A commitment to clean, affordable materials has made Premier Equestrian one of the most eco-friendly horse arena companies in North America. Many of Premier Equestrian’s top-selling products are made from repurposed materials that would otherwise have ended up in a landfill.
“We take our environmental responsibility quite seriously and we are proud of our achievements so far,” said Heidi Zorn, president of Premier Equestrian. “We’ve never touted the fact that we are big green recyclers, but we’re conscious of the resources and materials we bring into our line of footing products. We are using millions of pounds of waste that would have gone into the landfill.”
RECYCLED TEXTILE ARENA FOOTING ADDITIVES
A large category of popular products made from repurposed materials is the Premier Equestrian Textile Footing line up, including Premier ProTex™, ArenaAid®, and All Purpose. These footing additives come with an SDS (Safety Data Sheet) report, which tells buyers what the additive is made of and whether it is post-consumer or industrial waste.
“Industrial waste is something that comes right from the factory,” said Zorn. “It’s new, it’s pretty, it’s not dirty. It is as clean a material as you can get. We never use post-consumer waste in textile footing because we cannot be sure of where it came from and how clean it may be. Our main product criteria is safety first.”
When it comes to creating non-woven textiles, which are commonly used in padding, and lining layers, such as roofing felt, and other types of rugged fabric materials, the manufacturer goes through a multi-step process. Individual fibers of polyester or nylon are combined in a machine, creating an irregularly shaped piece of material. Another machine trims the edges, leaving scraps (industrial waste) behind. “We buy that scrap and turn it into horse footing,” says Zorn. “Keeping it out of landfills.”
RECYCLED PLASTIC PRODUCTS
Premier Equestrian is proud to be the official North American distributor of OTTO Sport Base Mats; when installed under your footing of choice, these mats provide increased drainage and stability to any arena surface. Not only are OTTO Sport Base Mats a smart choice for your arena, but they also happen to be made from recycled synthetic materials.
“OTTO Sport Base Mats are made from recycled plastic materials such as milk jugs, wire insulation, rubber products.” says Zorn. “What the recyclers do is take the materials, put them in a grinder and grind them into shavings. They put the shavings in a machine, where it gets remelted and reformed into the mat.”
Plastics can spend hundreds of years in a landfill with little degradation; finding ways to repurpose these common materials is increasingly critical. Products like OTTO Sport Base Mats provides a “win-win” for horse owners and the environment alike: a safe, quality product and reduced waste entering landfills.
RECYCLED RUBBER EQUESTRIAN PRODUCTS
Premier’s popular Red Barn Stall Mats are made from 100% recycled, non-toxic vulcanized rubber. These easy-to-install mats are 3/4-inch thick and provide cushion, traction, and bacteria and odor control while reducing the amount of bedding required for your horse’s comfort—saving trees while helping you keep money in the bank.
Premier ProStride™ Footing is another product made from repurposed rubber, specifically recycled tires. This crumb rubber footing is added to sand and helps to reduce compaction while increasing shock absorption and rebound. ProStride is low-maintenance and suitable for riding arenas, turnouts, and lunging areas.
About Premier Equestrian
For over 20 years, Premier Equestrian has been studying how equestrian arena surfaces interact with horse biomechanics. All Premier Equestrian arena and footing products are formulated with biomechanics and injury prevention in mind.
Premier Equestrian is North America’s leading supplier of dressage arenas, high-quality footing products, arena drags and groomers, and arena construction consultation. Premier Equestrian is a recognized expert in horse arena footing as it relates to equine biomechanics. This knowledge is used daily to help horse owners across North America improve arenas and footing. Learn more by calling 800-611-6109 or visiting PremierEquestrian.com.
News from the horse industry. Sharing today’s information as it happens. The Northwest Horse Source is not responsible for the content of 3rd party submissions.
