Articles about the Horse Arena and Footing

Horse arenas and their related footing are an important part of any horse facility. Riders spend a lot of time in the ring practicing new skills in the saddle, bonding with groundwork, and getting ready for horse shows. And if a farm owner is lucky, he or she will have an indoor arena (if living in a state with bad weather), along with outdoor arenas. They foundation of any great horse arena is obviously the footing. Determining the perfect foundation for the disciplines being ridden on the farm and maintaining that foundation is key to keeping horses sounds and healthy.

Arena Footing 101

September 2, 2025

If you’re considering building, improving or fixing a riding arena, it’s easy to become confused by all of the natural and man-made options. The first step, however, is to learn what makes good arena footing versus poor arena footing in order to prevent injuries to your horse. These are not...

How to Build a Riding Arena at Home

September 30, 2024

Many horse owners dream of owning a home riding arena or facility. Lucky you—your dream has come true. You have the barn, your horses are happily settled, and now you’re eyeing that bare patch of ground and envisioning your dream riding arena. Many home horse riders make do with a...

Wise Up With Your Ring-Wise Horse

May 13, 2022

Just like humans, horses can grow tired of certain situations and develop a sour attitude toward a repetitive job. Nothing is more frustrating than a horse that acts up only in the show ring, giving the impression that he can handle the mental and physical pressure at home and in...

Fall Farm Prep

June 20, 2020

When it still feels like fall to you, your horses know better! And they start putting on their winter coats in response to the diminishing hours of daylight, whether there is a chill in the air, and this winter coat is a forerunner of the cold weather to come. Why...

Initial Results from UK Indoor Horse Arena Survey Released

January 4, 2020

When University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment graduate student Staci McGill set out to learn more about the air quality of indoor horse arenas last year, she was surprised to discover there wasn’t any existing research available. So she forged the way with first-of-its-kind research, melding her...

Arena Lighting

September 7, 2013

Having a great new arena is a dream come true, and being able to use it at night is a bonus. But you need to put as much thought into lighting the arena as you did planning it. Michael Donovan from Equestrian Services LLC has some advice. Just as you...

Sand for Riding Arena Footing

February 22, 2012

Sand is the most common arena footing used throughout the United States and is a good shock absorber. The best sand for a riding arena is usually hard, cleaned and screened, and of medium coarseness. Cleaned means silt and clay have been washed out of the sand; screened means that...

At-home Riding Arena Maintenance

February 22, 2012

You’ve spent time and money clearing, grading and bringing in materials. Your dream has come true: You’ve built a riding arena in your own backyard. Now comes the maintenance … Your beautiful arena won’t stay that way without ongoing upkeep, which includes an investment in some tools. Maintenance needs vary...

The Fine art of Footing at the Washington International Horse Show

October 29, 2010

The Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) in Washington, D.C., presents a challenge that few other competitions face. Each year, this prestigious, year-end hunter/jumper show must be built from scratch inside a major city’s sports arena. With this comes the difficult task of laying down new footing and ensuring that it...

Riding Arena Maintenance

February 1, 2010

A Textile Riding Hall by equitent_horseexperts – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 de Maintaining your new arena is important if you want to get the most out of it for your horse’s performance and to create safe footing. George Chatigny manages the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, Calif.,...