As the seasons change, preparing your indoor and outdoor riding arenas for upcoming weather is crucial. This article will discuss how to prevent freezing in your riding arena. We will also review how to maintain a surface to accommodate winter rides and keep your horse’s performance at its peak.
4 Ways to Winterize Your Arena
Here are the top 4 ways to prevent freezing in your arena:
1. Drainage Systems
If you are considering building an arena, you need to think about the location and construction. Consider: does the area seem dry, or is there a lot of water runoff? Pay attention to the drainage where you intend to develop your arena, and plan on implementing proper drainage systems.
Use geotextile for enhanced filtration and erosion control when constructing the arena base. You can then layer it with geocell to prevent pooling and unstable ground. Using these products together will prevent freezing by allowing for proper drainage without needing a french drainage system.
If you have already built your arena, you can still use geocell. It requires simple installation directly on the ground, so no specialists or heavy equipment are needed. Layer it on top of the geotextile, and you’ve installed a simple drainage solution for your existing arena to prevent freezing.
2. Quality Arena Footing
Is your arena footing wearing thin? Additives are an affordable solution for improving your footing and preparing it for the winter months. It is a good idea to use a quality footing additive that contains foam or fibers to help prevent freezing and exposure of your horse’s joints to the rigid base underneath.
3. Magnesium Chloride
To help prevent freezing in indoor arenas, use magnesium chloride. This will provide a lower freezing temperature for your footing. It will lower the retention of moisture in both the footing and in the air to prevent freezing.
However, magnesium chloride does have some negatives. Once you have coated surfaces with it, it would be best to clean your horse’s hooves after being in the arena, as it will cause them to dry out. It is also easily removed with water, making it unsuitable for outdoor arenas.
4. Arena Maintenance
Taking the time to drag your arena footing regularly can help break up clumps and prevent freezing by allowing proper drainage. You should do this weekly at a minimum, but more if the arena is heavily used.
Regular dragging will also keep your surface smooth, so it will thaw as one smooth surface rather than clumps if it does freeze.
Product Solutions for Winterizing Your Arena
At Performance Footing, we have curated products that provide a complete solution for the needs of arena owners. From construction to footing to maintenance, we offer products that will ensure the stability and longevity of your arena for years, even through the winter months.
Contact us today to get more advice and information about our products and how they can encourage peak performance.
