If you’ve installed footing in an indoor that is “waterless,” can you please tell me what you have, how long you’ve had it, what discipline you do, and if you’re happy with it? My current sand/fiber isn’t working so I’m looking to upgrade (mag didn’t do the trick either).
I had fiber footing that didn’t work. I went to four different farms to look at Travel Lite. One farm said it “moved to much”, one said it got too hard in winter and smelled in the summer, the boarders hated it at another farm, and the fourth said it wore a path too easily. So, no recommendations- just anecdotal information. Good luck!
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I train at an indoor where there’s Atwood, it’s for the dressage horses but they can make it for any discipline. It’s been in I think 7 years? It’s fantastic doesn’t get hard or freeze. They do come to maintain yearly or it can get uneven. Very important someone on staff is trained to drag it properly to keep that to a minimum.
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I agree with this. We have it in one of our arenas in Southern California. The arena was originally supposed to be an indoor and I think for that purpose, it’s probably better suited. We have very good drainage, so we can ride even when it’s wet, which is great. But in the summer, it gets very very hot and smells. It’s quite soft, which for jumping is nice, but I’m glad I have another ring to jump in. If we were only on it and then showed on the hard GGT, the horses would struggle I think. It needs very thoughtful dragging and maintenance, that’s not a problem where i’m at, but for most farms, it is more work than I think people realize.
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After an exhaustive search for footing (for my outdoor arena) that is dust free and doesn’t need to be watered. I chose a product called ArenaGreen (indoor/outdoor footing) – from Arenamend. It ticked all the boxes for me. Will be installed in a few weeks so I can’t yet comment on the ‘happiness’ factor.
It does require a special ‘NO dig’ drag/harrow with paddle wheels. The one the company recommends is very affordable. Plus the company owners (inventors of this footing) are wonderful to work with.
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A barn I was at in CA installed this footing in one of the arenas- I moved out of state shortly afterwards so I have no real information on how it was to ride on or how it’s holding up, but I do remember handwalking my mare in it and alllll her joints clickity clacked with every step. I’ve never experienced that in a footing before and thought it was very odd. As a human I thought it felt great!
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What were your priorities for the footing in your arena? Our barn installed GGT with an ebb and flow watering system and I’m pretty disappointed in it. We’ve had them come out twice and it still feels sticky.
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No watering (dust free) was primary priority – next was ecological (still very important) didn’t want inorganic fibers getting into my pond that’s nearby nor pastures. Also wanted easy maintenance = footing that would stay put after rainstorms = no fiber or rubber crumb that would float to surface and have to be worked back in, not that I would use rubber etc.
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Is your sense that this footing maybe has more shear than the GGT? It sounds great and I love that it’s premixed, we had rain right after installing the ring and lost a ton of footing as a result.
The developer of the ArenaGreen footing told me it forms a mat = much like grass turf underfoot = very natural to horse. I’ve never ridden on GGT so can’t comment on a comparison.
