Q: How important is arena footing to the health and longevity of a sport horse, and what do you look for in good footing?
A: Footing and hoof care are essential to the longevity of the sport horse. The interaction of the footing and the mechanics of the shoe can either add or relieve stress to the tissues of the lower leg.
A surface that is "sticky" or "grabs" the foot as it strikes the ground tends to sharply load the soft tissues and potentiate the possibilities of injury if they are not conditioned properly. A surface that is too "loose" will not support the foot and leg structures during propulsion and/or give way on leg loading to cause abnormal force curves that could lead to injury.