How To Quickly Install TruTex Horse Arena Footing
With a few key tools, installation of your footing additive is a straightforward process.
*IMPORTANT – This installation guide is assuming that you already have the appropriate type and amount of sand evenly installed onto a solid, graded base in your arena that does not hold water or have drainage issues.
Installing horse arena footing yourself is a great option for some cost savings and is not difficult to do, provided you follow the steps outlined below.
Unless you are hiring a TruTex builder for a turn-key solution, TruTex is only providing the product to you. You are assuming the responsibility of installing the product, sand procurement, blending, watering, and maintenance. These steps are critical to the success of your installation and continued footing quality.
TruTex will always provide the best information we can for your successful installation and are readily available to answer any questions that may arise now or in the future. However, there is no implied warranty that things will be 100% perfect and error free when doing a self-installation or when maintaining your arena.
Quick Overview of Arena Footing Installation
Detailed Installation Steps
Required Tools
Wire cutters (safety goggles recommended)
Tractor
Manure Spreader
Rototiller
Compatible groomer
Hand rake
1. Moving the bales
Your footing will be delivered on pallets, which can be moved using either a forklift or tractor with a fork attachment.
Alternatively, you can move the bales individually using the bucket on your tractor as shown in the video in this guide.
2. Opening the bales
Your TruTex Footing will be packaged in highly compressed bales that are tied with a steel wire banding.
A heavy-duty set of wire cutters will be required to cut the banding.
Be sure to remove all wiring from the arena immediately.
3. Spreading the fibers
Using a manure spreader helps to save time and labor but if a spreader is unavailable, it is possible to spread the bales by hand.
The fibers need to be fully broken apart in order to blend into the sand properly.
After spreading, be sure to break up any remaining clumps of fibers before watering.
After spreading, rake any stray fibers in about 6″ from the edges of the arena boards or fencing to ensure the tiller will be able to reach them for blending.
4. Watering the fibers
This stage is crucial to ensure that the fibers will bond with the sand correctly.
Water the fibers thoroughly until very moist but not muddy.
Lack of moisture is the most common mistake we see when someone is having difficulty with the blending of the materials.
5. Blending the fibers
A Harley Power Rake or a Rototiller are both great tools for blending the fibers into the sand.
Blend the fibers into the upper 2″-2.5″ of the sand ensuring that the tiller does not touch your arena base whatsoever.
It will take several passes with the tiller before the fibers are blended sufficiently.
If you find that the fibers are not bonding with the sand enough and are staying up on the surface it is most likely that they are too dry. Add more water and then continue with the blending process.
6. Dragging the arena
A compatible drag, with a roller component is essential for best results out of your footing.
After the tilling stage, your footing will be very fluffy and contain a lot of air so we recommend setting the tines on your drag quite shallow and placing more emphasis on rolling and re-compressing the footing for the next few days until it feels more firm.
At this stage, the footing can be ridden on right away and over the next several weeks, you will notice that it becomes more integrated with the sand becomes more stable as the root system created by the fibers becomes fully established.
Contact Us if You Have Any Questions About Our Horse Arena Footing Products
We absolutely LOVE 💕 receiving all your “before & after” installation photos as it’s so exciting to see the arena transformations happening all over the country. Your feedback after riding on it for a while and feeling the horses’ 🐴 response to it is extremely important to us so Please Please continue to send in any pics and feedback that you’d be willing to share and we are also here to answer any questions you may have both before or after adding TruTex fibers to your riding arena. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about our horse arena footing products.
Don’t forget to tag us 😁 @trutexfooting #trutexfooting