Are you having problems fighting with a horse arena that constantly produces dust? While the issue frustrates you in the present, a dusty outdoor or indoor arena can also have long-term consequences, such as causing your horse lung damage and severe respiratory problems.
Solutions and Products to Deal with a Dusty Arena
Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to completely eradicate dust from an equine arena. With sand being one of the main components of footing, some dust is inevitable. This is particularly true for outdoor arenas in drier areas, where dust is prevalent in all outdoor areas. While you won’t be able to completely prevent dust, you can take steps to reduce it.
There are affordable horse arena dust control methods on the equestrian market that can help your weary struggle. You can implement a variety of solutions like these to prevent a dusty riding arena that promotes your horse’s health and performance.
More Water
One of the most common solutions to a dusty arena is to increase the amount of water you use. However, some may try ineffective ground moisturizing methods such as watering with a hose that often drowns or dries up specific areas.
We recommend installing a professional sprinkler system so you can ensure the entire indoor/outdoor arena surface will be equally watered and get a good rinse. Also, the irrigation lines can cut off the water at a certain point to prevent overwatering sections, which otherwise would cause sloppy slick footing for horses and riders, preventing the horses from getting the grip that they need.
Salts
In addition to simply putting more water on your footing, you can add salts that suppress dust. Calcium chloride and magnesium chloride are the two most common additive salts. Equestrians most often sprinkle calcium chloride and magnesium chloride salt additives throughout their arena so they can absorb moisture present. These additions along with air humidity do an excellent job preventing dust in your indoor or outdoor training facility.
Many horse owners have found both elements to be excellent agents for fighting dusty arenas. However, while both of these can work to combat dust, they have negative side effects. Our team cautions you with your salt usage since many horse experts like Equisearch have discovered health risks using them, such as horse hooves drying out.
Synthetic and Other Additives
Some people choose to have synthetic footing as a way to combat dust and to maintain control of composition, such as FoamFooting. However, adding synthetic materials to arena footing is another popular method. There are plenty of horse arena dust control products on the market.
For instance, some arena owners use wood additives. Wood tends to break down fast creating even more dust and can be slippery when wet.
Dust Halt is an environmentally friendly additive that pairs with your horse rubber and sand footings to create a dust-free riding space. The product uses a flocculation polymer to charge individual dust particles with a negative pole, attracting them to the footing materials.
When they absorb water, the two bind together, and they stop dust in your arena from being kicked up. Dust Halt retains moisture better than salt additives and sprinkler systems, and you can buy it to fit your square foot needs.
Other Dust Control Solutions
FoamFooting can also help you decrease the dust levels in your arena. The additive decreases the need to water your arena and has significant benefits:
- Decreases dust levels
- Environmentally friendly
- Softens the impact on your horse
- Improves cushioning
- Decreases frequency of injuries
No matter what dust suppression method you utilize, we advise you to choose a product that protects horse health and promotes overall performance. It must be a practical, effective method that you can rely on so your horse can thrive in its arena environment.
If you are looking to decrease the amount of dust in your arena and improve the overall quality of your arena, schedule a consultation with us. We would be glad to answer any questions you have about Dust Halt and how it compares to other riding arena dust control methods.
