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Discussion on Soft Arena Flooring
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Member:
Lhenning
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Posted on Monday, Dec 22, 2003 - 11:30 am:
The floor of the indoor arena I am now riding on, is very soft. They have four or five inches of sand covered by at least six inches of coarse sawdust. It is hard for me to walk on, much like a soft, sandy beach. My horse seems to pick his feet up higher. I was advised to buy shin braces for his front legs. Are there any potential problems I should be aware of with this kind of flooring? The owner is a barrel racer, and I am used to riding on a coarse sand floor, where the riders were show people. What is the ideal flooring for an indoor arena?
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Member:
Christos
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Posted on Monday, Dec 22, 2003 - 3:36 pm:
Generally, Linda, the ideal is any surface that allows half to 3/4 of the hoof to sink in it during work.
More than that is too deep in my opinion, you stress tendons and fetlocks unnecessarily.
Less than that, there's too much concussion.
It is my feeling that very deep footing is detrimental to a horse's legs, and I am very surprised that somebody would actually build an arena like this.
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Member:
Suzeb
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Posted on Tuesday, Dec 23, 2003 - 12:29 am:
Hello Linda,
I used to board my horse at a facility whose arena had very deep, very soft sand and very much the consistency of flour. My horse has arthritic hocks and this type of footing really aggravated his aches and pains. A comparison might be the same if you strapped big fluffy feather pillows to your feet and then tried to do some athletic endeavors. You are bound to pull something. Hope this helps.
Susan B.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Dec 23, 2003 - 6:29 am:
I agree with the above too soft is hard on the soft tissues of the lower leg.
DrO
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Member:
Cowgrl
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Posted on Friday, Jul 16, 2004 - 10:02 am:
I need to change the footing in my roundpen and need some recommendations. Currently it's soft dirt and it tends to mound and shift a little too much. I'm considering sand, washed sand, or hogfuel. What do others use, why that footing, and do you like it? Also, being in the PNW, I need something that does not absorb water and drains well.
Thanks!
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Member:
Jerre
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Posted on Friday, Jul 16, 2004 - 10:58 am:
Holly, I have 3/8-inch minus crushed rock in my paddock. It's got lots of sand, packs well, but still gives, and drains really well. It's 6 inches deep on top of our regular soil -- which is all clay. The paddock is sloped slightly, but I use it lightly as a round pen also. Another durable, drainable footing down here south of Olympia is bottom ash from the Centralia coal plant. It lasts forever, although it can be slightly abrasive if that's all you ride on. Hog fuel will break down and act like a sponge.
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