Horse riding arenas have prime roles in fulfilling the dream of a horse rider. Besides, similar to the training regimen of a rider’s horse, one has to focus on the foundation. Accordingly, you have to consider the fact that the footing construction of a horse arena involves complex engineering.
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Primary Areas of a Footing Arena
The footing of a horse arena consists of three primary areas, where each of them has specific roles and importance to influence the health of a horse and its rider/jockey.
1. The Base
The base is more or less similar to a building’s foundation, as it allows the arena’s footing to give proper support to horses for many hours. Most bases consist of clay and vary in terms of size, depending on the underlying conditions across the horse arena.
2. The Subsurface
The subsurface section of a footing arena consists of sand or any other similar type of material.
3. The Top Dressing
The top-dressing part of an arena mainly contains sand and a few of the manufactured materials combined with silt and clay in a small percentage.
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Considerable Factors to Design Footing Arena or Horse Arena:
1. Utilization of the Available Land
To avoid any awkward or wasted ground area, you have to consider the position of the footing arena based on other features of a specific site. As the arena site has small leveling, you should not choose the flattest area of a potential field. You should avoid selecting a steep ground while choosing a particular riding arena.
2. Functional Drainage and Consistent Watering System
Moisture is one of the essential considerations related to the development of a specific horse arena. In case your footing fails to retain the moisture content, it fails to provide traction to horses in any way to move around it. On the other side, the excessive moisture content may make the footing muddy and slippery one. Thus, to come with the best solution, you have to look for a system that has a consistent watering facility combined with fully functional drainage. It will help jockeys or horse riders to maintain a perfect yet ideal footing.
3. Choose a Riding Arena Spot Near to an Existing Hard Track or Road
It would help you chose to construct the riding arena surrounding an existing hard track or road, which may be easily extended up to its gate. A prime reason to accept such an area is that it gives you the required hard-standing access from and to your horse arena that too for your construction work and eventual usage.
4. Prefer for All-Weather Riding Arena
The main objective behind getting an all-weather riding area is that you may use it all year-round. Also, availing a sheltered spot lets you availing the highest possible dividends during both windy and wet conditions.
5. Never Overlook to Provide Cushioning to Horses
You have to focus on the extent of cushioning you provide to the horses. Many times, cushioning depends on the top-dressing and subsurface areas. The cushioning extent or amount need by the horse arena varies depending on specific riding disciplines. Right cushioning is of utmost importance to make sure that your horses remain comfortable and safe from any injury.
6. Traction of the Arena
Lastly, you have to consider the adhesion of a particular footing arena. Traction is essential for horses, as without it, they may easily suffer injuries because of slip and fall.
Hence, if you are planning to invest in constructing a horse arena, you have to consider a few of the essential factors, which may influence your horse’s performance or at least reduce its risk to suffer muscle or ligament injury and lameness. However, before you should move ahead to look at important factors, you should first know the composition of a footing arena.
