When you own horses, you want to provide them with everything they need to remain happy and healthy. This includes hay and oats, clean water, and adequate space to exercise. If you have a riding arena, you want to be sure that it has an appropriate surface for the type of riding you will be doing. If you’re barrel racing or roping, you could be pushing the horse to a strong gallop, and you don’t want their footing to falter in the middle of a ride. Equinsec can provide the necessary horse hoof protection, but the arena surface is equally as important.
Sand, dirt, and a combination of the two are usually the standard materials used in riding arenas. Professional horse show organizers will put lots of time and energy into choosing, applying, and maintaining their arena surface so that each event has the perfect footing for the horses. If there are uneven or loose spots and a horse hits one of these while running, it can shake their confidence, or even worse, injure them or their rider. When you’re riding at home, you want to be sure that the surface isn’t too dusty, loose, or uneven. You want the surface to provide enough cushion for your horse, but also has traction so they can move successfully without fear of slipping.
When building a new arena, it’s important to do your research and find what materials are available and which will be best for the type of riding you will be doing. It’s always best to provide horse hoof protection with Equinsec and DuraCornum, but that’s only one aspect of hoof care; applying the proper surface can make quite a difference as well.