"The next thing I look for is the grade and the drainage of the arena. If someone tells me that when they get an inch of rain it takes three days before they can ride again, then there's a problem in the percolation of the footing. Proper drainage is another key factor. To ride on a saturated arena is only asking for injuries to the horse. The basic rule of thumb is that if you get an inch of rain you should be able to ride within 24 hours."
But for many ropers, that inch of rain is uncommon. Dry, dusty arenas are more common in much of the Western United States.
"Moisture is a key element to good quality footing. I recommend between five and eight percent moisture content in your arena. It's really hard to figure out what that is so here is a simple test: Take a handful of your footing and squeeze it together. Slowly release your fingers and if the material stays together than you're on the right track. You see, moisture is part of that stability issue that I talked about earlier. When your footing gets dry it gets slick and your horse's legs can easily go out from underneath him. It also adds the much-needed cushion. There is no magic to getting around water. You have to have it."
Kiser recommends a water wagon for getting the moisture evenly across your arena. Trucks often damage the arena and have lots of maintenance, and sprinkling systems overlap and create puddles. He's even invented a product that waters your arena while dragging it.
There are more maintenance practices arena owners should be aware of in order to create the best arena possible.
"The biggest problem among arena owners is that they don't drag often enough and they don't have the proper equipment to adequately prepare good footing," said Kiser.
Smoothing over hoof prints just isn't enough. Kiser states that horses find their comfort two to four inches deep. He recommends working the arena in different directions, making circles and figure eights instead of simply driving up and down the length of the arena.
"My final tip is this," said Kiser. "If your arena is in bad shape, do something about it. Clinton Anderson and I were talking last spring and he said, 'So many people spend tens of thousands of dollars on trucks and trailers and yet neglect their arenas and the safety and performance of their horses.' Don't let your horses suffer with soundness problems. Do what it takes to make your footing right."
