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5 Common Footing Problems We See and How To Fix Them

By May 22, 2020August 1st, 2023No Comments

Is something “wrong” with your footing and you aren’t sure where to start? Sand, footing additives, moisture, and maintenance are main contributors to footing problems.

We’ve narrowed down five common problems and what you might consider for improvements.

1

Deep and Soft Horse Arena Footing

Signs:

• Lack of stability
• Hooves twist
• Rail ruts and large divots
• Uneven surface
• Feels deep

Solutions:

Get a free sand analysis to understand what solutions will be compatible for an improved equestrian arena surface.
Add a footing product that’s designed for the type of sand you have to improve stability.
Shallow grooming and rollers will help remix and stabilize the surface.
• Increased watering will help bind the materials and give substance to your footing. Water is one of the key ingredients in good arena footing. Learn more about watering products >

2

Horse Arena Footing That’s Too Hard

Signs:

• You can hear footfalls and concussion
• There are no visible hoof indentations on the surface
• Shortened stride of your horse (when surfaces are hard, horses tend to shorten their stride to avoid the sting of the impact).
• Bruises and coffin bone issues (which can be contributed to too hard of a riding surface).

Solutions:

Get a free sand analysis to understand what solutions will be compatible for an improved equestrian arena surface.
Adding footing products can create voids in the compacted surface to increase cushioning.
• Deep grooming and watering can help loosen hard, compacted surfaces.

3

Horse Arena Dust

Signs:

• Surface is dusty aka airborne particles are prevalent
• Uneven base
• Surface is slippery when wet
• Surface is hard and dusty when dry

Solutions:

Get a free sand analysis to understand what solutions will be compatible for an improved equestrian arena surface.
• Add a footing product that can enhance your existing sand or add new sand with a specific particle size and gradation.
• Add a dust control product to bind the additional fines or dust particles.
• Increase water retention with a water-retention and dust control footing product such as ArenaAid, HydroKeep or SlowDust.
Deep grooming will remix all sand particles and footing materials.

4

Horse Arena Mud and Puddles

Signs:

• Water doesn’t drain from your surface
• Puddles appear on the surface
• Surface gets slippery when wet

Solutions:

Get your sand tested to see if it’s compatible for an equestrian arena surface; if so, some footing additives can help absorb water.
Replace your sand, repair the arena base, or construct a new base to increase drainage
Deep grooming can help move the water to runoff and help evaporate some of the moisture on your surface.

 

5

Old and Dull Horse Arena Footing

Signs:

• Old, crusty texture
• Rail ruts and large divots
• Uneven surface

Solutions:

Get your sand tested to see if it’s compatible for an equestrian arena surface; if so, adding new footing additives or refreshing your existing footing can help bring life back to your riding surface.
• Remix and blend your footing all the way to the base.
Grooming to smooth and blend your footing can help create a more even surface.

How We Can Help

Call us for a free consultation 800-611-6109

Get a free arena sand analysis Send us a sample

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