What type of sand is recommended for arenas, and works best with GGT Footing?
An article on Footing and Shoeing is offered as background information. The article puts forth the argument that “sand is the most commonly used footing due to its availability and cost effectiveness. The relevant considerations are size, shape and hardness. Particle size affects dustiness, compaction, and water retention. Ideally, arena sand should be predominantly medium coarse (0.25-0.5 mm) and coarse grains (0.5-1.0 mm). Sand with a lot of fine particles is dusty when dry and compacts when wet. Hard sand is more durable, whereas soft sand tends to break down and turn to dust after relatively little use.” Coarse and medium coarse sands do not break down as fast as fine sand, and compacts easier as well as producing more dust. We recommend a fine grain type of sand that has better impact and shear resistance than this more coarse sand. But, fine sand breaks down faster than coarser sand. If GGT-Footing is used with finer sand, all the problems the article mentions (compaction, break
