Arena footing, engineered — not guessed
Get your arena right
the first time.
One wrong call on base, sand, or depth can cost tens of thousands to redo. ArenaSpec puts an arena expert in your corner — so you, or your contractor, build it right.
15+
Years specifying arena footing
Every
Discipline — dressage to barrels
Global
Projects across climates and regions
In-house
Lab testing on your sand
Start where you are
Where are you in the process?
I'm building a new arena
Start with the ground beneath it. We'll help you evaluate the location, base approach, drainage, available materials, sand, footing, and construction sequence before you commit to major purchases.
How it works
Three steps to a surface you can trust.
Tell us about your arena
A free 15–20 minute call. Your location, discipline, current footing, the problems you're seeing — and a few photos if you have them.
We test and analyze
In-house lab work on your sand, local climate data for your property, and field tests you can run alongside your contractor.
You get a plan, not a guess
A written recommendation for your project — and, with the Partnership or Complete Build, an expert in your corner while the work gets done.
You don't need to become an arena expert.
Some owners do the work with equipment they already have. Others already have a grading contractor, excavator, installer, or local crew. Both can work — our role is to help determine the approach, explain what should happen, and evaluate the materials and information along the way.
Doing the work yourself
We help you understand:
- What you're trying to accomplish
- What materials to consider
- How the construction sequence fits together
- What to check before the next step
- How to manage the finished footing
Using your own contractor
We can help:
- Explain the recommended approach
- Review specifications and materials
- Answer installation questions
- Review contractor-provided information
- Flag issues to resolve before proceeding
Compare our services
How much help would you like?
Know what you need? Buy either service directly. Not sure? Start with a free 15–20 minute call — no obligation.
It's not just the sand on top
We look at the whole system.
01
Your sand
Particle size, shape, gradation, and how it compares to what your discipline actually needs. Sand is 95% of your footing by weight. If it's wrong, nothing on top of it will fix the ride.
02
Your climate
Temperature swings, rainfall, humidity, evapotranspiration. An arena in Scottsdale has completely different moisture demands than one in Virginia. We pull local climate data for your exact property location.
03
Your maintenance
How you drag, how often, what equipment, how you water, how much traffic the arena gets. Sometimes the footing isn't the problem — the routine is.
04
Your base
Drainage, sub-base condition, grading. If water pools or the surface rides differently after rain, the issue might be underneath, not on top — and that's exactly what a Partnership or Complete Build addresses.
05
Your goals
Dressage, jumping, reining, barrel racing, general use. Each discipline puts different demands on the surface. A dressage spec and a jumper spec are not the same thing.
Who's behind this
Built by people who've been in your arena.
ArenaSpec is built by Performance Footing — 15+ years building, maintaining, and specifying arena footing systems. We've worked with colleges, equestrian organizations, contractors, HOAs, private barn owners, and everything in between. Our job is to help you make the right decisions before expensive mistakes become permanent.
Colleges, HOAs, contractors, and barns
Experience across every kind of client — from backyard arenas to university and organization facilities.
In-house lab testing
Your sand is analyzed for particle size, shape, and gradation — not eyeballed.
Build it or fix it
New construction or a surface that's already gone wrong — we've guided both, and know where projects go sideways.
We work with your contractor
Advice, specs, and checkpoints that keep your contractor — or our build crew — aligned from day one.