By: Robert Malmgren
Alpine Publications, Inc. 2010

ISBN-10: 1577790979

ISBN-13: 978-1577790976

An absolute must-read for anyone who plans on riding regularly. While many people agonize over what type of rail to use for their indoor or outdoor arenas, few realize that the 'footing' that horses are exposed to is actually the most important factor to consider.  'Footing', which refers to the total profile of the surface that the horse impacts, not just the top-layer, has major short- and long-term impact on a horses overall athelitic ability and useful  lifespan. Many people, including people who should know better, think that the 'footing' refers to only the top-layer or top surface that a horse makes contact with.  In fact, a thorough understanding of riding surfaces, as well as familiarity with the meaning of terms like 'base' and 'sub-base' will inform even the most casual rider of the importance of this topic.  Even if you will never build your own arena, spare yourself the pain of having your leased/boarded horse continually coming up sore or lame, or your favorite lesson horse being repeatedlyunavailable for your rides. Some useful hints to help the novice evaluate self-proclaimed 'good footing' arenas: *Are all or most the horses in the barn standing in stalls with wrapped legs? An occassional wrapped leg is not a bad thing; the majority of the horses in a barn with two or more legs wrapped all the time is a red flag. *Is there a prolific need for and use of 'alternative' therapies that are typically used to address undiagnoseable, chronic or recurring soreness, stiffness, pain, lameness issues? A random horse in a magnetic blanket or magntic leg wraps, an occasional chiropractic or massage customer, a single wave or vibration therapy patient might just be the result of a horse who came in with a pre-existing condition, or a random injury.  When every horse in the barn is on a constant regimen of anti-soreness therapies however, there usually is a common factor, i.e. training/riding techniques and/or environment.  Think about it: if every horse in a barn has a respiratory illness, there's usually a managment issue to address.  Why would it be different with soundness issues? Again, read this book, and read it for understanding.  A much under-rated subject, you will save yourself a lot of heartache and money. Another key point in the book:if an arena footing is properly installed, maintenance, while important, is manageable.  If there's need in your facility of choice for hours of daily grooming, even in a fast-paced, busy barn, that's yet another red-flag.  In addition to potential soundness issues, the cost of such maintenance is typically transferrd to customers.