outdoor horse area

[rilesdav]

Hello,
Looking for some advice on the steps needed for constructing a horse riding area for my wife and kids. The barn is about fisinshed and the wife is looking to start this as soon as the snow is gone, (which might be June by the way things are going). Looking for advice concerning site prep as well as materials to be used and at what thickness. She also threw out a 80 x 120 number for the size? Looking to see what the experts think of the size.
All help is apprectiated as I am not the horse person, I just help with the poo!
Thanks
Dave

 

[hunterridgefarm]

I can't help on the construction of the riding area. However if a barn is nearing completion we should have some pictures posted:thumbsup:

 

[GPintheMitten]

The size seems reasonable. My daughter is big into horses, gives lessons etc. If you try to talk them into something smaller you'll just waist your time and everyone gets frustrated.

The construction of the outdoor arena depends on the current soil conditions and lay of the land. When finished you want it to be flat and drain well. That sounds contradictory. What I mean is, it would be good to be a few inches higher than the rest of the land and if not exactly flat, maybe a smallish crown but hardly visible.

My daughter is going to build an indoor but the footing design remains the same. The site was not level, so last fall she had clay brought in to build the entire site up a few inches on the high side and about a foot on what was the low side. They laser leveled with a dozer, then compacted with a fibration roller. That's how it sits now. After the construction of the indoor building, she will have washed sand brought in and leveled ... probably about 2 inches.

You want a hard bottom clay and topped with washed sand but not too much sand.

At least that's what she is doing and she researched it well and has been doing her horse thing for over 20 years.

 

[Xfaxman]

We bought a place in 1993 that had a wood fence riding arena about that size. We were always replacing rotten and broken boards. We replaced it with 2-3/8" oil field pipe and 5' high v-mesh wire fence, no more problems.

We moved here in the fall of 2011 and found some panels and a gate on craigslist.

Priefert Manufacturing | Utility Panels & Gates Equipment

 

[GPintheMitten]

I didn't think about the fencing for it. Back in the day, I put up a fence around our outdoor riding arena using 4x4 treated posts and two 2x6 treated rails. I don't recall the post spacing. Probably 8 foot o.c. and staggered seems on the rails with 16' boards. Three rails would be better but I was trying to keep costs down ... an never ending battle with teenagers and horses.

 

[ddbackhoe]

Hello,
Looking for some advice on the steps needed for constructing a horse riding area for my wife and kids. The barn is about fisinshed and the wife is looking to start this as soon as the snow is gone, (which might be June by the way things are going). Looking for advice concerning site prep as well as materials to be used and at what thickness. She also threw out a 80 x 120 number for the size? Looking to see what the experts think of the size.
All help is apprectiated as I am not the horse person, I just help with the poo!
Thanks
Dave

Once she gets a riding area, she'll want an indoor one Nice thing about horse people, they are always willing to give advice (even if it's wrong). With that said, I checked lots of sources before building mine. One of the best I found was at Penn State
Riding Arenas

and
Arenas and Footing

 

[DelSc]

80 X 120 is probably fine, but it will depend on what they want to use the arena for. Standard small dressage arena is 40X20 meters (about 66 X 131 ft) and thats just fine for training of a couple horses at a time, but will feel small if you are setting up a jumping course or want to have several riders using it at once.

Your wife and kids must appreciate you putting something in for them. Its really nice to have an arena at home. My only advise is to really pay attention to drainage.

 

[tcreeley]

Bigger in a riding ring is better because you can always shrink down with a few cones to make it a smaller area- but you can't enlarge it. 80x120 will work, 100x150 provides more options, 125x200 is even better. I like wood or vinyl railings with the posts on the outside. There are some horses that will go with their head twisted out and those guys are apt to catch a post with their muzzle.
A dressage ring size is good for prep for a dressage test but on the small size for schooling/training a young horse or working at a ground covering gait. It does not have enough straight length to work out kinks before you are hitting another turn. Go big.
Drainage is very important. Crown your center line and slope away from it to either side. Give the water draining off the ring a place to run to. Sand on its own makes a lousy surface if it has any depth to it. Think of walking on ball bearings- moves under your feet and stains the legs with each push off. A clay, gravel (pea size), sand mix is more firm but easy on the concussion.
If it rains- you don't want it turning to slick muck - watch the amount of clay content.
Inquire in your area about the surfaces of the outdoor rings you like- ask them how they maintain it and the materials.

Dig out any large rocks you encounter because they have a way of moving upwards over the years. Goodluck.

Horse Arena Footing | EquiSearch

 

[rilesdav]

Thanks for the info so far,
Attached is the picture of the barn
As far as drainage, would a perimeter drain be sufficient or do you suggest drainage underneath the ring itself as well?
Thanks
Dave

 

[GPintheMitten]

I'm just a horse guy with no expertise and quite willing to give advice on these subjects that others say I don't know anything about. (sarcasm off now)

I would allow for drainage outside... the perimeter. When I say washed sand over a solid clay bottom, here's why. The clay foundation, while compacted, will give on impact and bounce back to a degree. The washed sand topping is not your regular beach sand nor play sand. I'ld advise looking into it. It should only be a couple of inches thick. Maybe a little deeper but not 3 inches.

When I say flat, I mean in appearance when looking at it. I should have said crowned, but not a great deal. 2' in a 100' sounds about right. My point is, just don't build your arena footing over the existing lay of the land.

 

[tcreeley]

Thanks for the info so far,
Attached is the picture of the barn
As far as drainage, would a perimeter drain be sufficient or do you suggest drainage underneath the ring itself as well?
Thanks
Dave

I came across a reference to a drain underneath the ring.
-If you use a tile or drain under the ring- make sure that the materials you use to build the footing of the ring are porous so that the water can pass through to reach the drain pipes/tile. -A layer of clay can be impervious to water and will work against the drainage under the ring. Likewise many local soils contain clay or silt that after a time may contribute to the ring losing its porosity.

-good article: Horse Arena Footing | EquiSearch

 

[ddbackhoe]

Thanks for the info so far,
Attached is the picture of the barn
As far as drainage, would a perimeter drain be sufficient or do you suggest drainage underneath the ring itself as well?
Thanks
Dave

First, nice looking barn.

second, under drains could end up being a pain in the horses rear. Erosion and sink holes pop to mind and one of my worst fears is having a horse drop a hoof into a hole. One of my friends bought a place that looked great. Come to find out, the previous owner buried all of the debris when they cleared. How did he find out, one of his daughters less expensive Hanoverian's found it.

 

[BHD]

I would suggest fence panels, and the top corners squared, not the rounded, (if a wreck happens and a horse gets a foot in that joint it can be a near impossibility freeing it, Or continuous fencing) basically the panel with out the up rights and fastens to posts, ends fit together and there are special pieces for corners,

the second thing the panels would have the best resale value, and the continuous fence would have a second best,
wood fence is a loss from a resale value,

and if the arena needs larger, or smaller it can easily be changed with panels, put a post at each panel joining and wire the panels on,

if one needs to get a larger piece of machinery in one can remove a few panels and have access,

on the posts, if you can talk to your power supplier, and see if they have 4 or 6 good used utility poles and put them in around the out side as well so if one wants some lights you have the posts to mount them on,

First think horses are an animal if they can get hurt from some thing they will figure out how to do it,

did read on one forum that some one used the electrical fence tape, 2" wide, and space it for there riding arena, but it need to be replaced ever few years, Zareba® Poly Tape, 2 in. - Tractor Supply Co.
this is a 5 inch tape, HorseFence Direct - Centaur Hot-Rail Fence

a vinyl fence could be a consideration as well.