# Best Sand For Outdoor Arena



## lily70543 (May 24, 2015)

I am making a outdoor arena, it is located where a lot of water will go to, especially in winter. 

However, my horse needs a softer surface to work on because he cannot work well on harder surfaces (he is getting old) 

I will be using it to Jump and do Dressage. 

It can be windy here, I don't want the sand to blow away.


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## greenhaven (Jun 7, 2014)

This is an astute question, since not all sands are created equal. I cannot answer technically, but I can say that the best sand for arena footing creates a balance of give and pack. Each hrain of sand,depending on its type, has a different "edge" ranging from really round to really angular and sharp. Too round and it is difficult to gain good traction. Too angular and the sand will pack down too much into a hard surface.

There are also additives for arena sand that help reduce dust by holding moisture in the footing.

With these things in mind, if you do not get a satisfactory answer here a Google search is likely to help you out.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Talk to the people involved in sand and gravel. My round pen has what's considered coarse sand. It doesn't hold the water and permits the wet clay beneath it to dry as it seems to draw the moisture upward. In the larger arena, the contractor brought in what's commonly called blow sand, very fine which packs when wet and blows around when dry. The coarse sand works much better.


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