We’ve just returned from TIHC, its beautiful, the footing is to die for and the hospitality is lovely, draw back is hotels are far away… Overall the other area horse shows are going to have to step it up!.. Yea for the competitors !!
I agree! I stopped by Wednesday to catch up with some old friends who were showing and it was incredible!!
It looks and sounds amazing!! And it is about 3 1/2 hours from us!! I wonder when they will have the 2014/2015 schedule?
your horses coffin joints will die in that footing for sure…
Leave it to me to be the voice of dissent, but to me, IN MY OPINION, it is built for people not horses, and I pretty much hated it.
I’m not from the area and likely will never show here, but I’m curious since we have so far had two polar opposite opinions on the footing: what did people like or not like about it? I’ve gotten particular about footing as my horse has gotten older, so I’m always curious about what different venues are doing, and how it works in different areas and climates.
It has no give…you wouldn’t believe how bad it is trashing coffin joints. A horses foot is designed to hit the dirt, and then keep going just a little bit. In this footing, the toe just stops, and that concussion has to go somewhere.
[QUOTE=mroades;7816238]
It has no give…you wouldn’t believe how bad it is trashing coffin joints. A horses foot is designed to hit the dirt, and then keep going just a little bit. In this footing, the toe just stops, and that concussion has to go somewhere.[/QUOTE]
What exactly is the footing? Is it sand?
Its some kind of fancy pink mix of sand and fibers (that by the way have been shown to cause cancer in enclosed areas). It is fantastic in the regard that it can take buckets and buckets of rain and you can still ride on it, but long term it is killing horses feet.
Horses also fall down on it because of the toe issue. I know because I have it at my farm. I saw a horse fall all the way down in an under saddle class at Capital Challenge…just splat. I has NO give.
It’s similar to GGT. And I could not disagree with mroades more … Several older horses in our barn went the best they ever have (like a young horse again!) because their feet felt so good.
[QUOTE=mroades;7816196]
Leave it to me to be the voice of dissent, but to me, IN MY OPINION, it is built for people not horses, and I pretty much hated it.[/QUOTE]
Just curious, can you elaborate a little on what you mean about built for people not horses? Not disagreeing, it’s just a different perspective from what I’ve heard so far (I’ve been there often) and I’d like to understand.
There’s no question it maximizes convenience for exhibitors/spectators but I don’t grasp what the downside is for the horses…?
[QUOTE=GotMyPony;7816619]
Just curious, can you elaborate a little on what you mean about built for horses not people? Not disagreeing, it’s just a different perspective from what I’ve heard so far and I’d like to understand. TIA.[/QUOTE]
Havent been there but will take a crack based on other facilities. Some cater to human creature comforts more then actual horse needs.
Meaning they look lovely to us, parking, bathrooms, seating, landscaping and so forth. But things like tiny stalls on asphalt or concrete, number, design and location of horse washing areas and their drainage, manure disposal area, access between stabling and ring can be too narrow and hard or rough surfaced, no turn out or hack out area, things like that.
Then you get the rings themselves that can look great day one but develop issues with use. Remember one $$$$ place that ended up relocating a ring built on an underground spring or bog of some sort- one end of it was always mushy just under the base and it sort of sagged. Try landing that oxer out of the diagonal on that slight sideways slope the horse can’t see or feel until they land and getting a good change.
I hope this place works out, any issues are minor and dealt with and it can grow with the area. We need it.
Our vets have been saying that since all the GGT type footing, they’ve been seeing more tendon injuries! I know the barn I’m at have had more injuries than ever before in the past year after being at shows with this type of footing and it’s making me nervous. Apparently it’s due to the fact that unlike just sand, it doesn’t move with the horse when they turn… Good to land on not so good in the turns!
Hmmmmm. Harold Chopping has changed his show schedule to include just about every show up there (he leaves for Tryon again tomorrow) and he is a horseman who is very particular about his horses’ well being.
I’ve been by once, to watch a jumper class. You can stand on the rail, a horse can canter past and you can’t hear his feet hit the ground. The footing seems wonderful.
The stalls are big, have mats and fans, the aisles are wide. I didn’t see the manure pits or the office. I don’t know where you could go to hand graze if you wanted, but it is barely past the construction site phase, so maybe they planned for that too. The bathrooms are beautiful, and kept so cold this summer your breeches don’t stick to you.
The facility is about 3 miles from our farm, so if anybody has questions I’ll try to check it out for you. You do have to drive to get to hotels. Forest City, toward Shelby is probably best if you can’t get a room in Columbus.
It’s going to change the area, that’s for sure…just so we can keep hunting through it all.
[QUOTE=findeight;7816662]
Havent been there but will take a crack based on other facilities. Some cater to human creature comforts more then actual horse needs.
Meaning they look lovely to us, parking, bathrooms, seating, landscaping and so forth. But things like tiny stalls on asphalt or concrete, number, design and location of horse washing areas and their drainage, manure disposal area, access between stabling and ring can be too narrow and hard or rough surfaced, no turn out or hack out area, things like that.
Then you get the rings themselves that can look great day one but develop issues with use. Remember one $$$$ place that ended up relocating a ring built on an underground spring or bog of some sort- one end of it was always mushy just under the base and it sort of sagged. Try landing that oxer out of the diagonal on that slight sideways slope the horse can’t see or feel until they land and getting a good change.
I hope this place works out, any issues are minor and dealt with and it can grow with the area. We need it.[/QUOTE]
I actually think they got this one right. Stalls are pretty big (10 by 12, I think), each one is matted and has a permanent fan, wash racks between each barn, as well as manure pits. Barn aisles are short- I think 6-8 stalls on each side, and a locking tack room (with saddle and bridle racks) on each aisle. Each ring has its own schooling area, so no AAs schooling with jumpers (used to be the case at Raleigh back in the day- scared me to death!!). Rings are literally about 200 yards from the barns- it’s a fantastic set up, including separate walking paths for horses and humans.
As far as the rings go- I was there last Sunday, last day of week 5, and everything was pristine. I don’t have enough familiarity with the footing to comment, other than everyone there seems quite happy with it.
I’ve been twice so far, and it really is stunning!
We liked the footing, but in hind site a horse we brought started tripping the last day, that normally doesn’t. But she could have been tired as we had shown for 2 weeks, only one division and a derby and one equ class, a lot for sure but not terrible.
I know the footing felt great, when u land off a jump. The barns are great, love the stall fronts with the opening to feed.parking by our barn was tight.
And my purse was stolen when I fogot to lock my car door last Sunday, it’s was unlocked between 11am-12ish, ugh!
Photoblog from a few weeks ago with lots of info and pictures if you’d care to check it out. This website/business was started by a friend of mine.
http://www.streamhorsetv.com/the-professionals-guide-to-tryon-international/
I hope the footing is good, it looks so beautiful and is in NC!!! 
I haven’t been there but generally those types of footing get better with usage, when they are too new is when there can be “issues”. Once it gets worked more it will get better. A lot of new or redeveloping show grounds encounter that when they put in the new textile footing, and everyone complains, but then a few shows later the mob settles.
