Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
When excavated into hilly land, a swale cut on the uphill side can help carry excess
rain or snowmelt away from a round pen or arena.
The base layer must be a thick enough to prevent material from the subbase (such as clay
or stones) from working up through it into the footing. A 4- to 8-inch base is usually suffi-
cient for an arena that is used primarily for flat work. However, the base layer might need
to be as deep as 12 inches if an arena will be used primarily for jumping. Some farms have
experimented with laying special tough, non-biodegradable cloths between the subbase and
the base to keep the layers from mixing. Check with local farms to see what has worked
successfully in your climate and soil.
The base must be protected from damage caused by erosion, deep disking, and penetra-
tion from hooves. Regular maintenance of the footing protects the base and should elimin-
ate the potential for ruts forming along the rail and associated compaction.
FOOTING
The layer over the base is called the footing, cushion, or surface. Ideal footing, often a mix-
ture of materials, maintains its cushion without compacting. In contrast to base material,
for which multiple-sized particles and compacting are desired, footing material should be
composed of one particle size so it will not compact as easily.
Depending on the base and use of the arena, the footing could be from 2 to 6 inches deep.
Because the function of the footing is to provide a cushioning effect, 3 inches of footing
seems to work well for most uses, such as pleasure, dressage, and reining arenas. For driv-
ing, use 1½ inches; for cutting, 5 to 6 inches. Jumpers require cushion without excessive
depth and, although traction is important, the footing should allow a little slide, so when
landing the horse's feet don't “stick.” Speed events require a firm footing such as a mixture
including stone dust. Reining horses do best on a firm base with a silty, sandy layer with
enough give for sliding stops. Dressage horses work well on a moderately resilient footing
without excessive depth, such as processed wood products or clean sand.
Arena footing details
