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Horse Arena Footing

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.

Footing Products

Fibers & Rubber
Dust Control
Hydration

All About Sand

Learn what sand is best for riding arenas

Arena Base Systems

OTTO Sport Mats
Arion Ebb & Flow
Free Draining & Compacted Bases

Ground & Floor Products

Rubber floor mats
Mud Control
Ground Stabilization
Drainage Systems

Arena Services

DIY Riding Arenas
Arena Construction Plans
Preferred Builders
Premier Equestrian was the FEI Footing Advisor for the ECCO FEI World Championships – Herning, Denmark 2022.

Common Footing Problems We See

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.

Start with a Free Consultation

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.

Arion Ebb and Flow Arena logo

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
Learn More
How water flows in to hydrate the footing diagram
How Excess water is pumped out diagram

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

horse arena footing layers

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.

Learn more about sand

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.

Learn about our footing products

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.

Learn more about arena base materials

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.

Talk To Us about Saving Money
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.

Learn Why Footing Matters
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

More about OTTO Sport Base Mats
Layer3 plans2
horse arena sand
otto sport logo
Layer3 plans
Layer2 plans
Layer1 plans
Start Digging

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.

Learn About Our ServicesSee Installation Videos
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.

See Plan Options
Layer3 plans2
Layer2 plans
Layer1 plans
Premier Equestrian Customers

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:

WHY IS GOOD FOOTING SO IMPORTANT?

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.

Contact us today!

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.

Get Started
Premier Equestrian Announces New Partnership with Major League Show Jumping
Official Footing Advisor for Major League Show Jumping
Desert International Horse Park logo
Official Footing Provider for Desert International Horse Park
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Contributing Partner for the USDF University
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