How to Maintain Riding Chip
4 Easy Steps to a Low Maintenance Equestrian Surface
Looking after your arena should be simple, not stressful. Riding Chip is the ultimate low maintenance equestrian surface, designed to save you time and effort.
Virtually dust-free, stable, and easy to care for, this guide walks you through 4 easy steps to maintain Riding Chip so you can focus more on your horse and less on constant arena upkeep.
Step 1: Minimal Dust Means Little to No Irrigation
Unlike traditional shredded surfaces, Riding Chip is guillotine-cut, which means the fibres remain in their original loop pile form.
They stay tight and intact rather than fraying or breaking down into dust. This unique production method ensures virtually no dust, so irrigation is almost never required — your arena stays cleaner and easier to manage year-round
Tip: Only consider light watering in extremely dry summers if you want to freshen the surface, but for most riders, this step is unnecessary.
Step 2: Light Raking Keeps the Surface Even
Because Riding Chip is produced from dense virgin carpet tiles (including the tile backing), the surface naturally holds together. It resists the problems of tracking, ridging, or banking that are common with other arena surfaces.
Maintenance is as simple as:
Use a hand rake or small leveller occasionally.
Focus on high-traffic areas such as entrances or corners.
Rake lightly, not deeply — you’re just redistributing the fibres.
Most riders find this only needs to be done infrequently, depending on how often the arena is used.
This makes Riding Chip a true low maintenance equestrian surface, as simple light raking is all that’s needed.
Step 3: Simple Checks for Long-Term Performance
The dense, stable structure of Riding Chip means your arena surface won’t migrate much.
Still, it’s good practice to:
Walk the edges and corners from time to time.
Smooth back any fibres that naturally move outward.
That’s it — no heavy harrows or rollers required.
Step 4: Ride and Forget
The biggest advantage of Riding Chip is its “install and forget” nature. Once spread, it settles into a stable, comfortable surface that requires minimal maintenance.
There’s no need for constant grooming or expensive machinery — simply keep an eye on your arena, give it a light rake when needed, and enjoy consistent performance ride after ride.
Unlike other footings, this low maintenance equestrian surface settles quickly and keeps performing without constant attention.
Why Riders Love the Low-Maintenance Riding Chip Surface
Virtually dust-free – thanks to guillotine cutting, irrigation is almost never needed.
Dense and stable – almost no more banking, tracking, or constant levelling.
Easy care – a light hand rake is all it takes, only when you feel it’s needed.
Cost-effective – saves time, effort, and money compared to high-maintenance surfaces.
In short: Riding Chip is the low-maintenance arena surface that makes life simple.
Install it once, ride with confidence, and spend more time focusing on your horse — not the upkeep of your arena.
For broader advice on safe arena management, see the British Horse Society arena maintenance guidelines
Reviews
Words From Clients
