>>>> Your arena is really beautiful. I think I like the grass better than my >>>> tilled & >>>> harrowed dirt. You probably don't struggle with dust.
Thanks, but it's what it is for practicality, no other reason. This is the most practical surface for us, although I'm sure it wouldn't be for everyone. Here in the south, sandy arenas or harrowed dirt reflect the summer sun miserably, and grass is much more pleasant to ride on year round. And if you get the sand too deep, it's hard on the horse's joints...if it's not deep enough, the surface may be too hard. And, we'd have to keep adding sand as it worked into the dirt or blew away. The grass roots seem to keep the dirt from compacting so hard, plus the grass itself provides a little cushioning for the horses. The grass wouldn't hold up well for an arena for a boarding stable, but with us just using it a few times a week, it's ideal for us. And since it's not used as an arena daily, it's a great part-time paddock too. It's probably part of the reasons that Thunder looks so improved. It's adjacent to his pasture, so instead of taking him back to the barn to give him his senior feed, we feed him from a bucket hung from the fence and we leave him in there alone for as long as he needs to finish his dinner. Then he stays on that better quality grass for a few hours, sometimes overnight. The older horses can often digest grass better than hay. I'm REALLY glad now that we didn't spend the thousands to scrape the grass off and haul in many, many loads of sand. It turned out that the cheap way out was the best way for us. Karen Thomas, NC
