From: Lane
Dear Jessica, after six years in our new home, with our horses in the back yard, it is finally time for me to have the arena of my dreams. I am so happy but also so nervous. I want a sand arena with landscape timbers (the big ones like railroad ties) around it. I have been collecting landscape timbers ever since we moved here, and protecting them from my husband who keeps wanting to take them for one of his "projects". Now at last we are ready! But I have heard so many "horror" stories about arenas that were built in the wrong place, too small, wrong dimensions, on a slope, without a good base for the footing, without good footing, etc. that I am almost afraid to begin. But it has always been my dream to do dressage at home with my horse, and now it is time to make that arena happen at last! I have looked at the books you recommend and at your articles on HORSE-SENSE and in magazines, and I have discussed this with my husband Kenny and his friend Bill (he will be doing the work on the arena) so much that they get nervous whenever I open my mouth, in case I ask more questions about making a base or how much footing to put in the arena. I think they will both be very relieved when it is all over with.
My problem is, the more I learn the more complicated everything seems and the more nervous I get. I am happy with the decisions we have made about the base (six inches of compacted "screenings" over the topsoil), but I am dithering about sand. Every article I read seems to say something different, or maybe it's just that they use different terms for the same thing. I don't know. Yesterday I went to the quarry with Kenny and Bill, and I looked at all the different kinds of sand. But nobody there had any experience with dressage arenas, and they all told me that they would get me whatever I wanted, and they could even figure out how much of it I would need if I would tell them the dimensions of the arena and how deep the sand should be, but I had to tell them what kind of sand to bring. Help! Can you please, please explain the different types of sand to me? I have heard so many different things about what kind of sand to use for an arena, that I can hardly hear the word any more without getting getting nervous and tense.
I hope you will answer this because I am so nervous of making the wrong choice and causing trouble for my horses.
Lane
Your contractor is right - with a deep, solid, compacted base underneath the footing, you should be able to use sand alone. Start with two inches, and add another half-inch later - it may seem more economical to put all of the sand in at once, but really it isn't. You need to see how the sand settles and how your horses work on the footing, and if you're going to end up with two and a half inches of sand for footing, it's much better to begin with two inches and add the other half-inch a month or two months or three months later. When people put down too much sand, they have to remove some later. Removing sand is much more annoying and time-consuming than adding sand, and in the meantime, your horses' legs will be badly stressed by working in too-deep footing.
However, you may already know all that, since your real concern is about the TYPE of sand to use. The next time you talk with your contractor or visit the quarry, explain that you want sand that is:
- "hard", "quartz", "quarry", glacial", "sharp", "angular"
The best sand for an arena is hard, angular quartz glacial sand or quarry sand. Unlike river sand, which has rounded particles, the sand you want for your footing will be durable (quartz sand lasts a long time) and angular (this provides better traction). Be warned: good sand isn't cheap! But don't be tempted to go with "dirty sand" or "river sand" or "manufactured sand" - those not only won't provide the arena footing that you want, they will also wear out much more quickly.
- "screened"
This means just what it says - the sand will have been passed through a series of mesh screens to eliminate the larger particles, small rocks, etc. If all of your sand particles are roughly the same size, they'll be more likely to stay loose and less likely to form lumps and clumps underfoot.
- "clean", "cleaned", or "washed"
These words all mean the same thing: Your sand is free from silt and clay, because those materials have been washed out of the sand. Sand that's full of silt and/or clay will be dusty at first, then, with a few rains, can turn into a hard, clumpy surface that isn't good footing for any kind of riding.
You'll still have to be careful. You don't want sand that is too fine - it will blow around just like dust. You don't want to breathe dust all the time, and you don't want your neighbours to look over at your place and know that you're riding because they can see the dust-cloud hanging in the air. Remember that sand will wear away and the particles will become smaller as the years go by. Explain that you don't want sand with particles smaller than 0.1 mm in diameter, and that you DO want sand particles between 0.25 and 2.00 mm.
And now that you know enough to feel secure talking to Kenny, Bill, and the people at the quarry, perhaps you can relax a little about the sand - and start planning your arena footing maintenance program. ;-)
You are so right to be thinking about the effect of the footing on your horses' comfort, soundness, and performance. Too-hard, rigid footing will stress the bones and joints of their legs - too-deep, too-soft, too-slippery footing will stress their muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Put the best footing you can get on top of the best base and sub-base for your situation, and enjoy the results. Following a sensible plan like yours is the best way to get the benefits of an arena without creating problems. Good luck!
Jessica
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