One Big Thing: Utah Company Promotes Popular Water-Saving Solution as Record Heat and Drought Intensify
A lot of stone went into making the footing before and after jumps as decent as possible.
Photo by Dan Stickney.
As much of the United States experiences triple-digit temperatures and prolonged drought conditions, Utah-based Premier Equestrian is promoting its popular proprietary dust-control product, Slow Dust™, to help horse owners, farms, and property managers dramatically reduce water usage while maintaining healthier, safer surfaces.
Already one of Premier Equestrian’s best-selling footing additives, Slow Dust™ has become a customer favorite among horse owners, trainers, boarding facilities, and equestrian centers looking to reduce dust while conserving water. As water shortages continue to impact many regions of the country, demand for the product has continued to grow. Slow Dust is available directly through PremierEquestrian.com and on Amazon, making it easy for customers nationwide to improve footing performance while significantly reducing water consumption.
Premier Equestrian’s innovative Slow Dust technology is designed to reduce watering requirements by up to 50%, providing a practical solution as reservoirs decline and water conservation becomes increasingly critical across the West.
“We’ve had one of the worst drought years on record, with very little snowpack and rainfall, and many reservoirs are reaching critically low levels,” said Heidi Zorn, President of Premier Equestrian. “I personally have secondary irrigation water, and this year it’s running out nearly three months earlier than normal. Watering has become one of the biggest challenges we face.”
Zorn began using Slow Dust in her own riding arena to maintain dust control while significantly reducing water consumption.
“Keeping dust down is essential for protecting the lungs of both horses and riders,” she said. “But dust control is only part of the equation. Moisture is absolutely critical to the performance of an equestrian footing surface.”
Unlike products that attempt to eliminate watering altogether, Slow Dust works with water to maximize its effectiveness. The proprietary polymer acts as a flocculant, binding fine airborne dust particles together so they remain on the ground instead of becoming airborne. The polymer also captures and retains moisture within the footing, gradually releasing it back into the surface over time.
“This isn’t a waterless dust-control product,” Zorn explained. “It’s a smarter way to use the water you already have. The polymer stores moisture and slowly releases it back into the surface, extending the time between watering cycles. In many applications, customers can reduce watering by as much as 50 percent.”
For equestrian facilities, maintaining moisture is about much more than dust suppression.
“High-performance horses require footing with consistent moisture to perform safely,” said Zorn. “Water binds the footing particles together, creating the traction, cushioning, grip, and responsiveness needed with every stride. An arena that becomes too dry can become deep and loose, increasing stress on tendons, ligaments, and joints while also reducing the stability horses need for peak performance. Having no moisture in an arena simply isn’t an option.”
Slow Dust helps facilities preserve those critical footing characteristics while using substantially less water, making it an ideal solution for riding arenas, training facilities, livestock operations, farms, and unpaved roads.
“As drought conditions become more common throughout the western United States and many other regions around the world, every gallon of water matters,” Zorn said. “Our goal is to help customers conserve water without sacrificing the quality and safety of their footing. That’s a win for horse owners, a win for the environment, and a win for communities facing water shortages.”
[Click here to learn more about Slow Dust and Premier Equestrian]
US Events This Weekend
GMHA Festival of Eventing August HT (VT): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]
Otter Creek Summer HT (WI): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]
WindRidge Farm Summer HT (NC): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer] [CrossCountry App XC Map]
Fair Hill International Recognized HT (MD): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer] [CrossCountry App XC Map]
Woodside Summer HT (CA): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer]
Masterson Equestrian Trust YEH/OEH Qualifier (KY): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times/Scoring] [Volunteer]
Stone Gate Farm Summer Mini Trials (OH): [Website] [Entries/Ride Times] [Scoring] [Volunteer] [CrossCountry App XC Map]
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