Good footing for dry lots / arenas / round pens?????

[HearseGirlBoo]

My head is spinning with the over abundance of reading and YouTube watching about footing for areas / dry lots / round pens. Even if we don’t get this property, which I think we are… I still need to know this stuff.

The plan is to have a few horses for us, and board a few as well. I want a round pen to work in, an out door arena… and someday I hope to have an indoor one. The place I’m looking at has a pasture on the side. I need to ask if the way back pasture belongs to it too. It has a dry lot and another lot that I think will be a dry lot? I didn’t see how far back it goes to be sure. Looking at it again today.

At first, I will be on a budget. But in about 6 months to 8 months after moving in, I can put something of better quality down. I don’t want my dry lot to become a nasty mud puddle in the rainy season but don’t want sand founder either, and I of course need non slippery footing that isn’t to soft or to hard in the working areas. My head is spinning with all the don’ts and do’s and some clash a little with the information.

Is there anyone that knows about this stuff and what do you use? Or do you know what your stable uses? What do you think of it and does your horse seem to be okay with it?

Thanks so much!!

[Guilherme]

Each venue you reference has a different purpose and that will mean a different footing. Each venue can be in a variety of climates and that will influence what footing you use. Each venue can even be indoors or under a cover and that is yet another source of “difference.”

Start by checking with your local Extension office and see what they have on the construction of equine facilities in your area. They will be based upon your climate and take into account rain fall, sunlight, temperature, etc.

G.

[pluvinel]

Water and drainage is huge. I kept a dry lot that was basically hard packed stone dust. Very easy to muck when you have a hard compacted base.

[Scribbler]

Underlying drainage is huge unless you live in a desert. What is your local climate and water table? You may need drainage rock and even pipes under there.

But too dry and hard can carry it’s own set of concerns especially if the paddocks are soft and deep, but the roundpen is rock hard. Consider the ideal footing for horses to be turf, firm but with some give. Not dry beach sand and not hard pack hard pan.

Also the way your footing looks the day it’s installed is not how it will look in a month. And remember that you lose footing every time you pick out the paddock so resign yourself to a top up every few years.

Some folks on COTH with hard ground say they dump a pile of soft sand in one corner for horses to roll and sleep which sounds like a great idea.