East-West Arena Construction Blog

Horse lameness is probably one of the most frustrating things one faces as an equine owner. Nearly every horse will at some point or another go lame, and it can often be frustrating to figure out why. In the world of lameness, a few ounces of prevention can be worth several pounds of cure. Here are a few factors to consider when trying to prevent lameness in your equine partner.

Are you installing a riding arena on your property? When it comes to arenas, there are many factors to consider. You’ll need to decide whether you want an indoor or outdoor area; decide on lighting; and of course, pick a size. One thing that will have a huge impact on your arena’s potential is the footing you choose.

The arena footing design and construction is critical to the success of the equestrian arena. The optimum riding surface must meet three conditions and include shear strength, minimal concussion and viscoelastic rebound. Horses experience a great deal of stress while performing at high levels and the right footing design will meet the demands of trainers and riders. The ideal arena footing deters injuries to the horse and helps boost performance.

Dressage is a discipline of subtle movements and beauty. A dressage arena should reflect the standards stable owners hold for themselves and for their riders. Equine professionals strive to maintain an arena that looks as professional as the way they ride. Here is how they do it.

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.

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. 

Dealing with personalities in the ring has been a challenge for trainers and competitors alike since the dawn of horse shows, this is nothing new. After all, horses have distinct and individualized personalities just like their human handlers. Since a horse has no control over who owns him or where and under what conditions he lives, bonding between a horse and his owner isn't always a smooth process. Unfortunately, sometimes this animal-to-human bond never becomes firmly established. 

A horse's legs and feet are his life. How the floor takes the impact of hooves is very important for the horse's performance and his health and safety. The way the floor is built and the carpet of footing on the floor surface of primary importance when designing or maintaining an arena.