East-West Arena Construction Blog

Horses literally spend almost all their lives on their feet. Except for brief periods of laying down during certain sleep stages, they even sleep on their feet with legs locked.  For an average-sized horse when standing still, each foot sustains 25 pounds per square foot (psi) of pressure continuously. When galloping, the horse sustains about 500 psi on the feet. That is slightly more than the pressure on a woman's stiletto heel and more than ten times the pressure on an elephant's feet. Because of the small size of the weight-bearing portion of the foot and the half-ton weight of the average horse, equine lameness is a significant risk.

Most horse-owners would love to have their very own riding arena at home. In fact, most horse-owners would love to have an indoor arena, an outdoor arena, and access to miles of trails from home without having to trailer out. Alas, reality rarely manages to provide all of these features at once. 

According to Google the U.S. is home to some 319 million people, and as our population is growing, so are the demands on the world of agriculture and farming. Farmers are looking for ways to improve conditions for their animals, increase their profits, and improve their farming systems. And many farmers are deploying systems to make their farms "smarter" too. "One way to address these issues and increase the quality and quantity of agricultural production is using sensing technology to make farms more “intelligent” and more connected through the so-called “precision agriculture” also known as smart farming," Forbes.

If you are thinking of building an equestrian arena, here are the top 5 missteps to avoid in the construction of outdoor horse arena footing:

The type of footing a horse is worked on is a major contributing factor to whether the horse will stay sound. One study of dressage horses found that the evenness of the surface was vitally important in preventing injuries. Wood chips were the most dangerous because they could never be turned into a completely even surface. Pure coarse sand was also dangerous because it rapidly became an uneven surface as horses worked on it. 

Horse stalls are the most effective way to keep your horse out of the harsh weather.  They offer protection and warmth for your equine companion.  However, horses are not necessarily meant to stay cooped up in a barn all day, so how can you maximize your resources in order to give your horse the protection he needs while giving him the freedom he deserves?

Equestrian/Equine Studies are offered at many colleges and universities around the nation. The curriculums are similar and most programs support a competitive equestrian riding team. Each university stands proud of their equine program not only for the academic value but the learning and training facility they offer their students and the riding program where teams compete in many regional and national horse shows sponsored by The Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) and The Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). Many universities use boarding and training facilities out in their communities while others have acquired or built their own equine centers on campus or in close proximity.

An indoor riding arena has probably been on every horse owner's wish list at some time (especially this winter!), but trainers might benefit from them most of all, for four reasons:  

• An indoor arena provides a "controlled environment" for lessons;
• An indoor arena completely eliminates outside distractions;
• An indoor arena provides superior footing, thereby decreasing the risk of horse and rider injuries;
• Indoor arenas modification allows pupils to gain more even benefit from their lessons.

When dealing with horses, the benefits of a controlled environment cannot be overstated. Having an area where weather (whether rainy, cold or overly hot) will not interfere with riding is of immense benefit, especially for trainers, who may work with multiple pupils each day.