What is Perfect Footing™, and how is it compared to GGT, German GeoTextile?

What is Perfect Footing™, and how is it compared to GGT, German GeoTextile?

Perfect Footing™ is our American, proprietary brand name for GGT, the original, genuine German Geotextile. [see recent examples, below]

Why a different brand name? The brand name Perfect Footing™ was first used in the USA in the year 2006.

We originated the brand name because there was - at that time - no typical English-language brand name for the product in the United States.

The footing was perfect - using this original, genuine German geotextile components, "sandvlies" and "sandfibres" etc - hence the American Brand Name "Perfect Footing™" was born.

At that time, the brand name being used widely used across Europe was not available in the USA.

Today: The uniquely American brand name Perfect Footing™ is the exact same product as is recently known in North America as "GGT" (for "German GeoTextile").

"GGT" is the recent, proprietary brand name belonging to the original German manufacturer, for use in America and other nations.

Because our clients are already familiar with our earlier brand name, Perfect Footing™, we will continue to use this brand name, while continuing (as always) to use only the original, German product known as GGT.

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In July of 2009, the German manufacturer opened its first stateside production plant. However it does not provide direct sales to consumers (this is the common practice for German equestrian products manufacturers).

A. Although using the highest quality of building materials in your arena design/execution is necessary to achieve the highest quality and performance and durability/usability,

B. Still it is just as important to use the exactly correct type of sand, size of sand grain sizes in the correct blend/ranges, etc.

C. And to follow the exactly correct application procedures.

D. And to perform the correct separation layers, follow correct ground preparation using the correct local mediums, and so forth.

In other words: there is much more to building a good house, than simply buying the best quality of lumber and throwing it on the ground.

In the same manner: the correct design (site plan and arena footing plan) and execution (how it is installed or "built") of any riding arena is much more than simply buying good quality materials, and throwing it on the ground along with whatever local sand or mediums the local sand supplier, or gravel quarry, suggests that all horse owners use.

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For the purpose of simplification, you may consider Perfect Footing™ to be our customized-blend of the German GeoTextile products known as:

"GGT-Footing Geo" - a type of geotextile made from a proprietary type of polyester, woven into a fabric, and shredded into pieces of varying sizes and shapes up to one inch in diameter.

"GGT-Footing Fibers" - the same type of material, these are individual filaments (thread or "fibres") approximately one to two inches (1-2") in length. Thinner than a human hair, they are worked into and between every grain of sand, providing an elastic + flexible structure to the footing sand.

"GGT-Footing Elastic Fiber" - Similar to the "GGT-Footing Fibers" above, these are approximately one half inch in length (app. 1/2" or ca. 1.0 cm). They add springiness to the sand footing, while also increasing the shear resistance (improving horizontal traction).

"GGT-Footing Dressage" and "GGT-Footing Jumping" - these are the standard blends of the various footing components, as prescribed by the manufacturer. Due to our long history and experience with these original, German geotextiles, we have developed more customized blends which are prescribed for unique, individual projects.

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For the purpose of simplification, you may consider:

1 - Perfect Footing™ - Orion™ is one of our proprietary, customized blends, optimized for Hunter/Jumper disciplines (there are various grades using different formulas of the various GGT components).

» Consider these custom blends to be similar to (but not identical to) the "GGT-Footing Jumper" standardized blends.

» While we offer three basic grades of the Orion line of footing:

Orion™ Supreme Hunter/Jumper Blend,

Orion™ Superior Hunter/Jumper Blend, and

Orion™ Standard Hunter/Jumper Blend,

» still many more optional customizations/blends are available, depending upon:

(a) your personal preferences and level of riding,

(b) also, whether the arena is used exclusively for springen/jumping, or whether it is occasionally used for other disciplines (such as "sometimes Western Pleasure" or "we also sometimes practice level II or III dressage" and so forth),

(c) too, whether you will be required to meet international or national competition surface requirements as set by the fEI,

(d) and depending upon your local sand - the specific, unique type and particulate size ("grain" or "korn"), the mineral makeup of the sand, the tolerance levels of the sand, and so forth [please note: all the sand we specify + prescribe for use with Perfect Footing must first be sent to our European laboratories for testing and analysis, and to determine which custom blend of footing components is best fitted for your unique sand and goals, since the final determination of your custom blend will be based upon a host of variables unique to your project, which are too complex to explain in this web resource),

(e) and so forth.

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2 - Perfect Footing™ - Pegasus™ is one of our proprietary, customized blends, optimized for Dresseur/Dressage (various grades using different formulas of the various GGT components).

» Consider these custom blends to be similar to (but not identical to) the "GGT-Footing Dressage" standardized blends.

» While we offer three basic grades of the Pegasus™ line of footing for dressage:

Pegasus™Supreme Dressage Blend,

Pegasus™ Superior Dressage Blend, and

Pegasus™ Standard Dressage Blend,

» still many more optional customizations/blends are available, depending upon factor similar to item 1- Perfect Footing™ - Orion™ above.

ProEquus International OT40 Classical Equitation arena systems, for Dresseur and Springen.

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Below: A recent international Dressage/dresseur + Jumping/springen Championship Competition Arena installation (dateline: Summer of 2009)

Diagram 1 - Installation of the ProEquus OT40 performance arena system installed on a minimally prescribed foundation base. Pictures is from a European outdoor fEI, CSIO 4* and CDIA/W/J Klasse riding arena project completed August of 2009.

Diagram 2 - the exactly correct type and size of sand, mixed with the exactly correct custom blend of ggt/Perfect Footing, is applied on top of the ProEquus OT40 arena structural bas system.

Diagram 3 - application of the sand + ggt/Perfect Footing custom blend, on top of the ProEquus OT40 arena base system as used at the China Olympics, is complete.

Diagram 4 legend - Text reads ProEquus™ OT40™
+ exactly correct, minimally disturbed grading,
+with minimal subbase application and mediums,
+ correctly installed,
+correct sand sizes, shapes, and size range blend,
+custom blend Perfect Footing™ correctly mixed and correctly incorporated into the specified sand type/size/blend,
= a perfect, all=weather, international and national level competition arena, indoors or outdoors, with no posponements or delays ever.

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