# Hog fuel arena footing



## alexischristina (Jun 30, 2009)

Okay folks. So I have an arena but it's tiny and hasn't been well maintained, it's open onto the pasture so sees a lot of traffic and is lower on the property so water pools. It's river sand and the sand is DEEP in some places, it's mucky to get to and generally a disaster. We have an area near the barn that is raised, VERY well drained and a harder ground (the ground the current arena is on is prone to sinking, it's too soft). The problem we have is that we need something cheap, we WILL NOT invest a lot of money into this property because we don't need something that will last, sister is half way through her grade 10 year and as soon as she graduates we're moving SO I'm thinking hog fuel, but I'd like some thoughts / experiences before I bring it up. 

The arena will be used by two horses a couple times a week, so not a tonne of traffic. It has to last for ~2 years, and if the footing is cheap I'm not opposed to scraping and adding a year from now. There are a couple riding clubs in the area that do hog fuel with way way more traffic than ours would get, but I don't know how often they have to change it over.

SO. Thoughts, anybody? Bearing in mind that it doesn't have to last years and will have a lower traffic flow.


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## Shropshirerosie (Jan 24, 2012)

What is hog fuel?


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Hog fuel is a wood product of the forest industry, consisting of bark and wood chips,
having various applications. Since hog fuel is light weight and durable, the material has
applications for use as a cost-effective, light weight fill material for the construction of
road embankment foundations. Depending on the source of the material, tree species
and the environment the material is used in, hog fuel can be a valuable and cost
effective product. The use of cedar as a source of hog fuel is to be avoided. Hog fuel
has the potential to produce a leachate which may require consideration of
environmental impacts. 
I've used pine chips which was good the first year but they break down and weren't of much help the second year. Whether using chips or hog fuel the horses will push it down into the muck and it becomes part of the muck.​


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## alexischristina (Jun 30, 2009)

A note on the space... Where the new arena is going was once a gravel parking lot, raised and well drained. Rarely puddles, sloped to drain etc.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Hog fuel will work and if you put enough of it in, should last you 2 years. I've been at barns where they used it and they didn't have to redo it every year, more like 3 or 4.


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## alexischristina (Jun 30, 2009)

What about the TYPE of hog fuel used? I've read that cedar is no food, what about ***** / fir? And then what is best, fine, medium or course?


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

alexi, hog fuel is used to run the paper mills. It's no good for papermaking so it generates steam to drive the place. If you can get it I don't imagine cedar will be an issue as only pine and spruce are cut for paper making. In the papermaking process the trees go thro the barker drums which strip off the bark and some of the wood.


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## alexischristina (Jun 30, 2009)

Well my options here so far are cedar, fir and birch :wink: I'm looking at product that is supplied specifically for agricultural purposes. I know what the process is, but does anybody have experience with it as an arena footing that can offer some insight?


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

I have no idea what type of wood the hog fuel was that was used at the training barn. Sorry. I'd think anything that is not toxic, ie walnut, would be ok.


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