I have an outdoor arena that is amazing during rainy weather. The footing is screenings with the top 1.5" loose and 6" below is packed. I can ride immediately after a heavy downpour and its not slick at all, it’s perfect. Unfortunately, when we DON’T have rain for a while it’s not so great. It gets pretty dusty. What is the best way to keep the dust down? Just water? I don’t have time to drag sprinklers out every day, so has anybody recently installed an automatic sprinkler system? Roughly what did that cost? My arena is 100x200. I’ve considered adding synthetic fibers but my drag (TR-3) won’t work with that and it was expensive, so I’d rather not get a different one.
I made a pretty inexpensive watering system in my indoor using black plastic waterline, some fittings, and underground sprinkler heads. I mounted mine on the underside of the rafters with the sprinklers upside down, but you could run the waterline on the sides of your arena 4’ or 5’ off the ground and mount the sprinklers there. If you have good heads and good water pressure each sprinkler can shoot about 30’ (60’ circumference), so at least your edges and 30’ in would be watered. I HATE dust.
Does ArenaKleen work outside?? I know folks who use it successfully inside, but not outside. Thx!
My arena is outdoor, stonedust. ArenaKleen works perfectly for me.
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Cool! Thank you.
Whoa Dust is a similar product.
I just saw a product advertised on a FB page “Arena Clear”. Has anybody used this? It doesn’t sound that expensive but I am not sure how a product that changes the PH would control dust. I am fine now but we are entering the drought season.
Can anyone compare ArenaKleen to Whoa Dust? In terms of binding footing?
Doesn’t length of time a spray-on product will last depend on the amount of rain that falls?
I had an automatic sprinkler system installed a couple years ago. It was just under $5k for a 70 x 200 arena. It requires a really good well and pump.
The easiest thing to do is to spray it down. If it’s warm enough that a sprinkler won’t freeze shut, set up a sprinkler.
If you can’t find a way to cut down on the dust, you can get a nose net for your horse and a surgical mask for yourself (if it’s really bothering you).
While a permanently installed water spray system might be a good choice for an indoor, where you have easy access to a good water source and power, it was not an option for me. I have an outdoor that is not near a water source, and the only water source available on the property is the house well. It is also just me and my time can be limited – spraying an arena with water in order to ride dust free for 30-45 mins just wasn’t a workable trade-off for me. That is why I went with the ArenaKleen for dust control.
It does not wash off the stone dust – several years after the first application, I had the footing tested and the second application was at a reduced rate because so much of the product was still on the footing.
It does not run-off into the surrounding grass and trees and poses no environmental threat – my arena is near a small stream that feeds into a river that goes to the Chesapeake Bay – run-off of any kind is an issue here.
It does not affect the performance or texture of the stonedust and does not cling to the horse’s hooves or legs.
It requires no special maintenance or dragging – I manage my arena the same now as I did before the ArenaKleen. If you didn’t know the stuff was there, you could not tell by looking at or feeling the stonedust.
Pricey? Yes.
Worth it? For me, yes.
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ShotenStar - It may not be an appropriate question with stonedust footing, but does the ArenaKleen affect the binding of the particles? I have an outdoor with a mixture of stonedust and sand. When wet from rain or heavy sprinkling rides nicely. But when dryish too much shear and deep. My well is not good enough for real sprinkling in the heat of the south summer. Your thoughts?
ArenaKleen did not change my footing texture or performance in any way. It coats each particle to keep it from going airborne. My arena would turn into oatmeal with too much rain – it did before ArenaKleen and still does now. If you have footing problems now, I would recommend correcting those before applying ArenaKleen or any similar dust control product.
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@ShotenStar wondering if you are happy with Arena Kleen performance in your ring? I need something in my outdoor, its May and it is dry as a bone already 
I havent tried it but Im curious. Is it a granular product like DustHalt? I found that succesful in my round pen and arena in Arizona but was looking for something that wont freeze for my indoor in Montana. Anyone have experience installing it (spray?) and what does it cost for a 15000 sq ft?
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