Footing the Riding Arena

considerable amount of slide. It is difficult for a single arena to accommodate all these differences but it is possible by correctly preparing the surface for each discipline.
Tranquille has been with the Animal Health Trust since 2005 and recent research has included working with a team at the Swedish University of Agricultural Science in Uppsala focusing on evaluating the effects of arena surfaces and training intensity on the orthopaedic health of horses. 
Equestrians are now more aware and knowledgeable of the affect and direct impact footing can have on your horse and on the riders says Alysha Sauve sales and marketing manager ReitenRight Equestrian Inc. in Delta British Columbia. We are also more cognizant of what our footing is comprised of and if there is a risk of any airborne toxins that could affect both horses and riders.
Sauve says that to best protect your horses legs from shock impact you want to ensure your footing improves the cushion and energy return efficiently.
Some types of additives andor sands can begin to pack over time leading to a sticky or harder riding surface says Sauve. Riders trainers and veterinarians have seen the impact on how some footing can increase the risk of soft tissue damage. Fibre additives can be wonderful for binding a shiftingloose footing while a rubber additive can drastically increase cushion and energy return and even reduce packing in older or high traffic arenas.
Understanding all the subtle influences of a surface on a horses limb health comes down to understanding equine biomechanics and how horses move not only from one gait to another but also during turning circling sliding and the shock impact of jumping. 
The critical issue of arena surfaces horses performances and mitigation of the threat of lameness has been under scrutiny for well over a decade. In 20072008 the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SLU began a project financed by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports FEI World Horse Welfare and the Swedish Foundation for Equine Research aimed at evaluating equestrian arenas and their surfaces from the perspective of improved welfare and orthopaedic equine health. The project led to the publication by the FEI of the White Paper on Equestrian Surfaces.
Among the takeaways of the Guide are the recognition that similar surface properties can be obtained with different materials it is the properties of a surface rather than the materials it is composed of that affect the