How do I level my arena base?

How many levels do I need to build an arena?

Whether you are building a small dressage arena, a mid-sized arena, or a large arena, you will need three primary levels. Each of these levels are important for keeping both horses and humans safe and free from injury:

How to fix the horse arena footing that is too hard?

The footing is too deep or too shallow. The horse arena footing is too hard and compacts too much. 1. The arena base is the first and very important phase. Solution 1: Use HIT Draingrids for building a perfectly functioning arena base with transverse drainage.

How to build a horse arena for riding?

The arena base is the first and very important phase. Solution 1: Use HIT Draingrids for building a perfectly functioning arena base with transverse drainage. This arena base material will drain, not mix with your horse arena footing even with heavy use (e.g. lunging) and adds spring.

What happens if your horse is too hard in the arena?

Your horse relies on the arena surface for optimum performance. Whether indoor or outdoor, a riding surface that his too hard absorbs little if any impact energy. The high impact shock wave results in large concussion and will develop bone and joint problems.

What are the best tips for arena footing?

However, these are crucial for your arena footing. Moisture: Your footing should be adequately moist, but not muddy. If your arena surface is overly dry, the footing will be dusty and slippery, causing horse and human discomfort. If it’s overly moist, your footing will be muddy and prevent horses from moving correctly.

Do you water your horse arena footings?

Watering of the horse arena footing is essential. Water binds the sand grain together, makes it more stable, and eliminates dust. Unless you have a private well, water bills can be astronomical. Of course, using all that water draws down the water table.

Why are horse arena footings so uneven?

Many indoor arena managers use salt to lower the footing’s freezing point during the winter and discontinue its use during warmer weather. Horse traffic patterns during arena use will cause the footing material to become uneven. The high-traffic path along the arena rail will take the most abuse.

Should I put my horse arena on a higher point?

By putting your arena on a higher point on your property, you will ensure that water is less likely to pool on your riding ring. Having a roof cover over your horse arena will significantly reduce the impact of heavy rain on your arena surface.

What do you need for an indoor riding arena?

Doors: To provide ventilation to an indoor riding arena. When incorporating man doors, owners must make sure that the doors are at least 12 feet high and 16 feet wide to allow mounted riders to easily pass through. Rider guards: To make an indoor riding arena safer for horses.

How do I plan a horse riding arena?

Plan your arena in a location that has good access to construction traffic. A good location could reduce your cost by up to 30%, saving in smaller machinery hire and labour. Size is usually dictated by your budget, but you can’t go wrong if you build a big horse riding arena. You can’t build an arena too big but you can make it too small.

How hard should the footing of a dressage arena be?

So, ideally, the footing of a dressage arena should be somewhere between too hard and too soft. The best way to evaluate your existing arena footing is to look and listen. As the horse passes by, look at the surface.

Is my horse’s arena footing too hard or too soft?

Soft footing makes the horse work much harder, meaning that his muscles quickly become fatigued, leading to injury. So, ideally, the footing of a dressage arena should be somewhere between too hard and too soft. The best way to evaluate your existing arena footing is to look and listen. As the horse passes by, look at the surface.

Why is my horse arena base getting uneven?

“The arena base is getting uneven because of uneven watering of overhead sprinklers.” The footing is too deep or too shallow. The horse arena footing is too hard and compacts too much. 1. The arena base is the first and very important phase. Solution 1: Use HIT Draingrids for building a perfectly functioning arena base with transverse drainage.

How can I make my horse arena more efficient?

Overwatering can make the arena deep and unusable. Another footing first-aid option is to use additives. An additive can alter the footing by lowering or increasing the strength of the surface without making it too hard or too soft.

What do I need to know about building a horse arena?

Make sure to have a plat map of your property with you so the NRCS officials can pinpoint the location. They might not be familiar with the arena characteristics you require, so tell them what you need to know: type of soil, three feet in depth. Also, ask if the soil is high in clay, which is important regarding water absorption and base stability.

Is your horse an arena-ITE?

Many of today’s horses are “arena-ites,” raised in small pastures and exercised in circles on the lunge line. Without their leg gear, they look naked and vulnerable. And maybe they are. At a stonedust racing surface like The Meadowlands in New Jersey, it’s not unusual for a horseshoe on a Standardbred to break in two.

What happens to a horse when let loose in the arena?

The researchers observed that horses given daily exercise did less walking, trotting and cantering when let loose in the arena, even when the exercise only consisted of walking. Those horses that had turnout did the least amount of cantering, and seldom bucked or rolled during their freedom in the arena.

What is irregular exercise and how does it affect horses?

Irregular exercise predisposes some horses to “tying up” and injuries can occur when a horse is given time off and then brought back into a full daily workout program without time for retraining. 1. Effects of different forms of exercise on post inhibitory rebound and unwanted behavior in stabled horses.

What should I consider when buying horse arena footing?

As you can see, there are a lot of factors to consider when it comes to horse arena footing and additives. Understanding these factors, along with the unique needs of your arena, will allow you to formulate the best footing blend that enables your horses and riders to ride their best.

What equipment do you need for a horse arena?

Care of Your Footing You’ll need equipment to keep your arena surface maintained (including an adequate watering system). Arena drags come in many varieties; the common chain harrow, for example, smooths the top level, while a rake with a profiling blade enables you to redistribute footing when necessary.

How do I prevent water from entering my arena?

In addition to your long list of potential problems with water, you will also need to focus on keeping dust down in your arena and having the proper amount of moisture in your footing if you are not using a coated dust free footing that uses a binder.

Why do I need a drain in my horse arena?

Without efficient drains or runoffs, areas of your arena can become mushy, which can injure or inhibit your horse. For most outdoor arenas, you will want to build 1-2% crown in the middle so that the water flows down and out of the arena. For indoor arenas, including drains will help keep the water from harming the horse arena footing or base.

Why is it important to choose the right footing for Arena?

Having proper footing contributes to the long-term soundness and performance of the horses, riders and trainers who use the arena. There are a variety of considerations when it comes to choosing the right footing for your arena: material availability, cushion, grip, drainage, longevity and environmental impact, to name a few.