# Footing for a Round Pen



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

It was my experience that the shavings lasted only a couple of years as they break down and become part of the soil below. Sand lasts much longer but you need to keep the weeds under control.


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## jenkat86 (May 20, 2014)

I wouldn't go with shavings either. You will get a lot more "life" out of sand, and it is overall better footing IMO.


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## SummerShy (Aug 3, 2014)

We don't put footing in our round pen. We mow it down when it gets long but in general it stays as dirt unless there's heavy rain. Then we use a loose horse or two to level it back out before any horse work is done in it again.


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

You could use bark strips, like a coarse mulch. It would last longer and not blow away in the breeze. In some areas you can get a small gravel that works well, too. I don't know what it is called, though, sorry.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Mulch & sand works great. Since you have access to shavings, mix it with some sand, makes for a decent footing, my arena is done with that. Hubby has a portable sawmill, so we would put the shavings, or rather sawdust on the bottom, then add sand to the top. After 10 years, it's still good, can't see the sawdust but the base it still "springy", we do add a dump trunk of sand to it every few years.


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