Building an arena correctly is one of the best investments you can make for you and your horses. It’s relatively simple to improve your indoor or outdoor arena surface when you understand the components. The most important pieces include your base, understanding your sand, incorporating the right footing product, and maintenance. As the top horse arena construction supplier our premier footing specialists will walk you through the steps to improve an existing surface or build new.
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Common Footing Problems We See
The surface is too hard
Too deep or too soft
Too much dust
Poor drainage
How We Can Help You
Premier Equestrian takes the guesswork out of formulating an arena surface. We’ll walk you through the steps to improve an existing surface or build new. Weather, climate, discipline, and budget are just a few of the items to consider when creating your horse arena surface.
Get a personalized plan and footing cost evaluation by signing up for a free consultation with an expert.
What’s in Horse Arena Footing?
An easy way to think of the footing layer is like a cake recipe. Sand is the major ingredient (like flour) and textile or rubber products enhance the flavor.
The Arion Ebb & Flow Arena waters the arena surface ‘from below’ – and you don’t even notice it! It also provides high-capacity drainage during rain events.
- Conserves up to 75% water compared to overhead watering systems
- Automated and consistent hydration
- Fast drainage
Premier Equestrian takes the guesswork out of formulating an arena surface. We’ll walk you through the steps to improve an existing surface or build new. Weather, climate, discipline, and budget are just a few of the items to consider when creating your horse arena surface.
The layers that make up a great arena surface
Sand
Sand is the key ingredient for a good arena surface.
Footing Products
Textiles, fibers, and crumb rubber mix with sand to resolve compaction, bind looseness, improve drainage, reduce dust, and more!
Base Materials
The base provides drainage and creates a consistent, solid foundation for the footing layer.
Riding Arena Sand
Sand is the key ingredient for a good riding arena surface. Choosing the wrong sand or dirt for horse arenas can create problems and be very expensive over time. We’ll help you source the best sand and footing product for your arena needs.
Arena Footing Products
Textiles, fibers, and crumb rubber are mixed with sand to resolve compaction, bind looseness, improve drainage, reduce dust, and more! Premier Equestrian will create a custom blend of material for your riding arena needs, discipline, and traffic.
Arena Base Materials
The base and sub-base materials provide drainage and create a consistent, solid foundation for your footing layer. Premier Equestrian offers four footing base construction techniques, depending on your needs and budget.
Buying footing by the bale? Don't get taken for a ride!
Indoor and Outdoor Arenas require precision. We sell our footing products by the pound. We formulate a precise recipe of pounds per square foot to ensure correct arena surface performance.
Some companies sell arena footing by the bale. How many pounds in a bale? It’s not precise. Be careful because you may spend up to 30% more and not have enough footing product to perform correctly. Or worse, you may have too much.
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Protect your horse
See How Surfaces Affect Your Horse’s Body
Soft and hard surfaces can negatively impact the health and performance of your equine athlete. Engineering the perfect outdoor and indoor riding arena requires a lot more science than just adding a footing product. Premier Equestrian uses scientific data to formulate a footing blend that enables horses to perform at their best.
OTTO Sport
Arena Base Mats
OTTO Sport Arena Base Mats offer drainage, stability, shock absorption, and arena longevity. The system creates a true all-weather arena that many riders need to keep up hectic training schedules. Premier Equestrian is the official North American distributor for OTTO Sport, featured at the PBIEC & Winter Equestrian Festival
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Installation & Construction Services
Premier Equestrian offers a wide array of services to meet your needs. Anywhere from advising you on do-it-yourself installations to complete construction services or your horse arena construction supplier. We have the knowledge, resources, products, and services, to help you make an informed decision about your arena.
Engineer Designed Plans
Arena blueprints to
get you started
We’ve taken the guesswork out of building an equestrian arena. Arena base construction plans are civil engineered and include technical drawings and specs. Any licensed contractor, excavator, or arena builder will have a clear picture to build an riding arena from the ground up.
Premier Equestrian Customers
“Premier’s footing is the best we have ever ridden on. It’s the perfect combination of materials, provides superior traction as well as cushioning, retains moisture well, reduces dust, and is very easy to maintain.”
Steffen & Shannon Peters
Olympian & World Champion Dressage Rider (Steffen)
“Premier Equestrian was able to put life back into our footing! The ProTex stabilizes our surface, minimizes dust, it retains more moisture thus reducing the need to water, and keeps the surface from compacting. The improvement cost was a fraction of a complete redo.”
Adrienne Lyle
Olympian & World Champion Dressage Rider
“ArenaAid has given us top-quality footing suitable for daily training at an unbelievably competitive price.”
Gina Miles
US Silver Medalist, Eventing
“With Tokyo coming up it’s great that we have WEF and this new ground to jump on. I’m confident here to show all my horses and it’s a great place to produce horses.”
Kent Farrington
Premier ProTex was installed in the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center
“Thank you Premier Equestrian from rehabilitating my jumping arena!”
Jamie
Premier ProTex footing
“We added ArenaAid to our large arena to help with cushion, water retention, and stabilization of the sand. We are beyond thrilled with the outcome! Everyone that rides on it is amazed at how nice it feels- night and day from before we put it in. Thank you Premier!”
Steffen & Shannon Peters
Arroyo Del Mar, CA
“I called Heidi and Mark at Premier Equestrian and found them both knowledgeable and very pleasant to deal with. I had them ship me a sample of their rubber and was very impressed. Another dressage enthusiast in my town had gone with the rubber with the filaments still in it. On seeing her ring with all the filaments raised to the surface, and the quality of Premier’s footing I knew which one to pick. Thank you.”
Peggy Halpin
Premier ProStride
“I always dreamed of having an arena like the ones I ride on at competitions all over the world, and now I have one thanks to Premier Equestrian.”
Laura Graves
U.S. Dressage Team
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know which type of sand is best for my horse arena?
When it comes to identifying which type of sand is best for your horse arena, there isn’t a one-sand-fits-all answer. Consider the fact that there are over 10,000 different sands in the US alone. When identifying the best horse arena sand for your facility, there are a few factors to keep in mind:
- Your specific discipline
- The amount of riding traffic
- Your regional climate
- If water will be readily available
- Whether or not you’ll be adding a footing product
We recommend contacting a Premier Equestrian footing specialist for a free arena sand analysis to help you identify the best solution. Contact us today!
How much sand will I need for a 20x40 arena? 20x60? 40x100?
Below are approximate sand calculations for the following arena sizes based on 3” of sand:
20 meters x 40 meters: 109 tons approximately
20 meters x 60 meters: 160 tons approximately
40 meters x 100 meters: 606 tons approximately
How deep should footing be for my horse arena?
The depth of footing for your horse arena will depend on your discipline, arena traffic, whether or not you have the ability to water and groom your arena, and if it’s sand only or sand mixed with an additive. But in general, the range of depth for footing typically varies between 3–6 inches.
What is the best footing for my horse arena?
The best footing for your horse arena will be a product that provides the correct amount of firmness, cushion, rebound, and grip for your discipline. Textiles and fibers stabilize sand and help retain water. Crumb rubber increases cushion and reduces compaction. Premier footing specialists will discuss your arena needs and develop a footing solution that’s best for your arena.
For a more elaborate explanation on surface qualities, please watch the following video:
Which footing brands do you carry?
Premier Equestrian carries a complete line of footing additives, dust control products, base materials, and grooming equipment.
Premier Equestrian is a leading provider of arena footing textile and rubber products. We offer the following footing products: Premier ProTex, Premier ProStride, ArenaAid, Premier All Purpose, Athletex, and Premier Footing. Contact a Premier Equestrian footing specialist to help you identify the best footing product for your arena.
Slow Dust™ and Hydrokeep are dust control products that can be added to your arena footing and paddocks to retain moisture and keep dust down.
OTTO Sport Arena Base Mats are set underneath the footing to provide maximum drainage, water conservation, concussion mitigation, and stability.
Premier SportPro Groomers are available in a variety of sizes and weights to meet the requirements of your equipment and needs.
How do I calculate how much footing my horse arena needs?
In short, there is not one answer. Calculating how much footing your horse arena needs will depend on whether you want a sand-only arena or an arena with sand and a footing product. Factors such as your riding discipline, regional climate, and the amount of traffic in your arena are also important to consider. Contact a footing specialist to help you identify the amount of footing and best product for your arena. Contact us today!
Free Consultation
Premier Equestrian takes the guess work out of formulating an arena surface. Our footing specialists will walk you through the steps to improve an existing surface or build new. Weather, climate, discipline, and budget are just a few of the items to consider when creating your arena surface. Get started today by signing up for a free consultation.
Official Footing Advisor for Major League Show Jumping
Official Footing Provider for Desert International Horse Park
