Sand being delivered to Equine Unlimited
Preparations are underway at Equine Unlimited to improve the footing in Malinda Kregoski’s outdoor arena. A total of ten truck and transfer loads of fine white sand were delivered to mix with the GGT-Footing, a fabric-and fiber based lofting agent, that has been used in Europe for some time and is now finding its way into arenas on this side of the Atlantic. Synthetic textile felt is ground into small pieces and mixed with sand to create a cushioning and moisture retaining footing. The fabric and fibers create virtually no dust as they wear.
Ever since people started using riding arenas when working with their horses they were experimenting with the large variety of materials for the use as footing. In former times pure grass riding places were created, but soon one noticed that by constant riding on the hoof track the soil consolidated and with rainfalls it turned to a mud bath. People went searching for alternatives for grass footing and discovered the sand. Over years sand and arenas with sand – wood mixture were the standard.
Some arena builders wanted to build something better and searched for new materials, which they found in plastic chaff. Since beginning of the 90’s the first “new” arena footings were created with geo textile or felt chaffs in Germany. This new footing which was regarded very critically at first by equestrians, owners of stable and arenas, turned out to be the optimal footing for dressage and jumping in the last 10 years. Footing with felt and fibers proved to be the most successful solution in Germany and internationally. These footings are suitable for dressage and jumping as well as for therapeutic riding, round pens, lunging, Polo, horse race tracks, carriage events and in western pleasure riding and cutting.
GGT Synthetic Textile Material
THE EFFECTS OF FOOTING
It is useful to compare the physical characteristics of different surfaces in relation to their effect on the horse’s stride. Hard surfaces (concrete, asphalt, hard soil) have a high impact resistance and a high shear resistance. Consequently, the limbs are subjected to considerable concussion, and the toe is unable to penetrate the surface, which produces high loads in the navicular region in the terminal stance phase.
Sand has a somewhat lower impact resistance than hard soil, combined with a low shear resistance which allows the toe to penetrate deeply. However, deep sand tends to give way resulting in a loss of traction. Since horses must use a greater muscular effort to overcome the tendency of the sand to give way, the working heart rate will be up to 50% higher on deep sand. This is why sand is so tiring for the horse to work on.
Amendments, such as textiles and fibers, are added to sand to improve the properties as a riding surface. GGT-Footing, a shredded textile, stabilizes the sand particles – this mimics the effect of the rooting system of turf, which has a stabilizing effect on the surrounding soil particles. Our products give more resilience, reduce the amount of packing and help to hold moisture in the surface, which leads to reduced dust. For more information about GGT Footing visit their website at www.ggt-footing.com.
Stay tuned for more exciting news as the footing at Equine Unlimited unfolds into a premier outdoor riding arena.
A Mountain of Sand
