Maintenance is the KEY to good Footing
Regardless of what type of footing it has, every arena must have a maintenance plan.
The 2 primary components of maintenance are:
-
Dragging/Grooming/Harrowing/Conditioning
- All footing moves around and all arenas should be harrowed regularly and properly to address this. Improper equipment and techniques can do costly damage to your arena and have the potential to injure your horse. Click here for harrow options.
-
Dust Supression & Control/Binding/Watering
-
Unless you have a coated footing dust control will most likely be an issue for your arena, especially if it's an indoor. Watering is the preferred method for treating dust because it also helps to bind and stabilize the footing, is usually readily available, and tends to be either free or at the very least relatively affordable.
- Unfortunately, watering can be both time consuming and logistically difficult so it's important to find a watering method that works for you and your farm.
-
Keep in mind that arenas change and evolve over time so be prepared to adjust your maintenance plan accordingly.