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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
ducation programs are funded in part by Pennsylvania counties, the Com-
onwealth of Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Department o f Agriculture.
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ennsylvania State University, 112 Agricultural Administration Building, Univer-
ity Park, PA 16802. For information telephone 814-865-6713.
here trade names appear, no discrimination is intended, and no endorsement
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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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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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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-
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