enfuse

Every equestrian knows the feeling. It’s the moment a horse steps onto a great riding surface and moves with confidence—a perfect balance of support, cushion, and stability underfoot. That ideal horse arena footing isn’t an accident; it’s the result of a carefully engineered system built with specific, high-quality horse arena materials. For champions across Southern California, that foundation starts right here at FST Sand & Gravel.

As the region’s leading supplier of aggregates and arena sand, we understand that creating a safe, high-performance horse arena is a science. It begins with knowing that a premier riding surface is far more than just a top layer of sand. It’s a dynamic, multi-layer system designed for superior drainage, durability, and the long-term soundness of your equine athletes. By sourcing your materials directly from our Corona quarry, you get the highest quality products, expert knowledge, and the convenience of same-day delivery.

The Foundation of Performance: Building Your Arena Base

Before you can choose your top footing, you must build a proper foundation. The best horse arena sand in the world will fail if the layers beneath it are not correctly installed. A professional riding arena is constructed in three distinct layers: the sub-base, the base, and the top footing.

Sub-Base: This is the lowest layer, typically the existing, compacted native soil of your site. It must be graded with a slight slope of 1-2% to ensure water drains away effectively.
Base: This is the critical load-bearing layer that provides the arena’s structural integrity. The base is a compacted, solid, and uniform layer, usually 4-6 inches thick, constructed much like the base for a road. Its primary job is to provide a stable, well-draining platform that prevents the top footing from mixing with the soil below.

For this crucial arena base material, FST Sand & Gravel provides the exact products recommended by agricultural engineering experts. A University of Kentucky guide on constructing high-traffic pads recommends a layer of #4 crushed stone topped with densely graded aggregate. Our 1 1/2″ Crushed Rock is the perfect equivalent for this rock layer, providing excellent structure and drainage. To top it, our Class II Base is a precisely graded aggregate that compacts into an incredibly solid, durable surface that resists rutting and provides unwavering support. Investing in the right arena base materials is a long-term investment in your arena’s performance and longevity.

The Heart of Your Arena: Selecting the Best Horse Arena Sand

The top layer of footing is where the horse and rider feel the difference. While many materials can be used, sand is the undisputed king of arena surfaces due to its durability and drainage capacity. However, as any expert will tell you, not all sand is created equal. Sourcing the wrong type can lead to a surface that is too deep, too hard, too slick, or dangerously dusty.

Particle Shape is a Game-Changer

The single most important characteristic of high-quality arena sand is its shape. Experts from Penn State Extension and other leading institutions agree that sub-angular sand is the optimal choice for equestrian footing.

Rounded Sand (like beach or river sand) should be avoided. The smooth, ball-bearing-like particles do not interlock, creating an unstable, deep surface that can cause stress on horse tendons and ligaments.
Sharply Angular Sand (often manufactured sand) can compact too quickly. The sharp edges fit together like puzzle pieces, leaving little room for air, which eliminates the cushion horses need.
Sub-Angular Sand provides the perfect balance. The particles have slightly flattened edges that interlock effectively to create a stable base while maintaining small air pockets between grains that provide essential cushioning.

This is precisely why FST Arena Sand is the premier choice for professional and private facilities across Southern California. Sourced directly from our quarry, our Arena Sand is composed of hard, durable sub-angular particles that provide the ideal combination of traction and shock absorption for any discipline.

Size and Cleanliness for a Dust-Free Arena

Beyond shape, particle size and cleanliness are critical for performance and health. The ideal sand is washed to remove ultra-fine particles of silt and clay. These “fines” are the primary cause of dust—a major concern for 77% of arena users, according to one survey. Dust can cause serious respiratory issues for both horses and riders. For a low-dust arena, your sand should have between 2-5% of its material passing a #200 sieve.

FST Arena Sand is meticulously washed and screened to meet these exacting standards. This process results in a superior footing that is less prone to compaction, drains beautifully, and provides a healthier, dust-free environment for your barn.

Finishing Your Facility with Quality Materials

Different disciplines have different footing needs. Western riders often prefer a slightly faster surface, while dressage requires a firm, supportive base, and jumpers need excellent cushioning. The depth of the sand is also key; most experts recommend a footing depth of 2-4 inches to prevent the surface from becoming too deep.

Beyond the arena itself, FST Sand & Gravel has the materials to perfect your entire facility. Our Decomposed Granite (DG) creates attractive, durable pathways between barns and arenas. For effective drainage solutions around the arena perimeter or in wash racks, our 3/8″ Pea Gravel is an excellent choice.

The FST Advantage: Your Direct Source for Horse Arena Materials in Southern California

Building a superior horse arena is an investment in the safety, performance, and well-being of your horses. It requires a scientific approach and materials that are up to the task. Don’t settle for generic sand or poorly specified base materials from a landscape yard.

As Southern California’s leading aggregate supplier, FST Sand & Gravel has everything you need to build your facility right, from the ground up. Our knowledgeable team can help you select the perfect products for your project.

Why wait? Build the arena of your dreams. You can buy direct from our quarry and get it delivered today! Visit our website or call us to get started with your project.

How FST’s Proprietary Aggregate Blend is Revolutionizing Sports Field Construction and Sustainability

For developers, contractors, and municipal leaders across Southern California, the challenge is immense: build world-class sports facilities that can withstand relentless use, perform under pressure, survive nearly non-existent rest periods, and adhere to the region’s strict water conservation mandates. The solution isn’t found in the turf, the lighting, or the scoreboards. It’s found in the ground itself. For over 60 years, Corona-based FST Sand & Gravel has been the trusted expert in mining and delivering the foundational materials for the region’s infrastructure projects of all kinds. Today, through a scientifically engineered approach, the company is solidifying its reputation as the premier supplier for Southern California’s most prestigious sports field construction projects, providing a proprietary sports field base that ensures longevity, resilience, and superior performance.

Beneath every pristine athletic field lies a complex, multi-layered profile, and the rootzone is its most critical component. This is where the delicate balance between water retention for plant health and rapid drainage for playability is struck. Modern, high-traffic fields are built almost entirely on sand, typically 80-95% by volume, because it resists compaction and maintains stable pore space for air and water. However, the single greatest factor in a field’s success is the specific character of that sand. This is where FST Sand & Gravel elevates a simple commodity into an engineered solution.

Beyond Sand: The FST Proprietary Sports Field Base

Not all sand is created equal. While some may see it as interchangeable, the experts at FST understand that the right athletic field sand is a product of precise geological characteristics. Their proprietary sports field base is an engineered turf base material designed to solve the specific challenges of high-use athletic surfaces. The science comes down to three critical factors:

1. Particle Shape and Stability: The mechanical stability of a sports field comes from the shape of its sand particles. Rounded particles, common in many sands, act like microscopic ball bearings, creating a loose, unstable surface prone to divots and shifting under athletic stress. FST’s proprietary sports field base is composed of angular and sub-angular sand. These particles interlock tightly, creating a strong, stable matrix that resists the shear forces of intense traffic, from cleated football players to soccer drills. This inherent stability is the key to a field that resists compaction, maintains its integrity season after season, and ultimately reduces long-term maintenance costs.

2. Particle Size and Drainage: An effective sports field must drain rapidly. A field built on FST’s sports field base can accept and move water through its profile, even faster than a heavy rain can apply it. This is achieved carefully through a controlled particle size distribution. Following guidelines similar to those established by the USGA, the FST blend focuses on a majority of particles in the medium (0.25-0.5 mm) and coarse (0.5-1.0 mm) size range. Fines like silt and clay, which clog essential drainage pores, are strictly limited. The result is a field with exceptional hydraulic conductivity, preventing the waterlogged, muddy conditions that lead to game cancellations and unsafe play. In drought-conscious Southern California, this water-wise design is not a luxury; it is a necessity.

3. Mineralogy and Durability: The ideal mineral for rootzone sand is quartz, prized for its extreme physical hardness and chemical inertness. Softer materials, like calcareous sands, can physically break down under traffic and weathering. This degradation reduces particle size over time, leading to clogged pores and decreased drainage. FST’s aggregate source provides a durable, regionally specific and very dense sand that retains its shape and performance characteristics for decades, ensuring the initial investment continues to pay dividends long into the future.

Proof of Performance: Supercharging the Ontario Sports Empire

The new Sports Empire Park in Ontario stands as a testament to state-of-the-art facility design. As Southern California’s newest and largest sports complex, the developers required a foundation that could match the facility’s top-tier ambitions. They needed a surface that would be ready for intense, year-round tournament play from day one and would provide a safe, consistent experience for athletes.

The choice was clear: a strategic investment in FST’s proprietary sports field base. The decision-makers working on the Ontario project understood that compromising on the unseen foundation would be a critical error. By selecting FST’s engineered solution, they effectively “supercharged” their fields, ensuring elite-level field drainage solutions and a resilient turf base material capable of handling the massive traffic demands of a regional sports destination. The project serves as a premier case study, demonstrating why discerning developers, engineers, design architects, and contractors partner with FST when performance and longevity are non-negotiable.

A 60-Year Legacy of Trust

The innovation behind FST’s proprietary aggregate blend is built on a 60-year foundation of experience. As a family-owned and operated company deeply rooted in Southern California, FST Sand & Gravel has an unparalleled understanding of the region’s geology and the demands of its construction industry. This deep expertise means they are more than a supplier; they are a partner in their clients’ success. They know that for contractors, developers, and facility managers, a reliable supply chain backed by decades of proven performance is critical. Building a high-performance athletic field is an investment in community, health, and excellence. That investment deserves a foundation that is engineered to last. By combining a 60-year legacy with a scientific approach to materials, FST Sand & Gravel delivers a sports field base that offers unmatched durability, superior water management, and a safer playing surface—proving that the most important victories happen from the ground up.

Author: enfuse

Building Champions: The Ultimate Guide to Horse Arena Sand & Footing