365 Days in Horse Country – Arena Maintenance
If you are among the lucky and fortunate enough to have a
riding arena on your property so that you can work your horse on a regular
basis, you also have a responsibility to keep it in good condition. In order to keep your horse comfortable and
safe, your arena will require some regular routine maintenance. Here is what you can do;
- Make sure your fences and gates are in a good state of repair. Inspect the enclosure carefully, looking for sharp edges that may hurt your horses and loose screws and hinges that could compromise the security of your arena.
- Examine your footing; the surface that you ride on. Good footing is mandatory if you want your horse to stay sound. The footing layer is of primary concern, and it should be deep enough to reduce concussion to the horse’s legs without causing muscle and tendon strains.
- If your riding surface has become compacted or has blown away due to frequent windy weather, you may need to add more material. Sand, decomposed granite, or any number of manmade arena materials can work as a riding surface. If you live in a climate that gets a lot of rain, consider adding sand. Even though it can be more expensive, you’ll get more use out of your arena after bad weather.
- Make sure whatever you add to your arena has been sifted for debris. You don’t want rocks, nails, sticks, and other foreign objects inside your arena. They can cause injury to your horse’s feet resulting in lameness.
- Drag your arena frequently to aerate the riding surface and keep it from getting compacted. You don’t need a tractor to do this; an all-terrain vehicle with an arena dragging attachment will do the trick.
Michael