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 The Rose of Rodeo...
Posts: 2560
  
Location: Where we still run to look when the siren goes by. | What is the best way to add salt to an arena? Do you water, add salt then work it? Add salt, work it, then water and work it? Advice please! |
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  That's White "Man" to You
Posts: 5515
| Why Salt? |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
 
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I have never heard of adding salt to an Arena, but I learn something new every day  |
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| I'm lost. I could use some salt in my riding area, but that would be ice melt!! |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| Never heard of this. Why do you add salt? |
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | Unless you are encouraging your horse to Sand Colic... Why add salt? |
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The Rose of Rodeo...
Posts: 2560
Location: Where we still run to look when the siren goes by. | It lowers dust and can water it at lower temps without it freezing. |
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The Rose of Rodeo...
Posts: 2560
Location: Where we still run to look when the siren goes by. | komet. - 2014-03-10 10:38 AM
Unless you are encouraging your horse to Sand Colic... Why add salt?
Its for indoor arena ground, very commonly used
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Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | Rodeo Rose - 2014-03-10 11:50 AM
komet. - 2014-03-10 10:38 AM
Unless you are encouraging your horse to Sand Colic... Why add salt?
Its for indoor arena ground, very commonly used
So there is no sand in the dirt where you live?
Nature provided very few mammals with the ability to sweat as a primary cooling method... Humans and horses are the only two I know of for sure but I've heard Elk do as well. (Gotothewhip.. Can you help out here?) Those who sweat need lots of salt and I would not provide it to horses free choice without some control. |
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Sideways Riding Expert
Posts: 11371
Location: ND--it snows, it floods, it snows, it floods | What formulation of salt are you looking at? There are many different formulations out there and some can do more harm then good to the soil/arena soil structure. |
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 More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
Location: Riding Crackhead. | Up here its very common to add salt to indoor pens so you can ride throughout the winter to keep the ground from freezing. We've used a fertilizer spreader but got to be kind of hard to push it through the sand. Ended up being a work out. We've also just walked around and spread it by hand. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1367
Location: mi | I add Dow Flake to my arena every year. I drag, spread, water, drag. |
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 Hummer's Hero
Posts: 3071
Location: Smack Dab in the Middle | It will also keep your arena weed free :)
We use it on the fair grounds arena, but we just get salt water from the oil company that's right next to the fairgrounds. Put it in a 1000gal tank and apply it when we water the ground, then work it in. Works great.
I don't currently have an arena at home, but I'd put salt water on it without hesitation. Never seen a horse trying to eat dirt after the salt water is put on. We turn the roping cattle out in it all the time, and I've never seen them eating the dirt either. |
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More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
Location: Riding Crackhead. | komet. - 2014-03-10 12:06 PM Rodeo Rose - 2014-03-10 11:50 AM komet. - 2014-03-10 10:38 AM Unless you are encouraging your horse to Sand Colic... Why add salt? Its for indoor arena ground, very commonly used So there is no sand in the dirt where you live? Nature provided very few mammals with the ability to sweat as a primary cooling method... Humans and horses are the only two I know of for sure but I've heard Elk do as well. (Gotothewhip.. Can you help out here? ) Those who sweat need lots of salt and I would not provide it to horses free choice without some control.
In the indoor arenas you have to haul sand in from the sand/gravel pits. No animal is going to be eating it, strictly for riding use only. |
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 Tough Patooty
Posts: 2615
Location: Sperry, OK | komet. - 2014-03-10 12:06 PM Rodeo Rose - 2014-03-10 11:50 AM komet. - 2014-03-10 10:38 AM Unless you are encouraging your horse to Sand Colic... Why add salt? Its for indoor arena ground, very commonly used So there is no sand in the dirt where you live? Nature provided very few mammals with the ability to sweat as a primary cooling method... Humans and horses are the only two I know of for sure but I've heard Elk do as well. (Gotothewhip.. Can you help out here? ) Those who sweat need lots of salt and I would not provide it to horses free choice without some control.
I think you are missing her point. She is going to put it in the arena she rides in... do your horses commonly eat dirt while you are riding them? |
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The Rose of Rodeo...
Posts: 2560
Location: Where we still run to look when the siren goes by. | CYA Ranch - 2014-03-10 11:12 AM Up here its very common to add salt to indoor pens so you can ride throughout the winter to keep the ground from freezing. We've used a fertilizer spreader but got to be kind of hard to push it through the sand. Ended up being a work out. We've also just walked around and spread it by hand.
Thank you!! Will be using magnesium chloride.. |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | CYA Ranch - 2014-03-10 12:15 PM
komet. - 2014-03-10 12:06 PM Rodeo Rose - 2014-03-10 11:50 AM komet. - 2014-03-10 10:38 AM Unless you are encouraging your horse to Sand Colic... Why add salt? Its for indoor arena ground, very commonly used So there is no sand in the dirt where you live? Nature provided very few mammals with the ability to sweat as a primary cooling method... Humans and horses are the only two I know of for sure but I've heard Elk do as well. (Gotothewhip.. Can you help out here? ) Those who sweat need lots of salt and I would not provide it to horses free choice without some control.
My horse was turned out in a sand arena that was salt treated.
He ate the sand, even though he had a salt block. He was the only one out of the group that did it. It's rare, but it happens.
I would still add it though. Now if he is turned out there, he wears a cribbing muzzle so he cannot eat it. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1257
Location: Colorado plains standing on a goat head! | Many moons ago when I worked for a feed store I hauled a fertilizer truck load of salt from the salt mine around Houston and spread it on the race track at a training facility by driving on each side of the track. I don't remember if they told me why, I just remember they were very sure I did not get the truck on the track. |
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Sideways Riding Expert
Posts: 11371
Location: ND--it snows, it floods, it snows, it floods | Rodeo Rose - 2014-03-10 1:11 PM CYA Ranch - 2014-03-10 11:12 AM Up here its very common to add salt to indoor pens so you can ride throughout the winter to keep the ground from freezing. We've used a fertilizer spreader but got to be kind of hard to push it through the sand. Ended up being a work out. We've also just walked around and spread it by hand. Thank you!! Will be using magnesium chloride..
Perfect....talk to your county road crew and you may be able to get a break on it. Or talk to your local ag retailer and they may be able to get it for you cheap as well. It's a fairly cheap product to get. For dust control just spray it on and don't worry about working it in. |
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 I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
Location: MD | ACEINTHEHOLE - 2014-03-10 12:36 PM
komet. - 2014-03-10 12:06 PM Rodeo Rose - 2014-03-10 11:50 AM komet. - 2014-03-10 10:38 AM Unless you are encouraging your horse to Sand Colic... Why add salt? Its for indoor arena ground, very commonly used So there is no sand in the dirt where you live? Nature provided very few mammals with the ability to sweat as a primary cooling method... Humans and horses are the only two I know of for sure but I've heard Elk do as well. (Gotothewhip.. Can you help out here? ) Those who sweat need lots of salt and I would not provide it to horses free choice without some control.
I do, my horses don't 
we add salt also, they use a sand/ice melt/salt spreader (whatever you choose to call it) you hook up to your pick up truck. similar to the salt spreaders you see on the streets for pick ups :) we also use it to spread grass seed in the pastures |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Now see I have never heard of salt being added to an arena, I learned something new today.  |
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Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | ACEINTHEHOLE - 2014-03-10 12:36 PM
komet. - 2014-03-10 12:06 PM Rodeo Rose - 2014-03-10 11:50 AM komet. - 2014-03-10 10:38 AM Unless you are encouraging your horse to Sand Colic... Why add salt? Its for indoor arena ground, very commonly used So there is no sand in the dirt where you live? Nature provided very few mammals with the ability to sweat as a primary cooling method... Humans and horses are the only two I know of for sure but I've heard Elk do as well. (Gotothewhip.. Can you help out here? ) Those who sweat need lots of salt and I would not provide it to horses free choice without some control.
In many places.. Yours included... It is perfectly normal for people to turn horses loose in an arena for exercise. |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| You can also use something like a dawn mixture put it the waterer and it will quiet themdust down also.
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 Forever Young
Posts: 6768
Location: relocated to Texas | We always would disc salt into the ground of our arena in Iowa. It keeps moisture in the ground without the ground freezing. We used to bring in snow and disc it in too instead of watering with a hose. The salt would melt the snow. We would go to the local coop and buy salt pellets. You could rent a spreader the size of a dump truck, which is what we would do, filled with the salt. Spread it, disc it in and you were good for the winter. Our arena was 75 x 200 so it took a good load of salt.
To the OP, add the salt before you water. Give it a day or two because the salt will pull some moisture out of the air. You might not need as much water as you think! |
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 Pork Fat is my Favorite
Posts: 3791
Location: The Oklahoma plains. | We used Mag Chloride for the first time this year- it is all natural and completely safe. It is a by product of salt mines. It has helped immensley in our indoor area to cut the dust. |
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Adding salt to arena