Joe Frizzell of Iowa loves taking care of and riding his horses in his backyard barn. With a National Champion Arabian in the barn, he knows a thing or two about caring for horses. However, dust control was one issue that made him constantly scratch his head.

Joe regularly watered the arena, but it took time away from actually enjoying his horses. This costly effort also created inconsistencies in his arena footing and froze in the winter. If he did not water, the dust could rise as high as the roof of the barn which was more than just annoying.

At one point he tried salt-based products, which provided some dust control relief, but he eventually noticed metal gates and siding in his barn were beginning to rust. This rusting of metal is common among salt-based products. The problem became so bad, he actually replaced the footing to stop the rusting and went back to watering.

 

 

Then Joe learned about Advanced Arena™ Dust Control. This was a new solution that promised to reduce dust and not rust his barn. It was also safe for horses, pets, riders, and grandchildren who frequently use the barn. In fact, its ingredients are FDA approved for food contact.

Joe’s riding arena is about 90 ft x 66 ft. The footing is sand-based and about 2 inches deep. Based upon these dimensions it was estimated that about nine, 5-gallon buckets should be applied. The buckets were slowly applied over about six weeks and reduction in dust was observed with each application. By the final treatment the dust was completely eliminated and the footing was consistent again.

 

Initial Application

Date	Number of Buckets Applied
4/13/18	2
4/24/18	3
4/27/18	2
6/4/18	2
TOTAL	9

 

In most cases, all of the material can be applied at once instead of over several weeks as in this example. Using our quote requestor, we can estimate how much is needed.

The product worked great for Joe. The dust was completely eliminated for about six months and then the dust began to pick up about knee-high before falling back to the ground. A maintenance application of three buckets was applied and dust was again eliminated for about seven months. Additional maintenance applications were applied as needed (when dust began to pick up to about knee high) according to the table below.

 

Maintenance Applications

Date	Number of Buckets Applied
11/2/18	3
6/3/19	3
9/6/19	4
5/20/20	4

 

Based upon this barn study it’s estimated that maintenance doses should be applied at about 30%-50% of the initial application. The product should be applied as needed, which is typically about 3-6 months.

Joe has not watered the indoor arena for over 2 years now and has enjoyed a dust-free barn. His horses have continued to do well since it was treated. Both horses and rider are very happy. Problem solved!

 

 

 

Advanced Arena is a great option for reducing dust in backyard barns. Check out our how-to video for handling and applying 5-gallon buckets using  common hand sprayers.