Building your dream horse arena starts from the ground up, and the foundation you create today determines whether you’ll enjoy decades of safe, consistent riding or face costly repairs and dangerous footing conditions. For horse owners and small boarding facilities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, understanding proper arena base preparation can mean the difference between a professional-quality riding surface and a maintenance nightmare.
Why Your Arena Base Matters More Than You Think
Every time your horse’s hooves strike the ground, they generate tremendous force that travels through your arena footing and into the base below. An arena is only as good as and will only last as long as its base, which explains why so many arenas develop deep spots, shallow areas, and drainage problems within just a few years of construction.
Traditional arena bases require extensive excavation, tons of aggregate material, and complex drainage systems that can push construction costs through the roof. However, innovative geocell technology like BaseCore HD has revolutionized arena construction by providing superior stability while reducing material costs and installation time.
Understanding BaseCore HD: The Premium Geocell Solution for Equestrian Facilities
BaseCore HD represents the pinnacle of geocell technology specifically designed for equestrian use. Unlike standard geocells with larger cell openings that can trap horse hooves, BaseCore HD’s innovative design features smaller cells, thicker construction, and built-in drainage, making it the safest choice for horse arenas and round pens.
The 3-inch BaseCore HD panels feature the smallest cells in the market at just 7.2″ x 6.0″, compared to competitors’ cells that measure 12.5″ x 10.6″. This tighter cell structure, combined with thicker virgin plastic construction (not recycled materials), creates an incredibly strong foundation that provides you with the same strength as 12″ of gravel would without a cellular confinement system.
What truly sets BaseCore HD apart is its engineered perforations that allow water to move freely through the system. These strategic holes eliminate the need for expensive French drain installations while ensuring your arena drains quickly after rain, allowing you to ride sooner than with traditional base construction methods.
Step-by-Step Arena Base Preparation with BaseCore HD
Site Evaluation and Initial Grading
Before any materials arrive on site, proper ground preparation begins with evaluating your chosen arena location. Look for an area with natural drainage away from buildings and paddocks, ideally with some sun exposure to help dry the surface after rain. To develop an effective sub-base, we will need to excavate at least six inches of soil, leaving the area where you will put your arena several inches below the rest of the ground.
The native soil should be compacted thoroughly using a vibrating plate compactor or roller. For optimal drainage, create either a slight crown in the center (1-2% grade) or angle the entire arena surface to promote water runoff. Some locations with particularly poor drainage may benefit from adding a 4-inch layer of drainage rock over the compacted native soil before proceeding with the BaseCore installation.
Installing Commercial-Grade Geotextile Fabric
Once your subgrade is properly compacted and graded, the next crucial step involves laying commercial-grade 6oz non-woven geotextile fabric across the entire arena footprint. If you install geotextile fabric below our BaseCore geocells, they prevent the foundation from sinking into the subgrade, ensuring your arena base maintains its integrity for decades.
Performance Footing offers geotextile fabric in convenient 12.5×360 feet rolls priced at $899, providing excellent coverage for most arena projects. This fabric serves multiple purposes: preventing weed growth, separating base materials from native soil, and enhancing overall drainage efficiency throughout the system.
BaseCore HD Panel Installation
Installing BaseCore HD panels requires no specialized equipment or professional crews. Our BaseCore™ grids have quick installation that doesn’t require specialists or heavy equipment. You can put in a stable DIY base for your farm, arena, and more in a single day, depending on the project size.
The 3-inch BaseCore HD panels come in two convenient sizes. The standard 9×24 feet panels are priced at $135 each, while the heavy-duty 10×12 feet panels cost $149 each. These panels arrive in a collapsed state and expand accordion-style during installation. Simply stretch each panel to its full dimensions and secure adjacent panels together using the provided connection clips.
For a standard 60×120 foot arena, you’ll need approximately 30 panels of the 9×24 feet size, representing an investment of $4,050 for the geocell layer. This might seem substantial initially, but remember that BaseCore HD can reduce aggregate requirements by up to 50%, generating significant savings on material and labor costs.
Filling and Compacting the Geocell
With your BaseCore HD panels connected and positioned, it’s time to add the aggregate fill material. The beauty of this system lies in its efficiency – you only need 4 inches of 3/8″ minus crushed rock to fill and cap the BaseCore cells. This dramatic reduction in material requirements compared to traditional 6-12 inch base layers translates directly into cost savings and easier installation.
Start filling from one corner, using a skid steer or wheelbarrow to distribute the aggregate evenly across the geocell surface. The small cells of BaseCore HD trap and confine the aggregate, preventing lateral movement and creating a unified, stable base layer. Once filled, use a vibrating plate compactor to settle the material, ensuring complete compaction both within and above the cells.
Adding Your Arena Footing
With your BaseCore HD base complete, you’re ready to add your chosen arena footing material. Whether you prefer traditional sand, a manufactured textile blend, or an advanced product like Performance Footing’s Arena Green, your BaseCore foundation provides the stable, well-draining platform necessary for optimal performance.
The permanent nature of BaseCore HD base construction offers another significant advantage: when it comes time to redo your footing just scrape off the footing and add new, no need to redo your base again. This feature alone can save thousands of dollars over the life of your arena.
Long-Term Benefits and Cost Analysis
Immediate Performance Advantages
From the moment you complete your BaseCore HD installation, the benefits become apparent. The engineered drainage system eliminates standing water and muddy conditions that plague traditional arena bases. Geocells create additional strength, prevent ground sinkage, and promote drainage, ensuring consistent footing conditions regardless of weather.
The cellular confinement system prevents the formation of deep or shallow spots that commonly develop in traditional bases. By locking aggregate material in place and distributing loads evenly across the entire surface, BaseCore HD maintains the precise grade you establish during installation, eliminating the need for frequent base repairs or releveling.
Economic Considerations
While the initial investment in BaseCore HD and geotextile fabric might exceed the cost of basic aggregate alone, the long-term savings are substantial. Traditional arena bases often require complete reconstruction every 10-15 years due to material migration, drainage failures, and surface irregularities. In contrast, With a UV, chemical, weather, and corrosion-resistant BaseCore™ base, you can support a project for over 75 years.
Consider the total cost comparison for a 60×120 foot arena: BaseCore HD panels ($4,050), geotextile fabric ($899), plus reduced aggregate needs create a premium base system for under $8,000 in materials. Compare this to traditional methods requiring 6-12 inches of aggregate base material, French drain installation, and inevitable reconstruction costs, and the economic advantage becomes clear.
Maintenance and Longevity
Perhaps the most compelling argument for BaseCore HD lies in its minimal maintenance requirements. The best part about our durable geocell panels is they remove the need for a sub-base altogether. You won’t need to worry about a stone layer or installing a complicated drainage system whatsoever.
Regular arena maintenance involves only the surface footing layer. Simply drag or groom your footing material as usual, confident that the BaseCore HD foundation beneath remains stable and functional. No more spring base repairs, no more fighting drainage problems, and no more dangerous soft spots developing over time.
Making the Investment in Your Equestrian Facility
For horse owners and boarding facilities committed to providing safe, consistent riding surfaces, BaseCore HD geocell technology represents a paradigm shift in arena construction. By addressing the fundamental challenges of drainage, stability, and longevity, this innovative system transforms arena base preparation from a recurring expense into a one-time investment.
The combination of BaseCore HD’s smallest-in-market cell size, virgin plastic construction, and engineered drainage perforations creates an arena base that performs in all weather conditions while protecting your horses from injury. When you factor in the reduced excavation requirements, eliminated French drain costs, and decades of maintenance-free performance, BaseCore HD emerges as the clear choice for serious equestrian facilities.
Whether you’re building your first arena or upgrading an existing facility, proper base preparation with BaseCore HD geocell ensures decades of safe, enjoyable riding. Contact Performance Footing today at 877-835-0878 to discuss your arena project and discover how BaseCore HD can transform your equestrian facility into a professional-quality training environment that stands the test of time.