Low volume irrigation systems, typically found in Landscape and Turf, Agriculture or Greenhouse and Nursery applications, have earned a reputable name for their convenience, efficiency, speed of plant growth, and ease of maintenance. But, the benefits of Netafim systems are no longer limited to these industries as Vern Ward, owner of Ward's Peruvian Pasos in Walnut Creek, California has discovered. Ward uses an overhead system with Netafim SpinNet sprinklers to control dust and footing conditions in his indoor riding arena used for training horses.
Indoor riding arenas give professional and recreational riders the opportunity to continue training programs despite inclement weather, be it rain, snow or hot summer sun. While indoor riding arenas shield riders from the elements, the enclosed workspace can create other problems for horse and rider.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Dust is inherent in any indoor or outdoor riding arena due to the types of material used for footing, Ward explained. A variety of materials, including, but not limited to sand, stone dust and recycled rubber, are used in riding arenas to build supportive and safe flooring for horses to work on, but inevitably dust is kicked up. More than just inconvenient and uncomfortable to work in, dust-filled arenas pose health risks to both horse and rider. Dusty environments irritate the eyes and nasal passages and contribute to respiratory problems in both equines and humans.
Maintaining a horse's peak athletic performance, places an increased demand on the horse's respiratory system. A lack of oxygen limits equine performance and dust limits the amount of breathable oxygen in an indoor arena. Extended exposure to dust can limit the blood cells' ability to fight infectious diseases by overloading the lung's defenses. A cleaner training environment will create a more ft and healthier horse. In addition to the health risks, dust coats any surface and can cover equipment, viewing areas and fences resulting in a less than professional appearance and hours of cleaning time.
Issues To Be Addressed
Ward's facility houses 63 horses resulting in frequent use of the indoor riding arena, both day and night. The more an arena is used without attention to dust control, the worse the dust situation becomes. The best way to maintain dusty arenas is frequent watering. "At first we tried watering the arena with a fire hose," Ward explained, "but it was just too difficult pulling the hose around the arena." Next, he tried installing pipe with sprinklers around the arena. That system too caused problems. "Too much water was left right in front of the sprinkler, but it put no water out farther," he said. Not only were these methods time consuming and inefficient, the uneven water distribution could sometimes create hazardous footing conditions for horses. Areas that received too much water were slippery and wet. The areas that were not receiving enough water became very deep, which could make horses more prone to taking mis-steps leading to strained tendons and pulled muscles.
Eventually, Ward hung polyethylene tubing over the arena, punched holes in the tubing and installed his own emitters. However, even when the water was turned off water in the lines would drip on riders and horses as they worked in the arena. "People are paying for access to an indoor arena and expect dust free conditions, but they did not want water droplets hitting them on the head either," he explained.
The Netafim Solution
It was then that Brian Rickter of John Deere Landscapes, Pacheco, California called Garey Porter, Netafim USA's District Sales Manager for Northern California who suggested the Netafim SpinNet sprinkler. Typically used in an overhead application in greenhouses, SpinNet was specifically designed to stop water from dripping onto plants below the sprinkler. The spinner spreads the water evenly across the diameter of the sprinkler's throw. This eliminates drips onto plants (or horse and rider) below. Because of its design, it has several features that Ward wanted for his riding arena; among them an excellent accuracy and uniformity. Additionally, a check valve and an anti-misting control ensures the sprinklers do not continue to drip water after it has been shutoff.
Easy to Design and Install
Using Netafim's product information, it was easy for Rickter to advise Vern on a unit that would give him a wetted pattern of 20 feet per SpinNet, allowing him to cover the entire 70' x 160' arena with only 3 rows.
Installation of the tubing and the SpinNets was straightforward. In fact, Ward thought that the trickiest part was going to be keeping sand and grit from clogging up the sprinklers, but that wasn't the case. Once he installed a Netafim filter to clean the canal water he was using, his problem was solved.
Easy to Maintain
As with other Netafim systems, Ward does not need to provide very much maintenance to keep his system in top condition. In most cases, simply checking the filter for cleanliness is the most important practice. The Netafim "disc" filter cleans the water and protects the system with a set of stacking disks that provide improved "depth" filtration compared to traditional screen filters. Because the discs have a larger surface area than a screen filter they capture much more debris and can go much longer between cleanings. |
