Does the thought of maintaining a textile additive in your arena seem daunting? Are you worried that a high-performance arena footing equals high maintenance? If so, you might be tempted to stick with a sand-only footing. While you can certainly do that, you might be surprised to learn that there are actually several maintenance benefits that come with upgrading your ring, as well as the performance benefits.
Let’s discuss the differences between maintaining a basic sand arena vs a sand arena with TruTex Fibers incorporated.
Characteristics and Maintenance of a Basic Sand Arena Footing
Most sand types tend to shift around a lot, especially under pressure. In fact, having an unstable sand is by far the most common reason that people reach out to us for help with their footing.
When sand lacks stability, you are forced to constantly drag and rake the arena to smooth it out again, particularly in high-traffic areas. This takes up time when you could instead be riding your horse, teaching, training, or, maybe… doing something completely non-horse related…
Sand also dries out quickly, forcing you to have to water often. While watering at least once per day is not uncommon for some, prior to adding TruTex. A loose, sandy surface, particularly when dry, means you and your horse are breathing in more dust as well.
Sand With TruTex Fiber Additive
TruTex footing retains a lot more moisture than sand so it will stay hydrated for longer. This keeps your arena dust free for a greater amount of time, whilst also reducing the frequency at which you have to water. (Note: Depending on your climate, it can reduce watering by up to 50%.)
With the textile additive incorporated, your sand is a lot more stable, so it doesn’t shift around a lot. Not only does this mean more support for the horse, but it also equates to less grooming and raking.
Your horse works more on the top of the surface instead of creating deep tracks like you often see with poor quality sand footings.
Since your horses stay up on the surface more, you’re simply disturbing fewer sand particles that would be kicked up and turned into dust and slowing the rate of breakdown, therefore maximizing the lifespan of the footing.
How do TruTex Fibers Work?
TruTex fibers create a root system between the sand particles, which adds stability to the footing and following impact, they also act like tiny expansion springs that help resuspend sand grains to offer more shock absorption and help prevent excessive compaction.
In a nutshell, with the addition of TruTex fibers, your footing will naturally stay a lot more consistent and supportive, whilst requiring less maintenance to achieve that outcome.
To maintain this type of arena correctly, your arena drag needs to be compatible with a synthetic surface. There are many suitable tools available but here are the ones we recommend using: Arena Drags
Next Steps to Achieving a Better-Quality Footing for You and your Horse
In addition to providing a free sand analysis to determine which product would produce the best results for your needs, we can also advise you on how to optimize your existing sand to improve the results further or assist with sourcing the right sand for a new arena.
Fill out our free sand evaluation form or request a free personalized quote to get started. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Boots on the Ground Equestrian Knowledge
TruTex is owned and operated by equestrians who are excited to bring these premium products to you and your ring with extremely competitive pricing. Contact us at 812-558-2669 or through our online form. If you’d rather plan a time to speak with someone, let’s chat during a free consultation. We look forward to helping you and your equine business prosper.
