Equestrian arenas are often built without correct stormwater drainage, meaning they offer little mud control for horses and riders and are prone to wet, muddy conditions. Spruce Meadows is a top tier equestrian center in Calgary, Alberta, that was looking to add a clean, safe, free-draining outdoor riding arena footing.
PREPARATION and installation OfSpruce Meadows Riding Arena Footing
Preparation
The riding arena footing at Spruce Meadows Equestrian Centre was prepared by grading the ground with a slight crown, promoting ground stabilization by using a few inches of clear gravel.
Installation
The sub-base was prepared with minimal excavation and gravel fill required. Ecoraster’s permeable paver grid was installed with sand as an infill to create a barrier between the paver base and the horse footing. This created a safer and cleaner riding environment, with minimal horse arena sand depth required.
AFTER
Ecoraster permeable pavement immediately provided the proper drainage for the horse arena to allow the absorption of water into the ground. The correct drainage that Ecoraster provided eliminated puddles, promoted mud control for horses, and extended the riding season into a traditionally wetter time of year. In fact, after two weeks of consistent rain, this outdoor riding arena was the only ridable space in the equestrian facility. The interlocking and elastic nature of our pervious paver grid system proved to be the best surface for horse yards – a comfortable and much safer outdoor riding arena footing for both the horses and riders. Ecoraster’s paver grid system has demonstrated additional benefits, including lowered stress and pain on equine joints.
