The animals using your arena are valuable, and footing
plays a very important role in your horse’s health and welfare during
training and pleasure riding. Good footing also encourages your horse to
perform well, with more energy and elasticity. Poor footing is dangerous and
can impact your horse’s well being and cause them to move timidly or react
more aggressive, therefore it is important to have a premium riding surface.
The goal for any horse owner is to provide a uniform
riding surface on which a horse can perform at its best. Your arena must
have a resilient non-concussive surface, providing good traction and
protecting the horses’ legs from shock and injury. For overall safety and
health, it should also be a dust and odor-free environment, thus reducing
any respiratory problems for both horse and rider.
Arena soil normally consists of four basic components:
sand, silt, clay and organics. The relative proportion of these ingredients
determines the overall characteristics of your footing. The greater the
clay, the more dense and tighter your footing will be and conversely the
greater the sand percentage, the looser the footing will be. Organics will
either loosen or cause the footing to compact, depending on the size and age
of the material.
How an arena is built depends greatly on the type of
native soil you start with and the type of riding you plan in your arena.
Also, whether the arena is outdoor or indoor, the drainage requirements and
the material you plan to use for footing, etc., will effect how you should
build your arena.
An arena should be constructed on dry, well-draining
ground. It should be level, yet with a light grade to allow rainwater to
pass through the surface soil and flow off the base. And the base should be
hard packed similarly to the density of concrete.
The riding surface should be between two to six inches
deep which will provide your cushioning effect. Surfaces consist of
different mixtures of sand, silt, clay, topsoil, sawdust, straight sand and
artificial footings.
Anyone can create an ideal footing by blending the
proper mixture of sand, silt, clay and organics and having enough time to
maintain the field’s moisture (between 8 - 14%) and condition (dragging the
mix and smoothing the surface). Additives provide a simple way to modify and
improve your arena.
The most common arena footing problems are
hardness/softness and dust. Hardness is associated with joint & ligament
problems and excessive wear on the rider and your horse. Hardness readings
can be measured by using a Clegg Impact Tester, which measures the rate of
deceleration when an object hit the ground. Hard surfaces, where the rate of
deceleration occurs quickly, have little give and do not absorb the energy
of the impact. Softer surfaces absorb more energy and have a more gradual
impact to loading sequence, resulting in a less-abrupt deceleration and
lower risk of injury to the horse’s legs. Footing that is too soft or deep
can also create undo stress on your horse’s tendons and ligaments.
Dust is derived from the type of surface material you
are using, dirty imported material, broken down organics or additive and by
your water practices. Dust can bother respiratory and vision in both the
rider and the animal.
Crumb Rubber
Waste tires have been a disposal problem at landfills, have housed
mosquitoes and snakes, and are extreme fire hazard. But properly cut up,
tires can provide a quality amendment for your arena footing.
Rubber functions primarily to improve porosity, decrease the bulk density
(weight per cubic foot), increase the cushion, reduce compaction and improve
drainage. It has a long life in the footing and can extend the life of sand
footing by decreasing abrasion. Rubber cannot perform well if it is applied
to a surface material that has been degraded through excess wear and tear. A
degraded sand is one that has an increase in the amount of fines in the
sand. These materials limit the effectiveness of the rubber.
There are a variety of rubber footings available made from products such
as sneakers, golf grips, conveyor belts, and lacrosse balls. However,
compared to tire rubber they are lighter weight and tend to blow or wash
away and will break down over time.
Ground up rubber has unique characteristics that makes
it a valuable amendment to your existing arena, weather it be indoor or
outdoor, or sand or soil.
Low freezing point: will help keep your arena rideable in
colder weather.
Low density: will keep the rubber from settling. If
you add sand in the future the rubber will not disappear.
Low thermal
conductivity: will keep it cooler in the summer.
Low vapor
transmission: will help reduce evaporation from your arena footing and
reduce dust.
Resilient/Elastic: the rubber particle acts like a shock
absorber; absorbing the concussion shock and creating a softer more
pleasurable ride. The crumb rubber will not compact and so will help keep
the rest of the footing from compacting fast or as hard, thus reducing
muscle strain, minimizing injuries your horse’s legs and back and allows for
an increase training time.
Square/Rectangular Shape: The shape of
crumb rubber allows the particle to improve drainage, yet allow water
moisture to be retained along the rubber’s surface to help reduce water
requirements and dust.
Inert: the crumb rubber will not leach any
contaminant into your soils and will be harmless if ingested by your
animals.
Water Resistant & Non-biodegradable: crumb rubber
will not absorb water nor does it break down into dust like wood chips,
straw, manure or other Organics. Crumb rubber will last for years (10-60
years).
Rubber cannot perform well if it is applied to a surface material that
has been degraded through excess wear and tear. A degraded sand is one that
has an increase in the amount of fines in the sand. These materials limit
the effectiveness of the rubber.
The United States Dressage Federation, (Underfoot, 2000 Edition) has
recommended that a riding surface should never contain more than two inches
(four pounds per square foot) of rubber. A minimum volume is about 1.5
pounds of crumb rubber per square foot in three inches of freshly washed,
angular sand. Any less and you will loose the maximum benefits of the ground
rubber, and any more than 4 pounds per square foot and like any other deep
footing, you create an environment for strained ligaments and tendons. It is
suggested to add 3 - 5 pounds per square foot to modify your surface when
you are adding the crumb rubber to natural soils or deeper sands.
Each specialty wants something slightly different in the riding surface.
While a jumper needs traction for the take-off and cushioning on the
landings, a dressage horse needs firmer support, as well as resiliency to
push off the ground. The performance preferences will influence the depth of
the surface, as well as the volume of rubber used.
Michael Plumb (Michael Plumb’s Horse Journal, November 1995) has stated
that “Our favorite arena surface is a rubber and sand mix, and we recommend
stable owners investigate this possibility for their arenas. We find
rubber-sand footings offer a more consistent surface than other surfaces. We
feel this footing blend is an excellent shock absorber that reduces arena
surface hardness. Plus, arena maintenance is less than with many other
surfaces.”
Be aware that all rubber contains latex, and those riders with sever
latex allergies should be notified if rubber is in the footing.
In summary, tire rubber reduces dust, need less watering, is heavy enough
not to blow or wash away, will not biodegrade, is non-toxic, requires little
maintenance, reduces concussion to horses’ legs, provides a more softer
riding surface, and allows you a more longer more pleasurable ride. For over
ten years, tire rubber has been purchased by federal, state and country
agencies for playground surfacing, soil amendments, equestrian arena footing
and even as a substitute for gravel in septic tank systems.
Grass and Rubber
Ground up rubber can also be used to radically
improve turf arenas. REBOUND Soil amendment is a mix of crumb rubber and
compost and is rototilled into the soil to radically reduce soil compaction,
improve drainage, reduce concussion shock and promote a healthier and deeper
grass root systems. CROWN III Topdressing is a rubber product used above the
surface, on the grass, and protects the crown of the turf from extensive
wear as well as reduces concussion shock. Both are patented products and
need to be purchased by a licensed distributor.
Brad Price is president
of EarthBound Systems, Inc., a Washington based company that is a licensed
distributor to sell crumb rubber products including: EQUIFLEX Arena Footing,
REBOUND Soil Amendment, and CROWN III Top Dressing. They are located in
Moses Lake and for further information, contact staff at 509-764-5505 or
toll free at 866-782-2371, or visit their website at
www.earthbound95.com.
