By Sally Anderson
Footing is every barn managers nightmare. It is a never-ending project whether it is too dry, too wet, too deep, packed, shifted to the arena wall or simply frozen. Footing needs constant management and the way it is manages changes throughout the seasons. We have used multiple drags over the years to maintain our arena and have found both good and bad issues with each one.
Our footing in the indoor arena is currently used by approximately twenty-five horses each day and is a mix of sand and rubber. This mix of sand and rubber does well in both triple degree heat during the summer and temperatures as low as -24F in the winter. To maintain moisture content we hand water during the winter and set a sprinkler each day in the summer. Our facility also has a full-sized outdoor dressage arena which currently is sand footing. The drags in this review have been used in both the indoor and outdoor arenas. I am reviewing the drags in the order we have purchased them over the years. These drags have been operated with a four-wheeler.
Field drag/harrow
https://www.ruralking.com/loyal-roth-4-x-8-multi-use-drag-harrow-h4x8
This worked well in our arena when we first started out and the arena didn’t see a lot of daily use. It has a great price point and can be used to harrow the pastures and/or paddocks as well. The pros are the price and its usefulness in the pasture. Unfortunately it doesn’t fluff the footing when it is hard packed and over time can create waves in the arena. It’s a great entry level product for arenas that see light use.
Greystone Arena Rake
Steffen Peters uses this drag: which was a selling point for me! It was a great step up from the field drag and worked well for multiple years. It’s lightweight and easy to unhook and hook to the four wheeler. It has two adjustment points which helped with leveling and left the arena eye appealing. A great feature is the rail blade which helps pull footing away from the walls of the arena. Unfortunately its lightweight and didn’t hold up well to my abuse, I bent the tongue and wore the wheel bearings out multiple times. Even though the rail blade was useful, it lacked a side roller and left gouges in the wooden arena walls. Another downside is it only has a leveling bar which I felt eventually packed the footing instead of fluffing it. This drag would work for an arena that gets used lightly or footing that doesn’t pack.
Performance Arena Rake
This drag looked like it would handle even my abuse! It was well-built, a step up for the maintenance of an arena such as ours that have more traffic, and was still able to be towed by the four wheeler. The company was easy to contact and great to work with. The downside is that it was hard to adjust, and while well-built it is difficult to hook up by yourself. At it’s price point, I don’t feel it is a good option.
Ez groomer
This is a great drag. It worked-up the packed footing very well, even in the winter. There are around five adjustment options and the tines are replaceable. I was able to use it regularly and didn’t ruin it, so it is well made! Our four-wheeler had no trouble pulling it and it was easy to hook and unhook. The only down side, is that it doesn’t have a rail blade. I would buy this drag again and it has a nice price point for the job it does.
ABI Arena Rascal Pro
https://www.abiattachments.com/product/arena-rascal-pro-atv-arena-groomer-drag/
This is our current drag and it has some very nice features. It comes with a profile blade, ripping teeth, finish rake, and multiple adjustment options. The drag is well made and easy to use. With our active indoor arena it cuts right through the packed footing, and in fact I have to be careful not to go too deep. I purchased the side grader and electric lift option, which I feel make it the ultimate piece of arena equipment. The rail blade has a side wheel which rolls along the wall to eliminate damaging the wall. The electric lift is easily wired to the four-wheeler so there is no need to get off the four wheeler as you go in and out of the arena. I have found it is also sturdy enough to break ice up in the outdoor arena in the spring to help with thawing. This company says it is commercial quality to take the abuse of hours of daily use and I agree. Each year I do replace the ripping teeth, since they wear down, but the drag design makes this easy to do. The one downside, because it is well made, it is heavy and takes a larger four wheeler to pull it. It is also a little harder to hook up by yourself. However, in my experience this is a great drag in any footing and easy to use.
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