arge partic es.

A feature t at is ecoming moreimportant in footing materia se ec-

tion is t e a rasiveness of t e materia

on orse ooves. Wit a re ative y

nonabrasive material, such as wood

pro ucts or s re e eat er, orses

may remain uns o if t eir primary

ri ing area is in t is type of footing.

Converse y, san , stone ust, an ot er

s arp y angu ar, aggregate materia s

can e a rasive to t e oof wa .

Common Footing MaterialsSAND s t e common ingre ient in

many arena surfaces an ranges from

fine san at 0.0 mm iam-

eter to coarse san at 2.00

mm iameter. San a one

may e use ut it is of-

ten com ine

wit ot er partic e sizes or ot er

ateria s. Be carefu to app y t e

roper ept of san . Wit its eep,

oose traction, san eeper t an 6

nc es is stressfu to orse ten ons.

Start wit a out 2 inc es an a a

inc at a time as necessary. (Start

wit on y inc es for arenas userimari y for riving orses.) New y

ai san contains air poc ets t at

sor s oc an re oun s. However,

espite its so i , inorganic nature,

an wi ero e an compact into an

nsuita e surface over time.

San ries out fair y rapi y since

t rains we , so frequent watering

s essentia . Some managers a a

water-holding material, such as a

woo pro uct or commercia a i-

tive, to t e san footing materia too water etween watering events,

ence re ucing ust.

Certain specifications of san are

equired for good footing material.

i ing arena surfaces s ou contain

eane an screene , me ium to

oarse, ar , s arp san . Fine san

wi rea own more rea i y into

ma enoug partic es to e ofte

s ust. C eane means t e mate-

ia as een was e of si t an c ay,

a ing t e san ess compacta en ess usty. Screene means

arge, un esira e partic es ave een

emove an a more uniform-size

ateria remains t at wi

e ess prone to compac-

tion. Har is quartz san ,

w ic wi ast up to 0

years. O taine from a

uarry, su angu ar san

as s arp partic es, ver-

us the rounded particles

foun in river san . T e

u angu ar part ic es of

atura y occurring, mine

ateria s are o eposits

f san t at ave weat -

red from natural forces

f water (typica y) into

artic es t at are sti angu-

ar for sta i ity as an arena

urface. Manufacture

oun e partic es on y ave sta i ity

ear t e s ore ine w ere t ey are

aturate wit water. Su angu ar

partic es offer resistance to movement

etween partic es wit out t e ro ing

ction foun wit roun e partic es.

T e su angu ar partic e s apes are

typica of natura y occurring, minemateria s. Natura y occurring san s

ave a t e s arpest corners of t eir

rigina y s arp y angu ar partic es

ro en off. T ese mine materia s

re more ura e an provi e et-

ter traction an sta i ity ue to t eir

ape an are ess prone to ecoming

usty t an manufacture materia s.

Crus e stone or grave is manu-

factured and will be sharply angular

unti it ero es over time t roug use

s t e arena footing. T is erosionf t e s arpest corners of partic es

ventua y ma es t em su angu ar,

ut t e former corners eave fines

that have potential to loft as dust.

Not everyone ives wit in affor a e

e ivery istance of mine san , so

un erstan an earn to manage w at

is avai a e in your area.

Anot er aspect of partic e s ape

e ates to t e fine partic es wit in t e

footing matrix t at are compose of

i t or c ay partic es, epen ing on t era ation of san t at you c oose.

Wit in t e finest partic es of arena

footing, c ay s flat partic e s ape is

more prone to ecoming s ippery

w en wet since t ese partic es easi y

i e over eac ot er compare to t e

more angu ar si t an san partic es. A

footing mixturewit a arge portion

f c ay or si t partic es wi a so e

usty w en ry since t ese super-fine

particles loft easily. In addition, the

ma c ay partic es easi y cement

t e arger partic es toget er y fi ing

voi spaces etween t em.

W en compacta e materia is

esire , suc as for an arena ase,

tall floor base, or under a building

foun ation, use a wi e y gra e , man-

ufacture materia t at as angu ar

partic e sizes t at range from very fine

to t e argest size you specify (usua y

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an is very fine, crus e roc an is

so angu ar, ut not as ar as rea

an . Angu ar san provi es etter

ta i ity t an roun e san partic es,

w ic e ave simi ar to mi ions of

a earings un erfoot.

San is often one of t e c eap-

st materia s to use for arena foot-ing materia , yet t e ar , angu ar,

was e san t at is most suita e as

ri ing surface is among t e most

xpensive san s. Waste or ea

an contains consi era e quantities

f t e si t an c ay partic es t at are

t e y-pro uct of c ean san an is

unaccepta e for goo arena footing.

C eane , was e san a one is too

loose for some riding disciplines that

equire s arp turns an stops, suc

s arre racing an cutting. Wettean provi es muc more traction

t an ry san , ut frequent an a un-

ant watering is nee e an t is is not

ealistic in some locations.

Allowing 5 to 10 percent fines

(passing t roug a num er 200

creen, which has 0.075 millimeter

o e size) in t e c osen san pro -

uct provi es partic es t at e p in

t e arger san partic es. More fines

t an t is wi cause t e san mixture

to ecome very usty an s ipperyw en wet. Provi ing percent fines

wi a ow some in ing activity w i e

ecreasing ust potentia ; as t e san

wears, t e fine partic e percentage

wi increase. For t ose arena surfaces

esigne to use native topsoi , 0 to

30 percent of t e mixture may e

irt wit t e a ance san . Unfor-

tunate y, t e fines in eit er of t ese

mixtures wi oft as ust if not man-

ged for dust suppression (see Dust

anagement section of t is u etin).

Fi ers, natura or synt etic, may e

use to in oose san wit ess ris

f a ing ustiness ut of greater

ost t an t e a ition of fines or

local soil. A combination sand-soil

rena is popu ar wit western ri ing

vents w ere ig sta i ity is nee e

for spee events so t e footing can

e ept moist an more compacte

or arrowe into a oose mixture for

s i ing stops an cutting wor .Ot er materia s, suc as woo

an ru er, may e mixe wit san

to overcome some ifficu ty encoun-tere w en using san a one. Woo

pro ucts a e to san footings wi

a moisture- o ing capacity animprove traction w i e a ing some

cus ioning. Ru er a s cus ionto a san footing an can pro ong

t e usefu ife of t e san t rougecrease a rasion of san partic es

on san partic es. W i e ru er cana some cus ion to worn san foot-

ing, for o , ero e san t e etter

ong-term fix is to iscar t e fai esurface materia an rep ace wit a

new mixture. Ru er is a re ative yexpensive a ition to a footing t at

as out ive its usefu ife an is est

rep ace .WOOD PRODUCTS may e use

as t e primary footing materia ormixe wit ot er footing materia s.

Woo c ips or coarse saw ust wi pro-

vi e some cus ioning an moisture-o ing capacity to an a -inorganic

footing (san , s tone ust). Woopro ucts are quite varia e, not on y

from ocation to ocation aroun t ecountry, but even from load to load at

t e same woo mi . Any woo pro -

ct wi eventua y ecompose since

t is organic, and smaller and softerwoo pro ucts wi rea own into

ma er partic es t at wi eventua yea to compacte footing. Expect to

more woo pro uct every coup e

f years as t e o er woo ecom-

oses. Eventua y, some footing mayave to e remove to maintain anppropriate ept .

Manufacture woo pro ucts maye use as t e pre ominant footing

omponent. A -woo footing offers

us ioning in a materia wit fi erst at inter ace for traction. Woo

ooting materia s contain pieces t atre arger an more ura e t an

woo c ips or saw ust an require

itt e maintenance w en insta e cor-ect y. Woo footing as - to -inc

en er pieces, or woo fi er mixewit some finer woo for nitting t e

woo footing to t e ase materia . A -

woo footing is often insta e on a -nc ayer of wette , was e , angu ar

an to furt er tie t e woo piecesnto t e ig y compacte ase sur-

ace. Har woo pieces wi ast onger

t an softwoo pro ucts. Do NOT usewa nut an ac c erry ar woo

ro ucts as t ey are ig y toxic toorses. For t is reason an for qua ity

ontro in e iminating contaminantsn the shipment (large wood chunks,

ai s, stap es from groun pa ets,

tc.), uying woo footing from aanufacturer t at specia izes in

supp ying orse arena footingis recommen e . An a van-

tage of a -woo footing is

the reduced abrasiveness onorse ooves compare to

san - an stone ust- asefooting materia s. T e ma-

teria must e ept moist to

maintain a esiveness oft e woo pieces wit eac

t er. Fu y rie a -woofooting can ecome s ippery

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6

s t e woo ecomes more ritt e an

oes not as effective y inter ace for

ta i ity. In contrast, a -woo footing

wit arge pieces (for examp e, c un

ar or woo greater t an square

inc , not s en er) ecomes s ippery

w en over y wet.

UBBER from recyc e s oes ortires can e groun or s re e into

ma partic es. Ru er source may

vary so use pro ucts from a orse

footing materia supp ier. Be sure to

et a guarantee t at t e s re e

pro uct wi not contain meta (from

tee - e te tires) or ot er foreign ma-

teria s or t oroug y c ec t e oa

upon e ivery. Groun ru er is usu-

lly mixed with sand or other surface

materia to minimize compaction an

some cus ion into t e surface.Ru er pro uct won t egra e i e

woo ut wi rea own into sma er

pieces t roug grin ing against

and and horse hooves. Its ability

to ar en an out oor arena surface

o or re uces g are an e ps t aw

t e surface faster uring winter y

sor ing more so ar ra iation. Pure

ru er ten s to e too ouncy an

t e ac co or provi es significant

eat on out oor arena users. In oor

arena users may notice t e ru er

o or. Most orses are not prone to

eat it s ou t ey ave free access to

t e arena footing. Ru er pieces float

an wit eavy rainfa can separateout of t e footing materia mixture

(Figure 2). Simp y reincorporate

wit sur face con itioning equip-

ment. Ru er is a e to a san or

stone ust footing at t e rate of to

2 poun s of ru er per square foot.

Crum -s ape ru er pieces are

suita e to re uce compaction in a

san - irt or stone ust mixture. F at

rubber pieces (or fibers) will help

nit toget er an a -san , c ean foot-

ing t at nee s more sta i ity. T eru er fi ers essentia y nit toget er

t e entire ept of footing profi e to

create a materia t at oes not s ift

as readily as pure sand.

STONEDUST emains in t e

common footing materia category

ut may rea y e ong in t e c a -

enging category ue t e ig eve

f management nee e to maintain

uita e arena con itions. Stone ust

rovi es goo sta i ity, rains we ,

n can e an attractive surface if

ept watere an arrowe . It can e

very suita e footing materia w en

ept amp. It wi e a most as ar

s concrete if a owe to compact anry. Stone ust is extreme y usty if

ot ept constant y moist t roug out

t e entire ept of footing. Stone ust

s a very c eap materia , w ic en-

ances its attractiveness, ut frequent,

i igent management wi e nee e

to contro ust in an in oor arena

nvironment or for out oor arenas

utsi e of t e rainy season.

For footing material, the stone-

ust (a so nown as ue stone,

oc ust, imestone screenings, e-ompose granite, or w ite stone)

ou contain a narrow range of

ra e sizes so t at it oes not compact

asily. Stonedust is a finer version of

t e roa ase materia use in arena

ase preparation. If t e stone ust in

your area is we gra e an is suita e

s a compacte ase materia , it wi

e ifficu t to eep oose as a footing

ateria . In contrast, w en stone ust

s not compacta e, it can ma e a

uita e arena footing materia .Stone ust mixe wit ru er wi

rovi e a ess compacta e footing

t an stone ust a one w i e eeping

t e ig -sta i ity stone ust offers

or quic c anges in irection an

pee s, suc as jump ta eoff an

an ing activity.

hallenging Footing MaterialsOPSOIL is ar to efine ue to

ifferences in oca soi types, utt e properties t at ma e it usefu in

rowing crops or gar ens ma e it un-

uita e for arena footing. Topsoi is

ot recommen e since it is a wi e y

ra e materia an t erefore ten s

to compact. Topsoi is a mixture of

ay, si t, san , an organic materia

t at provi es too many fine partic es,

ea ing to ust pro ems w en rie .

gure . u er p eces can oat to t e top o a oot ng m xture a ter arge ra n a

events. The rubber will have to be mixed back into this stonedust mixture withsurface conditioning equipment.

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7

Organic materia rea s own fur-t er over time, a ing to t e ustpro em. Topsoi wit a arge c ayportion will be slippery when wetan ar w en rie . Not a topsoi s

rain we so t ey require more timet an t e surface materia s iscussea ove to ecome suita e for ri ingafter a renc ing rain. Dirt arenascontinue to e successfu y usewhen the native soil contains largequantities of san partic es (morethan 50 percent) or is mixed withsan (see San section).

STALL WASTE (manure ane ing mixture) can e use as an

arena footing for t e very s ort termand is admittedly a cheap material. Itwi e usty since it is a most entire yorganic materia t at rea s ownapi y into sma partic es t at ea

to compaction. Fi t of ofte ustn potentia for attracting f iesan e concerns, as are issues ofanitation should a person fall into it.

O or is unp easant if t e sta wasteontains arge amounts of manure.

Ammonia gas given off y t e ecom-posing urine an feces is not ea t yfor t e orse respiratory system. On

ut oor arenas, sta waste is s ippery

awdustat ft ensity

ton (or 6 yar s) for2 inches deep

to ton (or 3 yar s) forinc eep

[a yard is a cubic yard or 27 ft ]

Characterizing FootingMaterialsTa e presents c aracteristics of

evera common footing materia s.

T e c aracteristics represent t ose

elected specifically for good arena

footing (e.g., ust potentia ). You

an see w y woo pro ucts wou

e a e to a footing to increase

moisture- o ing capacity an w y

u er pieces or san wou e a eto reduce compaction. Figure 3 (page

) offers a oo at t e footing partic e

ize istri utions t at were foun in

ix in oor ri ing arenas ocate at

ommercia oar ing faci ities in cen-

tra Pennsy vania. (Partic e size istri-

ution etermines t e various ranges

f partic e iameters in a composite

materia suc as arena footing.)

w en wet. Even on in oor arenas,

w en ept wet enoug to ampen t e

ust, t e sta waste surface ten s to

e s ippery. It wi nee to e rep ace

at east annua y.

Locally Available MaterialsArena footings compose of s re -

e eat er, in ustria y-pro ucts,

an mine waste ave a een use

an may e c eap oca sources of

footing materials. Match the good

footing criteria presente a ove to

t e properties of t e oca materia

to e p etermine ow esira e t e

materia wi e.

A Footing Recipe to Try

T is san an woo pro uct com-

ination as een use successfu y

at T e Pennsy vania State Univer-

sity and in many private arenas.

Recipe for ,000 square feet of arena

surface:

Sandat 00 ft ensity

2 to s for 3 inc es eep

ton for 2 inc es eep

Table 1. Characteristics of riding arena footing materials.

Cushion or Slippery compact on ract on ater w en reez ng

aterial Primary use resistance improved Dust Drainage retention wet potential Durability Abrasive Maintenance Cost

Sand Footing H M N L L M

oo oot ng orpro ucts1 a t ve

to increasemoistureretent on

Stone dust Footing or

compactedfor base

u er t vepieces1 to reduce

compaction

o ompactenot san y as ase

Stall waste Footing M Y V H

ow, = e um, g , ar a e, = es, = o

1. Potential contaminants are diminished when materials are purchased from a specialty horse footing material supplier.

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Note t at t e two san arenas were

very ifferent in t eir partic e size

istri ution. T is emp asizes w y you

ou e specific as to t e esire type

f san (or any ot er materia ) in an

rena footing. Some materia s are so

wit a partic e size istri ution ana ysis.

t is important to eep t e fines, ort ose partic es e ow 0. mi imeter in

iameter, to a minimum in t e mixture.

ust is cause y c ay an si t partic es,

w ic are 0.00 to 0.00 mi imeter in

iameter, an s ou e ept e ow

percent of t e mixture. Fine an very

ne sands, which are 0.05 to 0.25 mi -

imeter in iameter, a so contri ute to

ust w en a owe to ry. T e morenes, t e more ust potentia .

ust anagementi ing arenas, particu ar y in oorrenas, are p ague wit ust pro -

ems. Dust causes eye an nose irrita-tions an contri utes to respiratory

amage in ot orse an ri er. It is

stimated that an idle horse inhales6 ga ons of air per minute an ur-

ng strenuous exercise can in a e upto 600 ga ons per minute. Minimiz-

ng t e amount of ust in t is air

ou e a primary goa in footingateria c oice an su sequent man-

gement. In a ition to orse anan er respiratory irritation, ust

oats any structure an equipment

ear t e arena. Dust rises from t eurface w en a arge percentage of

nes rea oose an float into t eir. Natura y, ig tweig t partic es

re more prone to suspension t aneavier partic es. Decrease ig t-

weig t partic es in t ree ways:

. Eliminate fine particles suc asi t, c ay, or fine san in t e footing

ixture y carefu footing mate-

ia se ection. Even coarse materia suc as san an woo pro ucts wi

rea own over time into many fineartic es, so maintenance is criti-

a to re uce ust. In some footingixtures, 0 to 30 perent of t eseateria s are e i erate y a e for

ta i ity an water- o ing capacityut rea ize t e imp ications for more

i igent management for ust sup-

ression. Genera y, if more t anercent of materia passes a 200-sieve

creen, t e footing materia wi aveten ency to e too usty. Wit a

ig percentage of fines, t e arenaooting material should be partially

r w o y rep ace . Remove manureeposite on t e arena surface efore

t gets mixe in. Manure wi rea

own into fine partic es, contri utingto t e ust pro em.

2. Moisten particlesto increase t eir

weig t wit simp e, c eap, environ-enta y frien y water. Wit no

ain occurring in in oor arenas, t e

acility manager must be in charge

gure . art c e s ze str ut ons o s x n oor r ng arena oot ng mater a s.Minimizing the amount of fine material will decrease dust potential.

Limestoneand and Woodav ngs

and and mestoneGravel

Wood Chip StallWaste(fresh)

2

1

2 Dust potential with fineand very fine sand andpartc es o s t an cay.art c e s ze e ow 0.1 mm.

Desirable arena sandpart c e s ze s 0.25 to

.0 mm n ameter.

ompare to t e ot erand footing, this one

has less dust potentialn more partc es

one s ze so s oube less prone toompaction.

t an evendistribution ofparticle sizes,compaction isvery ey.

6.4 mm

4.8 mm

mm

1 mm

0.6 mm

0.25 mm

0.1 mm

0.1 mm

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

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f moisture contro . Moisture re-

tention and evaporation is site andeason epen ent, so wee y c ec s

n moisture eve are important. Ma-teria s t at can o more water wi

increase t e time etween watering

vents (more a out watering in t e

ext section of t is u etin).. Provide an additiveto in partic es

toget er. Many arena surface a itives

re avai a e. Moisture retainers can

e use or t e surface amen e to

apture an o more moisture on a

ry site. Woo c ips an ot er organic

materia s retain moisture we an can

e a first ine of efense. Synt etic or

atura (e.g., coconut) fi ers can e

use to intertwine wit footing par-

tic es to in t e materia s toget er.

Crysta s an ge s, some resem ing catitter, can a sor re ative y arge quan-

tities of water an t en re ease t at

moisture into t e surroun ing footing

materia as it ries out. Water a i-

tives can s ow evaporation, increase

moisture penetration, or encourage

micro es to grow on footing materia s

for t eir moisture an in ing activity.

Peat moss o s consi era e water

n , w en ept constant y amp, is

ffective at in ing a footing mixture.

Once peat moss ries it no onger asin ing a i ity an ecomes oose

n potentia y s ippery. Fu y rie

peat moss is y rop o ic an ta es

onsi era e effort to rewet.

Oi - ase pro ucts (suc as pa m,oconut, minera , an soy ean oi )

an weig own or g ue toget erne particlessimilar to the effects

f water app ication. T e first ap-

p ication of oi is use to coat a t efooting partic es to increase t eir

weig t. Su sequent annua or ien-ia app ication of oi is of muc re-

uce quantity to coat new y forme

particles that have abraded off therigina footing partic es. T e p ant-

erive oi s may ecome ranci overtime. App ication of use motor oi

is an environmenta azar . Costing

more ut asting onger, p armaceu-tica -gra e petro eum coatings are a

goo option for ust suppression an

a ing sta i ity to a oose surface.

Petro eum coating as c aracteristics

simi ar to Vase ine an asts a out

0 years etween app ications, is UV-

resistant, an wi not ecome ranci .

Wax coating is even more expensive

t an petro eum coating ut astseven onger for ust suppression on

ura e footing materia s.

Sa t mixe into t e footing mate-

ria is a common ust-suppression

tec nique. T e sa t o s moisture

in t e footing an can raw moisture

out of t e air an into t e footing

materia . T e sa t re eases moisture

s ow y over time etween watering

events. It is a e to a moist foot-

ing so it can a sor water for ater

re ease. Sa t app ication rate is 20 to0 poun s per ,000 quare feet of

arena surface area. Wit watering or

rainfa t e sa t isso ves an eac es

out of t e footing an nee s to e

rep enis e . Sa t rep enis ment is

necessary a out every 6 mont s an

a t oug ower in cost for initia

app ication, t e frequent rep enis -

ments eventua y ma e it compara e

in cost to petro eum coatings t at ast

muc onger.

Ca cium c ori e (CaC 2) anmagnesium c ori e (MgC

2) are most

common y use since t ey are ess

expensive an more effective for mois-

ture o ing versus ta e sa t so ium

c ori e (NaC ). T e effectiveness

re ates to ca cium c ori e an mag-

nesium c ori e aving t ree avai a e

ions for in ing water mo ecu es w i e

so ium c ori e as on y two ions. Sa t

app ication as a moisture-retention

a itive ries out ooves, an eing

a sa t, it is corrosive to meta suc asin oor arena si ing an structura sup-

ports w en ofte wit t e ust. Arena

managers typica y wipe sa t from

orse ooves, so e, an ower egs once

finis e using t e arena. T ese sa ts

are effective y an common y use

to re uce t e freezing temperature

of t e footing materia uring co

weat er in nort ern c imates.

ater Use and TechniquesWatering t e footing materia re-

uces dust levels and can put some

ta i ity ac into oose, san y, or

woo - ase footing. Frequent, eep

watering wi e part of norma arena

aintenance, so p anning a ea toa e it a ess ar uous tas wi ave

ong-term benefits. The objective is

to eep t e materia moist a t e way

t roug an to ave uniform water

pp ication over t e surface. W en

n arena is not ept uniform y moist,

t e oose, ry areas are ess sta e

t an t e we -watere spots so t at

orses ose confi ence in w at in

f con itions wi e un erfoot as t ey

trave etween s ippery an suita e

on itions.Water t e arena to eep t e foot-

ng even y moist to a 3-inc ept .

Once t e arena is at t e moisture eve

t at is suita e for your purpose, use a

ar en supp y store soi -moisture me-

ter to etermine t at moisture con-

tent an strive to ac ieve t at mois-

ture on su sequent waterings. Water

n arena as you would a garden. It

oes not nee to e floo e nor oes

just wetting t e top fraction of an inc

o any goo . Give it a goo wateringwit p enty of water in frequent, s ort

erio s. T is wi a ow water a sorp-

tion into the footing material(s)

etween waterings. In fact, wait a out

our ours or overnig t efore using

t e arena again to a ow moisture to

oa in. Once t e correct moisture is

c ieve , su sequent waterings wi

n y e nee e to remoisten t e top-

ost surface t at wi e rying faster

t an t e footing un erneat . Water-

ng sc e u e wi natura y epen on

eason (air temperature), win , an

un exposure of out oor arenas, an

t e in oor arena air temperature an

oisture eve . Watering w en t e

rena surface egins to s ow signs of

ustiness wi preserve moisture in t e

n er ying ayer. C ec t e moisture

eve wee y an more often w en ry-

ng con itions prevai , suc as uring

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10

times of com ine ow umi ity, ig

temperature, or greater win spee

ver t e arena surface. On out oor

renas, irect sun ig t ries t e top

footing ayer on a ai y asis.

Watering systems inc u e t ose

equiring continuous or frequent

uman invo vement for proper ap-p ication of t e water an t ose

ystems t at are automate an once

insta e or setup require itt e uman

ttention uring t e watering event.

Watering t at requires a ig eve of

uman invo vement inc u es an -

e spray nozz es, gar en sprin ers,

n tractor-mounte sprayers (Figure

). More automate systems inc u e

eiling- or post-mounted spray nozzles

n se f-trave ing irrigation.

an - e ose watering ta esonsi era e time an is varia e in

uniformity of moisture a ition. T e

enefit is t at t e person watering can

treat wet or ry patc es of arena sur-

facewit more or ess water. Gar en

prin ers can e set out for time op-

ration an move to cover t e entire

rena surface over time. T is a ows

t er activities to e performe y t e

perator uring watering ut is i e y

to e ess uniform in coverage t an

t e an - e tec nique. Pu esre common w en a sprin er stays in

ne area too ong. Tractor- or pic up-

mounte watering can e one in

oncert wit surface con itioning

(Figure ). A frost-proof y rant

ou e ocate near t e arena to

upp y ose or sprin er-app ie wa-

ter. A y rant is a convenient tap for

ing a water tan t at is pu e y

truc or tractor t roug t e arena.

Automate arena watering is

provi e y a permanent y insta eprin er system ocate a ong t e

perimeter of an out oor arena,

t roug out t e roof framing of in-

oor arenas, or y mec anize fie -

watering equipment in both indoor

n out oor arenas. Wi t of arena

n avai a e water source are impor-

tant factors in etermining w ic type

f system wi e most effective.

Horticu tura or agr icu tura -

gra e sprin er systems (gear- riven

rotors or impact ea s) are suita e

for provi ing fair y even watering of

t e arena surface. Cei ing-mounte

sprayers (in oor arena) pro uce

a mist of water an goo , uniform

coverage wit proper esign. Frost-

proof insta ations are nee e un-er freezing con itions. Lan scape

sprin ers can e insta e aroun

an out oor arena perimeter to reac

t e entire surface wit water (Figure

6). In oor or out oor sprin ers are

space ase on anticipate coverage

pattern of t e particu ar spray nozz e.

Si e -mounte sprin ers require

su stantia flow rates to spray water

istances greater t an 0 feet. Greater

spray istances provi e uneven water

app icationwit strips of ry surfaceetween a jacent wette circ es or

half-circles. For indoor arenas, the

si e-mounte sprin ers uneven wa-

ter istri ution resu ts in too muc

water app ie in some areas, w ic is a

pro em since t e in oor arena ase

is not constructe to s e water. T e

sprinklers may be activated as needed

or contro e y a timer.

Arena surface materia s may e

wette y mec anize fie -watering

quipment. A flexi e ose trave ing

ystem s an e ect ve opt on or s tes

wit arger arenas or wit ow-vo ume

water sources. One isa vantage is

t at t e trave ing ose as to e set up

ac time it is use . Once set up, it op-

rates unatten e wit an automaticut-off once t e sprin er cart on

t e trave ing ose arrives ac at t e

ose ree . A vantages inc u e more

ven water istri ution t an wit

erimeter-mounte sprin ers an

otentia to ou e its usefu ness y

watering ot in oor an out oor

renas. Insta ation an maintenance

osts of automatic systems are t e ig -

st of t e footing watering options, ut

a or is significant y re uce .

Winter watering is a c a enge inreezing c imates. Too muc water

nd the footing is frozen hard; too

itt e water an ust prevai s. T is is

particu ar c a enge for in oor are-

as w ere ri er expectations are t at

t e surface wi e usa e year-roun .

anagers may opt to re uce water a -

itions to the indoor arena as freezing

weat er approac es. T e a vantage

Figure 4. A tractor- or pickup-mounted water spray tank is a way to partiallyautomate wetting arena surface materials.

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1

f aving a footing materia t at oesot compact is even more important

w en freezing is possi e. Excess wa-ter can pass t roug a we - rainemateria , suc as san , an not inpartic es toget er into a so i mass.

any in oor arena managers use sa tto ower t e footing s freezing point

uring t e winter an iscontinue itsuse uring warmer weat er.

Surface Maintenanceorse traffic patterns uring arena

use wi cause t e footing materiato ecome uneven. T e ig -trafficpat a ong t e arena rai wi ta ethe most abuse. Depending on thei ing iscip ine, ig -traffic areasre a so ocate a ong t e arena i-

gona s, near arre s or po es, ant e center ine. T e footing wit int e ig -traffic area wi e t rown

ut of t e pat y oof action, w i eny remaining footing will be moreompacte w ere it is most nee e .t is not uncommon for t e footing

materia to e a most entire y gonefrom t e ig -traffic area wit t e

orses wor ing off t e ase materia .T is is very un esira e; footing is

suppose to provi e a cus ion a ove

t e ig y compacte ase materia .Horse ooves contacting t e ase wi

cause permanent ruts in t e ase t atare expensive to repair. Footing near

jumps a so compacts. Surprising y,

t e position w ere ri ing instructorsstan is among t e most compacte

footing in an arena.

Uneven footing an compacte

reas at t e rai an e sew ere are

eso ve wit a ragging evice to

e istri ute or rea up t e footing

aterial (Figure 7, page 12). Drag-

ing s ou e one even efore

traffic patterns egin to e etecte .

an to rag t e arena at east onceer wee even for arenas t at are

ig t y use for ri ing (t ree times a

wee or more). Arenas un er eavi y

c e u e use wi nee t e surface

ragge once or more ai y. Once

eep pat of istur e footing is

sta is e , it is ifficu t to a eviate.

uts a ong t e rai are common, ut

requent re istri ution of t e foot-

ng will keep the rut from becoming

ronic. Accumu ation of footing at

t e fence ine of an out oor arenaan s ow surface water rainage. To

a e t e ragging ess time con-

uming, use appropriate equipment

t at is easy to oo up an a just to

on itions.

Severa options for ragging arena

ooting ac into position are avai -

e. A tractor-pu e c ain- in fence

ection (wit a e weig t) or ig t

arrow is a equate for oose footing

uc as woo pro ucts. Dragging

evices t at cannot e ifte wi rag

Figure 5. Large amounts of water may be necessary to keep outdoor arena surfacedust under control. To more fully suppress dust, more than just the top surfaceayer nee s to e wette .

gure . ort cu tura -type spr n ers can e use n n oor an out oor arenas toautomate the surface-watering process.

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12

footing materia out of t e arena gate

s it exits un ess it is stowe prior to

xit. Finer ut eavier footing ma-

teria s, suc as san an stone ust,

wi nee a arrow wit s ort tines.

T e tines are u spi es t at are flat

n t e ottom. A justa e tines are

ig y recommen e so t ey may

e set to re istri ute an oosen t e

ntire ept of footing w i e not is-

tur ing t e ase materia . A justment

f harrow tines is a real advantage

in surface con itioning to matc

esire con itions, ept of footing

s it wears an compacts, an for use

in more wit one arena footing ma-

teria . Ma e sure t e tines are set or

purc ase s ort enoug so t at t ey

o not penetrate t e un er ying ase

materia . T e ase is an expensive

part of t e arena construction anost y to repair if it is acci enta y

re ge up into t e footing materia .

eavier arrows enefit from a t ree-

point tractor itc arrangement to

aise an ower t e evice for entry

n exit from t e arena.

SummaryWit no common recipe for success-

ful riding arena surface material,

un erstan ing t e p ysica princip es

t at one is trying to ac ieve wit t e

footing can ea to etter se ection

of materia s. Once insta e , earn

to manage t e footing materia s

since eac materia an mixture of

materia s wi ave a vantages an

s ortcomings. Footing wi c ange

over time, t us e a apta e an

manage t e footing materia accor -

ing y. Un erstan t e princip es of

surface maintenance an in ication

of w en footing materia nee s to e

amen e or rep ace . Footings wit

san as a major component are usu-

a y successfu . C oose ar , angu ar,

was e san for sta i ity wit oosefooting composition. T e a ition of

up to 5 percent fines will help bind

san toget er ut wit increase

nee for management of ust. Goo

footing requires regu ar, consistent

management in ust contro an

surface finis ing.

dditional Resources- ea t er ur aces or or s es

994. Ray Lodge and Susan Shanks.

J.A. A en, Lon on.

The Equine Arena Handbook, De-

eloping a User Friendly Facility

999. Ro ert Ma mgren. A pineu ications, Love an , Co o.

orse Stable and Riding Arena Design

2006. Ei een Fa ian W ee er. B ac -

well Publishing, Ames, Iowa, and

on on, U.K.

www. ac we professiona .com

nder Foot: The USDF Guide to Dressage Are-

a Construction, Maintenance and Repair

2000. U.S. Dressage Federation, 7700

A Street, Box 6669, Linco n, Ne r.

www.us f.org

Figure 7. Equipment will be needed for frequent conditioning of the riding surfaceto redistribute footing for an even coverage of the base material and, in somecases, to loosen compacted surface materials.

cknowledgmentsAppreciation to two reviewers w o

a e significant improvements to

t e origina u etin orse Facilities 6:

iding Arena Footing Materials:

atricia Comerfor , instructor, equine

A ert Jarrett, professor, soi an

water engineering

When this bulletin was included

n expan e into a c apter in Horse

Stable and Riding Arena Design(B ac -

we Pu is ing), an a itiona review-

r offere va ua e contri utions from

er experiences provi ing footing

ateria s: Em yn W itin, vice presi-

ent, Stanci s, Inc., Perryvi e, M .