The washed stone dust (C33) footing in my outdoor arena needs a refresh. I absolutely love this footing when it’s wet and freshly dragged, but it dries out so fast in the hot summer sun, and compacts to cement if I don’t drag it after every time it gets wet. The arena is 5 years old now and needs more footing added. I’m thinking about adding sand, but I don’t know what type would be best in this situation… any advice? Most things I’ve read recommend sub angular sand (what’s the common name for “sub angular sand,” anyways??), but I don’t know if that’s advised as an additive.
It depends on where you are located but in my area they call it builders sand.
You want to avoid the sand with round particles like beach sand.
If it were my arena I would compact down the stone dust and add 2-2.5” of sand on top.
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I don’t want a strictly sand arena — just want to mix something in to help it hold moisture and not pack as hard. I love how quickly my arena thaws in the winter time due to its color and how well it drains after a heavy rain… I don’t want to lose those qualities. I have a watering system but currently, by the time I water and drag, I can only get through riding two horses before it’s mostly dried out… and that’s with grooming all before watering.
My indoor is a material similar to what I think you have w limestone screenings mixed in, in a 2 to 1 ratio. When we watered it, it was great. We moved to mag cloride and it’s still great. It will pack, though, if I don’t drag.
To hold water, add an “organic”. What organic you use depends on what is available, and cost. For many people, it is sawdust or peat. Or, if you have more money to spend, the bales of stuff that comes from European factories… leather scrap etc. Some people use shredded rubber, don’t like that much myself. The addition of clay also binds the footing together, so that it compacts under the footfall, and returns energy to the horse with each step. All with a solid firm non slip base underneath. And yes, sand should be angular, not round like billiard balls.
I wouldn’t try to hold moisture; I wouldn’t add organic material.
I would just try to prevent the packing. So mixing in an angular sand (masonry sand) might help.
I had the same exact arena with the same issue - loved it after a rain, but then it would compact into a hard brick that was impervious to dragging. You had to get out quickly after the rain to drag or wait until the next rain. Mixing in masonry sand helped a lot.
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About 20 years ago, I confronted this exact issue. Added 1-1/2 inches of angular sand and it has been perfect ever since. I STRONGLY advise adding less sand than you think you need then drag, ride, drag, ride, . . . for at least a few months and see if you need more. It’s way easier to add more than to get rid of deep spots that can strain tendons, cause tripping, and so forth.
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Might also be called manufactured sand.
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