Dressage Arena Footing
BUILD YOUR FOUNDATION FOR SAFETY, EASE OF MAINTENANCE & ENJOYMENT
Arena Footing and Your Dressage Horse
Selecting the right footing for your dressage arena can be a daunting task and definitely not one to be chosen lightly.
You have invested so much time and money into training your dressage horse. You buy fancy tack, saddle pads, custom saddles, ensure the best feed and veterinarian care for your horse, yet many times the area we ride- the arena- gets overlooked.
Why is that? The footing feels too hard one day or gets too wet the next. It feels slick or inconsistent. No life. You fight dust, not to mention your horse breathing it in. Keeping your horse sound (and you in a sound mind) requires a dressage arena surface that will support your year-round and daily training.
Dressage Arena Questions and Answers
Let’s face it. There are many options today for footing and footing additives for your dressage arena. Not only does cost become a factor in your decision process, but also other considerations in which the material you ride your dressage horses on must be chosen with care and planned properly.
- What are the layers of materials I should have in my arena?
- How should I construct the horse arena base?
- How does the footing material impact my surrounding
environment? - What’s the best footing additive to use to control dust
- What is the best footing for my indoor arena?
- What is the best sand to use for my arena?
- What is the best additive for my outdoor arena?
- What’s a good dressage arena installer near me?
- How much is it to construct a dressage arena?
( and the list goes on and on…)
Don’t panic. We have all been there and even after we have our wonderful arena built, we continue to look for ways to improve it and protect our horse (and us) from injury. *note that “us” is listed second ????
Dressage Arenas from the Top Down
It is hard to engineer or design arena footing for a dressage horse if you don’t ride dressage. I know this sounds crazy, but many of the products out there are sold by salespeople and not riders. After 40 years of riding in many of the best arenas throughout the world, as well as testing, evaluating and redoing our personal dressage arenas, we developed FoamFooting™.
We, and our customers throughout the US, have now experienced this great dressage arena additive for the top surface of your arena. Let’s discuss some of the benefits of FoamFooting™ and how they align with our core values: economical, simple, eco-friendly, and sustainable.
Benefits of FoamFooting™ for Your Arena
Let's review some professional review of the benefits of FoamFooting™
Cost
Yes, money is no object when it comes to the health of your horse BUT it is a determining factor when many shop for arena footing.
Longevity
While rubber and other materials break down and need to be replenished, FoamFooting™ retains the cushioning properties, allowing you to enjoy years of more enjoyable riding.
Dust Reduction
The dense foam material contains properties to absorb some of the moisture. As your horses compress the sand and foam mixture, some of the water is dispelled thus reducing the dust
Reduce Watering
As previously mentioned, the foam material holds in some of the water so that you find you are watering less frequently
Reduce Watering
As previously mentioned, the foam material holds in some of the water so that you find you are watering less frequently
Compression
Reducing the impact while riding as well as reducing the ability for the top layer to be hard and compacted as the FoamFooting materials mix with your sand to absorb the impact and take up space between the sand to reduce the hardness and compression
Easy Maintenance.
No special drag is required for FoamFooting™. Unlike other additives, the maintenance is less frequent and can be groomed with a regular chain harrow if desired
Install Yourself
No special forklift, tractor or contractor needed. Our simple 35 pound bags can easily be carried and spaced throughout your dressage arena and installed in an HOUR.
Consistent Grip and Traction
The material properties of the foam allow for consistent grip and traction throughout all temperatures and climates.
Experts agree that optimizing the dressage arena surface is of first importance in preventing injury for your horse.
They note that the biggest factor that affects arena surface characteristics is the amount of cushion in the surface, which is more important than the materials the surface material.
It must be firm enough to support the horse, while enough cushioning to dampen the impact and return the energy to the horse effortlessly.
Footing that is too slippery or too hard or too deep can be dangerous. Some additives contain oils or waxes that in different temperature react differently. This can also impact your horse’s biomechanics as it can alter the grip and traction of your horse.
Selecting the correct sand and arena footing additive for your dressage arena is an important decision but should be at the top of your list. While there are many options for your dressage arena footing, make certain to understand the pros and cons of each solution.
The team at Performance Footing would love to speak with you to answer any questions about FoamFooting™ or provide you with a free quote or calling us directly at 877-835-0878.