Hey guys,
I have been doing a lot of research into trying to find a footing additive that will help with the dust in the arena where I board. The consensus seems to be that mag chloride does the trick, but it’s not healthy for your horse’s hooves. I’m wanting to get some info from people who have used it.
How did you apply it?
How long did it last?
Did it affect any horse’s health in any way?
What is your routine after riding in an arena that has been treated with it?
Thanks in advance!
Mag chloride is fine, I have used it in my in door for years with no issues. I don’t have to wet down arena all in the winter and lightly wet it down in the summer when the doors are open all day and we have a dry wind. I have not added any in years but I started with 500 pounds and worked up from there.
Thanks for the response. What type did you use? Was is made for arenas, or was it the type used to melt ice or control dust?
I use mag flakes in my arena and love them. I have not noticed any issues with hooves or anything else. Zero dust. I bought mine from stoparenadust.com. I used about a pallet and a half in January and havent had to add any more yet. I applied it with a pull behind spreader (only a certain type has holes big enough for the flakes) then closed the arena for 48 hours to let the flakes absorb moisture.if you mix them in too fast they don’t work as well.
be careful with the ice products. Some are not pure Mag CL and have damaging ingredients. If it is cheap, there is probably a reason!
Another fan of the mag flakes from stoparenadust.com Have used them for years. Do need to add more on occasion and especially when adding new or additional footing.
The area I ride in has used Mag chlor for over 20 years. No freeze, no dust, and no foot problems.
I’ve never used it in an arena, but we have used it in a commercial application. Unfortunately, a freak rainstorm rolled in not long after it was laid down and basically ruined it. We’re also in a very dry environment so it really wasn’t of much benefit to us
I just put 500 pounds down in ‘my’ indoor last Friday. Same thing I used at last facility. Get it at any Lowe’s or Home Depot or similar. It is what everyone uses. MgCl is the environmentally/biologically friendlier Cl.
Thanks for the info guys! Any suggestions on brands?
The stoparenadust.com ones were $2 a bag cheaper than I could source locally, didn’t have the usual equestrian markup.
So we used it for a little bit until the BO’s husband said that once treated ANY dust in the air would rust the interior of the building, so they stopped. Any thoughts/info on this?
never heard that before.
Anecdotally, I personally can smell if an arena has mag on it. Smelling means it’s in the air, which also means it’s impacting the building, which also means its impacting the horse’s lungs.
Maybe I’m imagining things, though.
I have used it for over 20 years and not had any issues with horses lungs…
Dunno. Guess if your building has a steel framework? But I have used it for years and never noticed an issue. Personally, I’ve seen bird guano and bird beaks do the most damage to indoor arenas. Aside from the occasional tractor bucket gouging a wall…
:lol: you’ve seen my indoor then
Buying from those sources read the label carefully. Some have Calcium Chloride in the bag as well. It is not as environmentally friendly.
How big was your arena? I have 60x120 indoor and wondering how much to buy? I bought out on store already but they only had 250#.
Curious, can you put mag chloride in an outdoor arena? Would it help with dust there too?
I’m sure it would until the rain washed it away. Not cost effective.
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