SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/69161
FieldScience | ByMary Helen Sprecher NO HORSING AROUND Equestrian facilities are not easy to maintain were the open range or possibly the paddock outside the sta- bles. There wasn't a lot of con- sideration given to the surface being ridden on, and as long as stalls were mucked out, there wasn't a great science to what went under the horses' hooves once they were inside a barn. But just as sports surfaces B ACK IN THE STORIED DAYS of the Wild West, eques- trian facilities have changed for human ath- letes, they've changed for horses as well. Now, what goes underfoot is at the top of an owner's mind and at the head of the list of a trainer's con- cerns. Equine veterinarians 8 SportsTurf | June 2012 dedicate years of study to ways of keeping horses' hooves in good shape, and farriers have chipped in with their insights as well. Footing, as the per- formance surface is called in equestrian circles, has become a science as well as an industry. And the facilities in which horses perform have evolved as well. So for those who are work- ing with equestrian facilities, much needs to be considered. And it all starts from the ground up, according to the pros. ON THE SURFACE "One of the biggest chal- lenges with getting good eques- trian footing is making sure you have the right surface for the discipline that the rider and horse are doing, such as jump- ing, dressage, reining and sim- ply pleasure riding," says Lori Douglass of Thor Turf Eques- trian Surfaces in Sandusky, OH. According to Douglass, each discipline has its own needs. "Jumpers like the footing to be more compacted but still have the ability to grab the surface on takeoff and landing. They also require some cushion for the protection of the horse's joints. Dressage riders like their surface to be somewhat com- pacted but the surface needs to have cushion and a little spring to it. Reining horses need the surface to be a little deeper and looser so the horse has the abil- ity to slide and spin. English Equitation riders with high- stepping horses also like the surface a little more com- pacted; this creates more of a level surface which is good for balance. It is very hard to please all disciplines in one ring with one type of surface." Many recreational horse shows are still held outside on grass, while others take place at fairgrounds, either inside or outside. Over the years, the lat- ter events had taken place on sand, dirt, wood chips and a "One of the biggest challenges with getting good equestrian footing is making sure you have the right surface for the discipline that the rider and horse are doing, such as jumping, dressage, reining and simply pleasure riding," says Lori Douglass of Thor Turf Equestrian Surfaces in Sandusky, OH. www.sportsturfonline.com