What kind of footing is best used for jumping? I have an outdoor area and right not is like patchy grass, I’m looking for what kind of footing you have liked best. I don’t want anything crazy expensive and I also would like to know how deep the footing needs to be, and how well it handles wet and if it freezes easily. Thank you!
Ihavetoomamyquestions
Footing
I think you also will need to provide more details on WHAT LEVEL of jumping you are referring to.
There is a big difference if you are going over ground poles, versus jumping 1.5 meters.
And small tip --> good footing is not cheap. Really no other way around it. Can you "get by" on less? Sure, but again, it would be really helpful to know what you mean when you say "jumping".
There is a big difference if you are going over ground poles, versus jumping 1.5 meters.
And small tip --> good footing is not cheap. Really no other way around it. Can you "get by" on less? Sure, but again, it would be really helpful to know what you mean when you say "jumping".
I jump off yellow river sand, BUT it doesn't get properly cold here (never snows, frost is rare) so I can't speak to its suitability in icy conditions. Be aware that literally anything will freeze if it's wet. Jumping outdoors is, as a blanket rule, unsafe in winter in places where the ground freezes.
The sand gets waterlogged if there's been days and days of heavy rain.
My favourite jumping surface is well-kept grass, but it's a lot of maintenance: watering, mowing, weeding, moving the jumps often so that the dirt doesn't get excessively compacted in any one area, aerating yearly (or more if the arena is in heavy use) for the same reason... it's like having a big lawn, but worse. Few places keep grass arenas in use for anything but competitions for this reason. But grass is nice and springy, and while it CAN be slippery in the wet, it's nowhere near as bad as mud.
Fancy arena footing has an unfortunate tendency to blow away if used outdoors, but whatever is in the indoor arena at Yalambi (the biggest showjumping farm near me) is absolutely lovely too. Nice and cushiony, not bad to fall on, tastes slightly better than dirt. Ask me how I know 😂 😅 & the horses jump really well off it too, but I guarantee you it cost an arm and a leg, and probably a few kidneys too. Their horses jump the 1.50s and up, mine aren't quite to that standard (yet?) :P
Good footing for jumping cushions impacts but isn't excessively deep, doesn't go excessively slippery or heavy when it rains, is easy to walk on, doesn't get all compacted when used, and acts as a good, stable surface for the jumps to sit on. That's a lot of demands for a material suitable for outdoor use, that won't blow away with the first puff of wind.
But I've been jumping off well-grazed paddocks for 25 years and as long as you're not jumping the huge stuff, and not jumping on ice (which is never safe), it works fine for lower to mid level work.
The sand gets waterlogged if there's been days and days of heavy rain.
My favourite jumping surface is well-kept grass, but it's a lot of maintenance: watering, mowing, weeding, moving the jumps often so that the dirt doesn't get excessively compacted in any one area, aerating yearly (or more if the arena is in heavy use) for the same reason... it's like having a big lawn, but worse. Few places keep grass arenas in use for anything but competitions for this reason. But grass is nice and springy, and while it CAN be slippery in the wet, it's nowhere near as bad as mud.
Fancy arena footing has an unfortunate tendency to blow away if used outdoors, but whatever is in the indoor arena at Yalambi (the biggest showjumping farm near me) is absolutely lovely too. Nice and cushiony, not bad to fall on, tastes slightly better than dirt. Ask me how I know 😂 😅 & the horses jump really well off it too, but I guarantee you it cost an arm and a leg, and probably a few kidneys too. Their horses jump the 1.50s and up, mine aren't quite to that standard (yet?) :P
Good footing for jumping cushions impacts but isn't excessively deep, doesn't go excessively slippery or heavy when it rains, is easy to walk on, doesn't get all compacted when used, and acts as a good, stable surface for the jumps to sit on. That's a lot of demands for a material suitable for outdoor use, that won't blow away with the first puff of wind.
But I've been jumping off well-grazed paddocks for 25 years and as long as you're not jumping the huge stuff, and not jumping on ice (which is never safe), it works fine for lower to mid level work.
Id look at Performance Footing's options like Levitare for example. A jumper friend of mine also bought their Noviun fiber and mixed it with the Levitare. I thought that turned out great. I had rubber mulch before and it was a pain. It crumbled, got slick in the rain monsoons, then I couldnt get rid of it when I wanted to remove it as no place will take it. Im going to personally get one of their options but still evaluating between mixing a couple or just getting the Levitare
hmm I guess it depends on discipline also... and what you are able to find from your local quarry though I had to get samples because they told me it was sub-angular but then when i looked at it is was a lot of round particles. As you can imagine they roll underfoot. Sub angular allows compaction. But you get too many of the same size subangular pieces it gets too compact so it needs to be a blend. Thus my solution is fine the best sand you can but then know youll have to add to it, like I did with Levitare. The perfect sand for each person or each discipline at every area of the country is like a unicorn
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