Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Wood footings made of smaller particles tend to break down much more quickly than those
of larger particles.
Native decomposed granite from my arena shows various particle sizes. Clean,
screened decomposed granite would be better.
If dampened, wood footings last longer. However, wood footing that is constantly wet
might decompose via rotting, and wet wood footing can become slick, especially when a
large constituent of the wood footing has been pulverized to wood dust. If the base is in-
tact, wood products can improve footing, particularly of indoor arenas. Tan bark, hardwood
fiber, and wood chip products tend to freeze later and thaw sooner than the surrounding
ground. They don't need to be disced, just lightly harrowed. Besides the high expense of
the footing itself, however, processed wood fiber footing requires a well-engineered water-
ing and drainage system in order for it to work at its optimum.
Hardwood products tend to be more durable than pine. However, never use walnut or
black cherry products, as they are very toxic to horses.
Rubber products.
Ground, crumb, and shredded rubber are used to combat arena hard-
ness. Too much rubber can result in too much bounce in the horse's step. Rubber products
on their own do not create dust, but they will not improve a dust problem caused by another
material because they do not absorb water. They will increase soil porosity so water can
get into the soil, however. Rubber is lighter than soil: 30 pounds per cubic foot for rubber
versus 80 to 110 pounds per cubic foot for soil. This means the footing is lighter and more
