Best Footing for Jumping

[ThoroughbredLuver]

Hi!
Wondering what everyone’s opinion is on the best footing for higher level jumping. I am currently riding on GGT footing daily and I do like it, but I feel it easily makes deep ruts when the horses make sharper jumper turns or playing when lunging that seem harder to cover than other footing. I know vets really like the footing, but id be curious to know any statistics in relation to having GGT footing and injury rates (better or worse). I find the horses feel good on it, but I also feel they travel differently. I have always ridden in sand (no additives) for years, but this is just what happens to be in the arena at the barn I board at. If you were to build a barn and pick out your footing for H/J discipline for daily use including jumping 3 foot plus and lunging, what would you pick and why? Also any additional scientific information on GGT or similar footing would be great!

Thanks!

[supershorty628]

Where are you getting this information that “vets really like the footing”? Was there a study that came out or something?

Personally, I hate GGT (or any of the fiber-based footings). I think those fiber footings have too much grip and not enough give. Give me a good old fashioned sand/stonedust mix any day of the week.

[Peggy]

@supershorty628

Where are you getting this information that “vets really like the footing”? Was there a study that came out or something?

Personally, I hate GGT (or any of the fiber-based footings). I think those fiber footings have too much grip and not enough give. Give me a good old fashioned sand/stonedust mix any day of the week.

Agree. I also think that if people maintained their old-fashioned footings at the same level as they often do the fancy footings, it would be even better. I know of some horses that do not do well, or even look lame, on the fiber footing. There are rumors that it “eats” coffin joints.

[StormyDay]

I’ve always liked rubber crumb. My picky older horse has always gone best on it. He likes grass arenas too.
The GGT footing can be really hit or miss IMO. I have been to one showground that it was fabulous at, and all my other experiences have not been great.
But overall, the footing is only as good as how it is maintained.

[comingback]

I would add it’s not just how it’s maintained, but how it’s mixed. Too much textile, too grippy. Too much sand, potentially too slippery, and also how much watering is/can be done are all additional factors to consider.

Here’s some light reading on a study that was published a few years ago. https://inside.fei.org/system/files/Equine%20Surfaces%20White%20Paper.pdf

[CindyCRNA]

@StormyDay

I’ve always liked rubber crumb. My picky older horse has always gone best on it. He likes grass arenas too.
The GGT footing can be really hit or miss IMO. I have been to one showground that it was fabulous at, and all my other experiences have not been great.
But overall, the footing is only as good as how it is maintained.

And then I saw a barn pull all of their rubberized footing out as a number of horses ended up lame and they blamed the footing but who knows.

[OneTwoMany]

@ThoroughbredLuver

Hi!
Wondering what everyone’s opinion is on the best footing for higher level jumping. I am currently riding on GGT footing daily and I do like it, but I feel it easily makes deep ruts when the horses make sharper jumper turns or playing when lunging that seem harder to cover than other footing. I know vets really like the footing, but id be curious to know any statistics in relation to having GGT footing and injury rates (better or worse). I find the horses feel good on it, but I also feel they travel differently. I have always ridden in sand (no additives) for years, but this is just what happens to be in the arena at the barn I board at. If you were to build a barn and pick out your footing for H/J discipline for daily use including jumping 3 foot plus and lunging, what would you pick and why? Also any additional scientific information on GGT or similar footing would be great! Thanks!

GGT have a variety of different products, and some owners make their own blends. I think it is difficult to make a black or white statement about GGT footing unless one is referring to one of the company’s specific products.

Each type of footing has its plusses and minuses. We’ve used sand in our outdoor arenas for 20+ years and I rode in sand arenas for years as a junior. There is nothing wrong with a sand or a sand/stonedust mixture. It is probably my preferred surface when it is properly maintained and watered, but the watering can take a ton of work. That is the gating factor for some people – all the maintenance that is involved. I gave up on sand footing in our indoor about 15 or 20 years ago. When we have the funds lined up, the outdoor will be converted to all-weather footing too.

I love me a good sand arena, but they can be dusty, hard and thirsty.

[ToTheNines]

I am a big fan of the granite sand that is manufactured locally here west of Austin. Because it’s a manufactured sand, it has more traction (grip) than round river sand.

[CHT]

@OneTwoMany The main show barn I compete at has the fancy GGT footing in its two outdoor arenas, and it requires MORE watering then sand. The main plus with their all weather rings is that the area can be otherwise flooded, and the ring still works. If their footing is not soaked, it can be both dusty and slippery. It also has the issues with ruts and needs a lot of rolling.

[StormyDay]

@CindyCRNA

And then I saw a barn pull all of their rubberized footing out as a number of horses ended up lame and they blamed the footing but who knows.

As I said I think it depends on maintaining the footing. The current arena I ride in is rubber crumb and sand mix. It feels great and the horses love it. However, it is just me riding and it gets dragged every week. I have seen rubber crumb under a high usage load and it doesn’t hold up well. For a boarding barn it really doesn’t work without at least daily dragging. At a recent show I went to that had rubber crumb, there was a large hole in the takeoff spot of each jump on course. It needs to be dragged every 10-15 rides or so.

[eclipse]

The barn I’m at just got fibre footing in n our indoor and it’s fabulous, much softer than the GGT footing I’ve shown on elsewhere! This is more like a normal sand “look” (it doesn’t get flat rolled but more harrowed and only every 10 days) and it does not require water…ever! It seems to have more “give” than the regular GGT footing, not as “grippy”, and so far it’s lovely to ride on! (And ve been told it does not feel like you’re landing on cement when you fall off!!). The only issue we’ve found, it makes the bottom of your boots slippery as it contains wax, so we have to brush of our soles right before we mount! I’ll have to find out which brand it is I have no idea, although I do know it was not inexpensive!

[OneTwoMany]

@CHT

@OneTwoMany The main show barn I compete at has the fancy GGT footing in its two outdoor arenas, and it requires MORE watering then sand. The main plus with their all weather rings is that the area can be otherwise flooded, and the ring still works. If their footing is not soaked, it can be both dusty and slippery. It also has then issues with ruts and needs a lot of rolling.

We have all weather footing in our indoor. Have had it for over 15 years. It isn’t dusty at all and we don’t water it at all. Not once. There is a wax/petroleum binder that is mixed in with the sand, fiber and rubber making it a cinch to maintain. If we didn’t have the wax/petroleum binder, I’m sure we would have dust. In my opinion, it is hard to generalize about a particular “brand” of footing. There are so many different blends. IME, if one simply adds fiber to a sand area, dust will be a problem when the sand breaks down and the footing is dry. That is the reason why we made the decision to go with all weather footing that doesn’t require watering.

[limptoad]

I’d invest in a round pen and a hand rake, if you want the best footing for jumping, and make sure you water enough. Lunging is hell on rings no matter what your footing.

GGT or straight sand are both good depending on your maintenance habits, location, and volume. GGT is more forgiving as far as watering, and won’t get as beachy if you water too little. Sand is more versatile but requires a lot of water & knowledge to keep it firm enough for jumping the big jumps, and daily maintenance so it doesn’t dry out and become beachy (or alternatively, hard and compacted). I like GGT at my lower-volume private facility and straight sand at my commercial show facility where my employees are very experienced in maintaining sand for various disciplines, it’s super versatile. I don’t like rubber, it floats and relocates when watered or in a heavy rain. Wax additives depend on your climate, not so great in hot climates but useful in cooler ones.

[Dr_Doolittle]

This is a fascinating discussion; learning a lot here.

I board at a barn with sand footing in the ring - it’s great when it’s moist (or even wet!), but when it gets dry, it’s as other posters mentioned - “beachy”. A combination of hard and slippery, and I won’t jump on it (only do cavalletti work.)

Unfortunately we have been experiencing a VERY dry summer in NOVA :(, so I’ve been hauling off property to local venues with the fiber footing or sand/fiber in order to do jump schools.

(I am the only boarder who jumps at my barn - it’s mostly a TB breeding facility with broodmares, babies, layups and retirees; IF the ring gets dragged every other week or so I’m happy, and no way would the BM water it just for me, she has 130 horses to take care of!)

The fiber footing at one of the venues I haul to is indeed deep - especially if not dragged, it gets deep spots in it and becomes a bit uneven (my mare still seems to like it and moves well in it, but she is not a “footing diva”, thank goodness!); not sure whether I would want to ride in it every day. The jumping ring there is a sand/fiber mixture which IF dragged, is soft but firm. My wonderful husband rakes the groundlines out (takeoff and landing) when I go school there, and my mare likes the footing and goes well in it.

From Googling, it seems like the GGT footing is an “additive” to regular footing? A cotton fiber?

At our local eventing venues (Morven Park, Great Meadow) Atwood footing is in all the arenas - dressage and jumping. It does well when dry (IF dragged), but when WET, it gets pretty “cuppy” and deep - I can’t imagine that’s good for tendons.

Back in the day (pre-cotton blends), rubber added to bluestone was the “newfangled footing option” to soften it up; it seems like that has become passe’ - and IME, places with rubber/bluestone mix tend to put LESS bluestone in, resulting in the footing getting hard when dry. If TOO much bluestone, it gets deep and cuppy - especially when too wet.

Is there a perfect footing solution? (Obviously it depends on your discipline as to what is “perfect”), but what do the UL venues use around the world?? I’m sure whatever it is extremely spendy, so possibly out of reach for many…

[winter]

@eclipse

The barn I’m at just got fibre footing in n our indoor and it’s fabulous, much softer than the GGT footing I’ve shown on elsewhere! This is more like a normal sand “look” (it doesn’t get flat rolled but more harrowed and only every 10 days) and it does not require water…ever! It seems to have more “give” than the regular GGT footing, not as “grippy”, and so far it’s lovely to ride on! (And ve been told it does not feel like you’re landing on cement when you fall off!!). The only issue we’ve found, it makes the bottom of your boots slippery as it contains wax, so we have to brush of our soles right before we mount! I’ll have to find out which brand it is I have no idea, although I do know it was not inexpensive!

Did you get Travel right? I agree that the waxed based footings I like a lot better than the GGT that you have to add a lot of water to.

[greysfordays]

@eclipse

The barn I’m at just got fibre footing in n our indoor and it’s fabulous, much softer than the GGT footing I’ve shown on elsewhere! This is more like a normal sand “look” (it doesn’t get flat rolled but more harrowed and only every 10 days) and it does not require water…ever! It seems to have more “give” than the regular GGT footing, not as “grippy”, and so far it’s lovely to ride on! (And ve been told it does not feel like you’re landing on cement when you fall off!!). The only issue we’ve found, it makes the bottom of your boots slippery as it contains wax, so we have to brush of our soles right before we mount! I’ll have to find out which brand it is I have no idea, although I do know it was not inexpensive!

I ride in this footing at home as well. In hot southern california sun it gets shockingly hot, which makes me a little nervous. It also doesn’t smell great when it gets hot. But it is also as you say, much softer… i have fallen off in it and it’s definitely less painful than GGT. We have pinnacle footing.

BUT be careful if you show regularly. Some horses find the transition from the softer footing to the harder GGT footing to be really hard on feet/coffin joints. My horse came back very sore after a show on some underwatered GGT. I make sure to ride him once or twice a week in a firmer arena. Otherwise, I agree, it’s terrific footing.

[eclipse]

@winter

Did you get Travel right? I agree that the waxed based footings I like a lot better than the GGT that you have to add a lot of water to.

I’m not sure, I’ll ask tomorrow…all I know is that it was well over $100,000 to get the large indoor done (including excavation!)

edited to add…it’s by Footing first and it is the Travel Right footing (I found our barn on their fb page lol)

[winter]

@eclipse

I’m not sure, I’ll ask tomorrow…all I know is that it was well over $100,000 to get the large indoor done (including excavation!)

edited to add…it’s by Footing first and it is the Travel Right footing (I found our barn on their fb page lol)

Thanks, love that footing! It is soooo expensive, but maintenance is so so easy. Must be wonderful to have it in your indoor now.

[MintHillFarm]

I like the Travel Right a lot. I don’t personally have it but I judge frequently at a farm that has it in their indoor. Not a large ring either and it holds up great with many rides and no dragging or watering.

I have mason sand in my outdoor. When wet or damp it is great, when very dry as it has been rainless in NY for weeks, it is cuppy and not great! I try to ride very early with the dew on it, and drag every day early as well. It is only me, but I am a bit obsessed with having the ring groomed.

[eclipse]

@winter

Thanks, love that footing! It is soooo expensive, but maintenance is so so easy. Must be wonderful to have it in your indoor now.

It’s amazing, we are so lucky to have the barn owner we have! my horse feels amazing and is now routinely jumping me out of the tack hahahahahahaha