From: Sandy
Hi Jessica!
Like everyone else that finds you, I, too, am always looking forward to the beginning of the week when I can check my mail for horsesense. Thanks for taking the time to read and answer all our questions!
Mike and I are in the planning stages for preparing our 10 acre property so we can bring our horses home. We are planning to have an indoor and an outdoor arena. The outdoor arena will be 60 X 120 but due to lack of good space we will probably make the indoor 60 X 104. Mostly so we have a place to ride in our cold winters and inclement summer weather. I've read ads in the magazines about using used tires for footing. What do you think about this type of material and what do you mix it with?
What kind of person should we contact to get advice from for all the details and planning that go into a project like this? Is there one person that can help with all aspects or do we need to talk to several and put the pieces together ourselves? I know we need a surveyor. Would he be the one to tell us the best sight for our barn and arenas? I would guess he would know about water flow which is a concern for us because our land at the front of the property goes from somewhat level to rolling and then sloped down to the river. Should we be sure to find one who has knowledge about horse issues? Or do we rely on the barn/arena builder for that? We will need someone to level the areas for the arenas and paddocks by the barn. The lot is approximately 400 x 1000 ft. Our driveway is almost centered and curves to the house inward about 300 ft. We have two small front pasture areas. One of which we were thinking about putting the outdoor arena in because it would be the most level thereby needing the least amount of dirt moved and would stay drier as water wouldn't be flowing into it as it would if we put it behind the house. The barn and indoor will almost certainly need to go either to the south side of the house or behind and south of the house. But that means some water flow to it is unavoidable. Will there be ways to channel that water so we don't have a problem with wetness?
You told Donald in the posting on paddock footing that two and a half inches of sand in the paddock would make a fine surface. Is there something else you do to the area before adding this? Do you mix it into the surface dirt or just layer it and let it work its way in? (I'm ignorant of the proper procedures and worried that we won't do things correctly and end up with a problem!)
Thank you for hearing me out. I greatly appreciate any insight you can give me.
Sandy. :)
These are books you should buy and read and re-read:
Cherry Hill HORSEKEEPING ON A SMALL ACREAGE (can be ordered from any bookstore or tack store)
USDF publication: UNDER FOOT (can be ordered directly from the USDF -- buy two copies, it's an inexpensive pamphlet-style item, but you will NEVER want to be without it!)
I truly can't imagine setting up a horse property without these two books!
You HAVE a personal support system for your project, by the way, although you may not have thought of using it. Don't overlook your county extension agent and the extension horse specialist! These people are there to help you, and you should take full advantage of their expertise and of their understanding of local conditions. They can give you good advice on everything from prevailing winds to what sort of drainage tiles you need to install under your outdoor arenas. Pasture maintenance, fencing, water quality testing (and information about water tables), toxic plants (see the "Horseman's Bookshelf" section of my web pages for a review of a new book on toxic plants, BTW, because you will want to own this one also) -- you can get ALL sorts of helpful information this way!
I do some teaching at a barn where the arena footing has been improved immensely by the addition of shredded rubber. It's very springy, doesn't seem to pack down, and the horses love it and move comfortably on it. Nothing is maintenance-free, though! And it certainly isn't something you would want your horses to eat, which means that you wouldn't be able to use this arena for unsupervised turnout. And the one I've used is an indoor arena -- the rubber footing might not do as well or last as long outdoors, where the sun would be breaking down the rubber. Since it's a dark colour, it might also create a very HOT surface outside in a sunny climate -- and the pieces are light enough that a truly strong wind might distribute them all over your field, or your neighbor's field... these are issues on which your extension agent should be able to advise you.
In a small paddock, sand is certainly preferable to slippery mud! The preparation will depend on where the paddocks are located, and on how much, and what kind, of use the paddocks will get -- and on the composition of the soil. If you want to use sand for footing in your arenas, you'll have to do a lot MORE in the way of preparation, and you'll have to know what KIND of sand to buy! Get those books, read them, take notes, and talk with your local professionals. Again, you'll want the advice of someone who understands that you are creating a HORSE facility. You're going to be keeping your extension agent busy.... and happy!
Jessica
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