In a collaborative effort between Willow Tree Farm, Roanoke Sand & Gravel and Ourselves we blended two sands to make a footing which had good binding properties.

This sand was then pre-blended with the GGT footing at the quarry.

Although the primary focus at Willow Tree Farm is dressage we decided upon the GGT Jumping Blend.

The jumping blend has higher levels of fiber. We knew the result would be more wind proof as the footing would have a tighter mix.

To achieve great footing pre-blending is essential.

When the footing is delivered and spread in the arena you are guaranteed consistent footing.

The footing additives will be distributed evenly from top to bottom.

Anyone who has tried to incorporate an additive by harrowing it into the footing from the top, knows it is virtually impossible to achieve consistent footing.

Step one in our plan to make the footing permanent was to replace the 1×6 inch kickboard with something more substantial.

We decided on 2×12 presure treated lumber in 16 foot lengths. My back still hurts!

When choosing a kickboard design you must consider several factors.

The most important being the safety of the horse (and rider). Ensure the distance between the kickboard and the next rail is less than eight inches to prevent the horse from stepping out of the arena.

Don’t make the kickboard so fancy  the person dragging the arena is too scared to get close to the edge.

Try to make the joints between each piece as smooth as possible.

This will allow you to brush the harrow up against the kickboard without any surprises during dragging.

We recently completed an installation in Whister, British Columbia.

The design included a tapered liner with an extra “piece” to protect the liner.

I liked this design because it would be simple to replace the kickboad if it was ever damaged by equipment or a horse.

]]> http://equestriansurfaces.com/blog/2010/05/willow-tree-farm-kickboard-replacement/feed/ 0 http://equestriansurfaces.com/blog/2010/03/heading-to-long-island/ http://equestriansurfaces.com/blog/2010/03/heading-to-long-island/#comments Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:32:20 +0000 Nick http://equestriansurfaces.com/blog/?p=195 The winter weather seems to have broken and we are ready to get back to what we do best … footing.

We first met the folks from Willow Tree Farm  in Riverhead, NY, at Dressage at Devon and were able to visit the farm in October. Fast forward through a harsh winter, and we now are ready to install GGT Footing  in their outdoor arena. 

GGT Footing is what is being used in several competition arenas in Wellington, FL, and at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY. It comes from a German geotextile footing supplier  and is  a polyester fiber mixture has been used for more than 10 years as footing for multiple riding disciplines.  When blended with sand, GGT endures the test of time, resists packing, provides optimal drainage and minimizes joint and tendon stress on the equine athlete.

We arrive later this week to start the project. Before the footing, we will install new drainage and containment boards and laser grade the base. Keep checking back as we update our progress and have pictures of the finished arena. Here is a “before” picture:

Want the same footing the competitors are using at the 2010 Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL?

Would you like this premium footing mixture already blended with the sand and ready for installation?

You can have this competition-ready surface for as low as $92 a ton.*  Attwood Equestrian Surfaces is offering this special pricing on GGT Footing in time for a spring installation!

GGT Footing is a polyester fiber mixture has been used for more than 10 years as footing for multiple riding disciplines.  When blended with sand, GGT endures the test of time, resists packing, provides optimal drainage and minimizes joint and tendon stress on the equine athlete.

 The benefits of GGT Footing include:

• Reduced Dust
• High Water Resistance
• Optimal Impact Resistance
• Higher slide strength and additional stability
• Prevents Packing
• Extended Lifetime of your Arena Surface (up to 10 years)

Attwood Equestrian Surfaces is proud to announce its partnership with GGT Footing, a German geotextile footing supplier.  We have been building quality riding arenas for more than 18 years. Our mission is to provide meticulously engineered surfaces that benefit the horse and rider.

Call our office at 888.461.7788 for more information.

 *This is the FOB price; does not include freight or installation. Prices vary by arena size.

We know the devil is in the detail. And with building arenas or planning a barn, planning is key.  This continuing series on Farm Design in The Chronicle of the Horse  which ended last week gives a through look at all aspects of the subject. 

It is all about setting a Master Plan. For the arena, there can be issues with site selection, drainage, arena size and budgetary considerations. And this is only a portion of task at hand. Gathering as much information as possible and consulting with true equine specialists can make the overwhelming seem “doable.”

There are a few other magazines that have been spot on with this planning theme. Here are links to those as well:

The July 2008 issue of Dressage Today featuring an overview of footing.

The California Riding Magazine focused on the science behind our products.

Stable Management, a magazine for the horse professionals, also tackled this topic in its July 2008 issue.

The United States Dressage Federation has published a wonderful “how-to” booklet on arena construction and footing. Underfoot: USDF Guide to Dressage Arena Construction, Maintenance and Repair which is available on their website.

The best advice is to wait for the snow to melt down to about 2 inches and then lightly harrow the surface, taking care not to break into the base.

]]> http://equestriansurfaces.com/blog/2010/02/removing-snow-from-your-arena/feed/ 0 http://equestriansurfaces.com/blog/2010/02/congrats-to-pony-lane-farm/ http://equestriansurfaces.com/blog/2010/02/congrats-to-pony-lane-farm/#comments Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:26:36 +0000 Christine http://equestriansurfaces.com/blog/?p=136

Congratulations to Maura Thatcher, our client from South Jordan, UT, on a successful 2009 season. The Pony Lane Farm crew took more than 7 notable awards, ranging from USEF horse of the year breed honors to competition jumping prizes.

♦  Francesca, a 9-year-old Hanoverian mare, was United States Equestrian Federation ( USEF)  Horse of the Year for Regular Confirmation as well as Grand Confirmation Champion,  ridden by Maggie Jayne;

♦  Gianni a, a 13-year-old Polish Warmblood gelding, was United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Horse of the Year for Junior Hunter large 16 through 17 as well as Grand Junior Hunter for 2009, ridden by Kelsey Thatcher;

♦  Early Applause, a 9 year-old Warmblood gelding, was United States  Equestrian Federation (USEF) Green Confirmation Champion; ridden by Maggie Jayne;

♦  Capone, an 11-year-old Warmblood gelding,  was United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Reserve Champion Junior Hunter 15 yrs under, ridden by Maddy Thatcher;  and

♦  Mirasol, a 9-year-old Warmblood gelding, was United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Reserve Champion Junior Hunter 16 through 17, ridden by Kelsey Thatcher.

In the jumping ring, Kelsey won two Grand Prizes this summer on Carlotta:  $50,000 at the Spring Spectacular Show in Chicago and $25,000,at the Ledges Spring Classic in Chicago.  (Pictured above / Photo © Jennifer Wood/PMG.)

Kelsey also represented Zone 8 at the North American Young Riders Championship in Kentucky, placing Third in the First Class. 

 Maddy Thatcher was a member of the Zone 8 Gold Medal Pony Jumper Team on her pony  Bally Mac.

Congratulations to the Thatcher Family and best of  luck in 2010!

We just completed another successful installation of the GGT footing additive for a 43,000-square foot arena at Watchung Stables in Mountainside, NJ.  This stable complex is part of the Watchung Reservation, a 2,000-acre forest preserve about 15 miles from Newark Airport.

We were approached by an engineering company because of work we had done for them on another arena in New Jersey. The arena at Watchung had drainage issues and really needed rehabilitation. We were able to work with them on a solution and eventually install the footing.  And in spite of the winter weather, the footing is ready to ride!

Owned and operated by the County of Union since 1933, Watchung Stables provides people with the opportunity to learn how to ride, to enhance their equestrian skills or just to enjoy the natural beauty of the 26 miles of bridle paths that weave through the Reservation.

Part II of Our Continuing Series on Basic Arena Building

Before you move on to the base or footing, it is important to plan for drainage and containment. Basically, think of your arena like a big sandbox.

For an arena that is less than 100 feet wide, we recommend beginning at the longer, lower side and excavating a 2×2 foot trench. Centered along the length of the trench and continuing around the perimeter of the rest of the arena, 4×4 fence posts should be cemented 2 feet deep. These posts should be 12 inches above the top of the dirt, unless you have plans for a three-rail fence. If so, those posts should be higher to accommodate the fence rails. To ensure a longer life span, we recommend using pressure-treated or synthetic plastic lumber.

The plan is to get the water moving across the grade of this arena. As it hits the drainage underneath the kickboard on this lower end, it will exit the arena through the drainage pipe that is laid in the trench. Here are the steps for this process: First, cover the entire arena and the trench with a non-woven 3-1/2 oz. Geotextile fabric.

Lay the fabric on the low side first and overlap the fabric by at least 18 inches. You should then attach your containment boards to the bottom of the fence posts. These should be 2×12 pressure-treated or synthetic plastic lumber boards. For drainage, place a 4-inch perforated pipe in the trench and plumb it so it can move the water to lower ground.

You will then be ready for the next step … the base, which will be highlighted with our next newsletter.

“GGT-Footing is the perfect complement to our existing product line,” said company president Nick Attwood.  “We have been providing top-of-line line dust-free arenas for 18 years, and we are proud to offer these sandblend surfaces as another option for the discriminating equestrian.”

GGT-Footing has been used worldwide in Championship Arenas since 1992. Its GGT-Footing Dressage and GGT-Jumping are a custom mix of GGT-Footing Geo with GGT Footing Fiber. 

“Attwood Equestrian Surfaces is meticulous in the selection of materials to use with their name and reputation,” noted Cynthia Brewster-Keating of GGT. “We are happy to announce this partnership.”

The GGT-Footing reduces dust, gives optimal impact resistance, provides higher slide strength and additional stability and prevents Packing.  Its clients include the World Equestrian Games 2010 Kentucky, outdoor arenas at the Spanish Lipizzaner Riding School in Vienna, the  Asia Games in Kuala Lumpur, the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen and the 2010 Winter Equestrian Festival  (in the Rost arena and Mische Hunter ring).

Attwood Equestrian Surfaces has been building quality riding arenas for more than 18 years. As innovators the original dust-free footing in the United States, our mission is to provide meticulously engineered surfaces that benefit the horse and rider. We’ve installed our footing in 40 states, covering an estimated 2 million square feet of arenas! Hundreds of customers know that their horses are healthier and better performing because they train daily on a superior surface

To learn more about GGT-Footing, please contact Attwood Equestrian Surfaces at 888.461.7788 or at info@equestriansurfaces.com.