We just brought in the sand for my outdoor and I realize that I really don’t have a proper drag. It is a sand clay mix and after being pushed around by the Bobcat, it is packed fairly firmly. We have a chain harrow type drag that we bought at Tractor Supply. It has teeth on one side. We use it to drag our pasture. I am afraid the teeth will be too agressive and dig into my base (I only have two inches of footing and mostly ride dressage). The other side of the drag probably won’t do too much to really loosen and even out the footing. So, I have been researching drags. I want something user friendly as I would like to be able to do the job myself with our gator. People seem to really like the arena rascal. The riata rake II seems like a good choice as well and can be purchased through my local John Deere dealer which I kind of like. On the other hand, the handozer is much less expensive so if it could do the job …??? So, I am at a loss! Anyone have experience with these products or any advice? Thanks!
My hubby (who does arenas for a living) always recommends the Parma Arena Groomer - best machine he’s found for the money, and it is superb for footings that are not too deep - you can adjust to keep from tearing into your base. They do make a little one - I think it’s five feet wide - that may be pulled from a pin hitch by a small tractor or four-wheeler. The larger models need a 3-point hitch tractor.
Something is messed up with Parma’s website tonight, but this outfit has a good bit of info.
Best of luck finding the right groomer!
I went to the trouble of getting the Arena Rascal, and tried numerous others, and ended up making my own. The Arena Rascal doesn’t groom smoothly, unless you start with a smooth surface. If you have dents from hooves and horses rolling, it will jump and you can end up with “waves”.
I also worried about going into my sealed, compacted base, too. I ended up getting some chain link fence, some chain, and some boards, and made my own. It works great, and I wish I’d done that, years ago, before wasting the money, frustration, and time on the manufactured rakes and drags. I don’t have to worry about digging into my base and it’s perfect riding. If you want more specifics, you can PM me.
We have an arena rascal, and I LOVE it when I pull it with our tractor. It makes everything look perfect and gives us a lot of control over depth/fluffiness. I feel very safe about it not going into the base when pulled this way and I am very happy with it - except:
I tried it once with our 4x2 gator (which pulls it fine), and it turns out that the gator doesn’t weigh enough to keep from bouncing over the hoof divets, so it makes the rascal create waves as described in the above post. It doesn’t do this if I put 2 hay bales in the back of the gator (making it weigh more), but without doing that it is just too light on its own/the suspension is too springy so the rascal will follow the extra movement when going over uneven footing.
I was super disappointed since it’s a pain to keep extra weight in the gator bed to make things work that way, but it does beautifully with our little tractor pulling it instead.
Just so we are all talking about the same product. The Arena Rascal is no longer available for sale from ABI Equine. It has been upgraded to the Arena Rascal “PRO”. The new version has large flotation tires to stabilize the tool and also now has the new “profile blade technology” to prepare footing and protect the base. It is a major upgrade. Check it out here: http://www.abiequine.com/products/arena_drags/arena_rascal_pro.php
I read on so many forums about people using chain fence, boards, box springs, poles, rail ties, etc… I am sure they all do a fine job dressing the top surface but I have never seen a time when these types of “home made” drags actually properly condition the arena footing clear down to the base. These types of “home made” drags also have no way to grade (drag and drop) footing material either. For me this is a problem. Overtime compaction will set in if the footing is not loosened down to the base. Many times people wonder “where the sand has gone”…but in reality the sand has just been compacted so hard it creates a “false” base.
In my opinion it is absolutely vital that a good arena drag be able to loosen hard pan compaction (while not damaging the base). Even for an outdoor dressage arena… To do this you will need scarifiers that are independently adjustable from the frame of the drag and a way to control how deep the scarifiers go. The Riata II does not offer scarifiers at all. Scarifiers are optional on the Arena Rascal Pro and depth is controlled by large floatation tires. Rippers are standard on the Handozer and depth is controlled by the side rails.
I made a couple posts on a different thread that talks a lot about what to look for in an ATV arena Drag: http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4803709
jmac84 you should really take a close look at the “Profile Blade Technology” on the Arena Rascal Pro. It is the same technology used on the Kiser Dragmaster (most respected drag in the world) and it won’t damage your base. It is amazing for reining and dressage arenas because it leaves a perfectly smooth and compaction free base… You spent all that money on the base you really need to keep it clean from compaction and protect it from damage.
jimc-
Ours is a ‘pro’, with the new profile blade. We got it from ABI last fall. I love it when I use it with our tractor, I actually have gotten tons of comments like “wow! your arena looks so perfect, I’m afraid to ruin it by riding.” It does an amazing job. 
I agree a heavier tow vehicle with larger tires helps… For those that must use an atv I would recommend if the ground is super hard and bumpy to slow down and (if you can) put the atv/utv in cruse control. Changes in speed while dragging will additionally cause waves for all drags. We all know it can be hard to maintain a consistent speed on an atv especially when pulling and going over rough terrain at the same time! Set your speed such that you don’t need to slow down to make turns. Then make wide sweeping turns attempting to not drag over some areas more than others.
Depending on the soil type… the more frequently you drag the arena the softer the footing material will be (because of air and moisture). This should minimize the hardness and reduce the bumpiness that can cause these type of speed control and bouncing problems.
Wow! Thank you all - there is great information here and food for thought. I know many people are happy with home made chain link type drags, but as jimc mentioned, I have a hard time seeing how they will really condition and loosen all of the footing. My husband lost it when I mentioned the price of the Arena Rascal Pro, so while it seems to be the most respected in its class, I think I am leaning towards the handozer, which does have adjustable teeth and seems like it could do a more than adequate job at about half the price.
Another tool to consider that is in the price range as Handozer is the Rascal LGR… It is a smaller version of the Arena Rascal Pro… It doesn’t have the large floatation wheels or the profile blades but it does have small stabilizing wheels and adjustable scarifying teeth. They are on sale now for $1,295 + Free Shipping. Check it out: http://www.abiattachments.com/products/innovation/rascal_lgr.html
Are you a salesman for the company? They don’t have a price list perse and you have to call in for a quote/specific price with shipping based on location.
I’d love to get an Arena Rascal Pro but I think shipping to Canada puts it over the top in pricing. Considering the 4.5’.
We have no ring machines similar to these up here. Only thing I could find in a drag is a screen mesh type with the teeth.
We have the Arena Rascal Pro (6.5) that we pull with our Polaris UTV. Have to use 4wd to pull it effectively. But, I absolutely love it and the job it does. The best part is that DH thinks it is/was worth every penny.
I love the 5’ or 6’ Handozer with the drag mat. I recommend it as the best pull behind drag to clients and they also love it. Impossible to make waves, you can be precise with the depth, and it does not throw sand sideways on sharp corners like the TR3. I like how the teeth can be easily raised up off the ground and the drag wheeled somewhere else.
Handozer
[QUOTE=Plumcreek;4897158]
I love the 5’ or 6’ Handozer with the drag mat. I recommend it as the best pull behind drag to clients and they also love it. Impossible to make waves, you can be precise with the depth, and it does not throw sand sideways on sharp corners like the TR3. I like how the teeth can be easily raised up off the ground and the drag wheeled somewhere else.[/QUOTE]
I contacted Handozer and they told me they only make a 3.5foot drag.
Yes, I noticed that this was a very old thread. Wondered if the Handozer was still being made as it was not bad for small drag, but getting one from the company was often a big delay. Seems the company has given up the horse arena business in favor of selling lots of 42" driveway drags through Home Depot. Still would work better than a chain harrow on a small arena behind an ATV and you can order it delivered to your local Home Depot.
I have the 3.5’ Handozer and use it behind my riding mower for our smallish arena (60 x 84).it works well enough, though I do have to periodically rake down the edges. It can get clogged when there is any debris like hay or small sticks, and it wouldn’t work well for any footing with larger pieces. Mine is just a mix of dirt, sand, and small shavings. Still, it’s a decent and economical choice. I hope to upgrade to something with more control when we eventually get a tractor.
We got an Arena Rascal that broke shortly after we got it - had no joy from the Arena Rascal folks for repairs or support. This was quite a while ago, so they may have improved, but I was very disappointed in the company’s customer service.
Check out the PerformanceFooting drags from Conterra. I had a rascal pro which was a POS compared to the new EquiGroomer I got from them. The quality was hundres time better but more importantly the results and service was great unlike the others mentioned. Here is the one I bought : https://www.performancefooting.com/product/arena-dragster/
