Premier Equestrian Founders Discuss Arena Footing Facts & Fiction At ShowChic’s “Shop Talk”
Wellington, FL (March 27, 2012) – Mark Neihart and Heidi Zorn, founders of Premier Equestrian, LLC, were the guest speakers at “Shop Talk” at ShowChic Dressage Boutique, formerly known as Sho Clothes, where they treated guests to a talk on Arena Footing Facts & Fiction. Premier Equestrian, a leading supplier of dressage arenas, horse jumps, arena footing and stable accessories, took it one step further during the evening when they invited guests to bring samples of their arena footing for a free analysis.
“Mark and Heidi did a great job of explaining the differences in footing and what good and bad footing can do for you, your horses and your arena,” said Michele Hundt, owner of ShowChic. “It was really great that they let everyone bring in footing samples for a free arena analysis because determining whether the footing in a riding arena is good or bad is often a daunting task for horse owners. We all want to have the best arena footing for our horses, and Premier certainly taught us how to make that possible.”
While Premier is known for their dressage arenas — they provided the dressage arena equipment for the new Global Dressage Festival in Wellington as well as the dressage arenas and dressage letters for the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky – Premier is also known for their footing. Arena footing amendments are mixed with sand, and Neihart said the free analysis they did for the Shop Talk guests will determine the particle shape and size of the sand granule. “The test will analyze the sample, including the particle size and shape of the sand, telling us if it is course or fine and what percentage of each sized particle makes up the sample provided. We use this test to determine the suitability of the sand for our products, GGT Footing, ProTex and Prostride Crumb Rubber, which can be added to the sand to help get the most protection and performance from an arena,” Neihart said.
Neihart has extensive footing experience, recently constructing three equestrian arenas at the prestigious Al Asayl Equestrian Center in Abu Dhabi, UAE. “No matter where you are located, most people experience problems with their footing,” Neihart said. “Sand comes in all shapes and sizes and some sands are much better than others to use in arenas. Depending upon factors such as access to water, climate, indoor or outdoor, and the footing product you are using in the sand, the sand type matters.”
Hundt said that Neihart and Zorn did a great job throughout the evening educating everyone on the importance of footing. “We had a wonderful evening and Mark and Heidi were delightful,” she said. “I also want to thank the Gold Coast Dressage Association for co-sponsoring our evening and providing the refreshments.”
While ShowChic is a new name for the store formerly known as Sho Clothes, Hundt said they are the same great store but changed their name to reflect their chic selection of dressage clothes. Hundt said she is encouraging dressage riders to visit ShowChic, still located at 3220 Fairlane Farms Road in Wellington. “We offer the finest in dressage apparel and we stock the following name brands: Arista, Cavallo, Kentuck, Pikeur, Samshield, GPA and Charles Owen. We also offer beautiful handmade stock ties, stock pins, Carol Ehrlich jewelry and more,” she said. “You will find that we have a huge inventory of clothing with fabric and color selections that change weekly.”
For more information on ShowChic, visit their website at www.shoclothes.com or call them at 561-319-2121.
Photo: From left to right, Heidi Zorn, Michele Hundt, Mark Neihart, and Krystalann Shingler at the ShoChic ShopTalk. Zorn and Neihart, of Premier Equestrian, discussed arena footing during the ShopTalk, which was hosted by Michele Hundt of ShowChic, formerly ShoClothes. (Photo courtesy of JRPR—no photo credit necessary)