The Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) takes place Oct.26-31 in the nation's capital, and plans are already in the works to ensure the footing is up to the standard demanded by internationally ranked riders and their horses.

"Hosting a horse show in the center of a major metropolitan city is very different from a putting on a show in the country," explained Eric Straus, WIHS CEO. "We must build an arena and bring in the footing."

When it comes to choosing type of footing, the staff at WIHS places the horses' safety at the top of the list. But they also have to deal with the reality of quickly creating an arena in the Verizon Center that has stable and reliable footing.

Washington's footing is a mixture of limestone screenings. "We have a very small window to get the material in and out, so if we had to use what they have at a permanent facility it would take too much time and require too much maintenance," explained show manager David Distler. "We get the limestone screenings shipped in locally and they are easy to maintain