How do you level your riding arena?

How much water does a horse arena need?

Access to water may become all the more critical in regions where drought conditions are beginning earlier and extending longer. According to von Hauff,  a 100 x 200 foot outdoor arena may need between 2,500 to 4,000 gallons (9,500 to 15,000 litres) of water a day and during the drought season upwards of 6,000 gallons (nearly 23,000 litres) a day.

How hard is it to build an equine arena?

Robert Malmgren, author of The Equine Arena Handbook: Developing a User-Friendly Facility, is considered the foremost authority on arenas. He says creating an arena on your own is very hard if not impossible because you need several players to help you avoid pitfalls.

How much water should be in your horse’s feet?

There needs to be 20-25% water content in your footing for optimal performance. This will keep your footing at the correct consistency in order to get the best workout out of your horse and keep the dust down.

How can I reduce the cost of building a horse arena?

Plan to do the works in the drier months to avoid heavy lorries making a mess of your paddocks. Plan your arena in a location that has good access to construction traffic. A good location could reduce your cost by up to 30%, saving in smaller machinery hire and labour.

Where to place sprinkler heads in a horse arena?

Sprinkler heads can be installed in the ground around the perimeter of an outdoor arena, and strategically placed on support structures for indoor arenas. In either situation, the sprinkler heads should be positioned close enough to the edge to adequately cover the arena, but far enough outside the rail to avoid passing horse hooves and rider legs.

How to drain an outdoor horse arena?

Next, dig drainage trenches approximately 1ft deep by 1ft wide, every 5m across the arena, running out to a larger perimeter drain. This larger drain leads to an existing, or purpose-built, soak pit or ditch. Lay 80mm or 100mm diameter drainage pipes inside the arena trenches and fill to the surface with 20mm pea gravel.

How do you keep water out of a horse arena?

For indoor arenas, including drains will help keep the water from harming the horse arena footing or base. Once you box out the arena area, you will want to install retaining boards.

How far should sprinkler heads be from a horse track?

In either situation, the sprinkler heads should be positioned close enough to the edge to adequately cover the arena, but far enough outside the rail to avoid passing horse hooves and rider legs. The size of the arena and the available water supply will determine how many sprinklers are needed to do the job.

What are the benefits of a sprinkler system in an arena?

The benefit is that the person watering can treat wet or dry patches of arena surface with more or less water. Garden sprinklers can be set out for timed operation and moved to cover the entire arena surface over time.

What is the best size for a riding arena?

Since you also mentioned English riding and that could be various disciplines and size needed… I wouldn’t go any smaller than a small dressage arena (20×40 meters). A large dressage arena would be even better.

What is the purpose of a horse arena Foundation?

With few exceptions, an arena has a founda-tion over the underlying soil, called base layer. The purpose of the foundation is to provide a stable base for the arena. It should be suffi-ciently durable to remain uniform during use and maintenance of the surface.

Do you need sand to build a horse arena?

If the natural material is not suitable for a ring, you can use additives to improve it. This layer should be leveled and allowed to settle before the base is laid down. With an indoor arena, only a sub-base and sand are necessary because drainage isn’t a consideration.

Do you need sprinklers on the arena perimeter?

sprinklers on the arena perimeter is often desired to quickly wet the perimeter of the arena, and get the riders back out to safely exercise their horses. An interview with Dr. Sara Campbell, DVM explains the importance of such a system on horse and rider health.

Why build a horse arena?

Many horse riders and trainers find it convenient to build horse arenas on their property, particularly if they have several horses for sale at any given time or have to travel to locations for training. Many horse trainers will find that they have to lease a block of stalls in their steel building just to care for the animals.

What is the best time of day to water an arena?

Plan on watering your arena either in the morning or later at night, definitely do not water it during the midday heat. Think of it like you’re watering your lawn, you don’t do it during the middle of the day. If you watered during the middle of the day, the sun will start to evaporate it before it gets the chance to saturate the sand.

How to choose the right sprinkler system for your outdoor arena?

Ceiling-mounted sprayers (indoor arena) produce a mist of water and good, uniform coverage with proper design. Frost-proof installations are needed under freezing conditions. Landscape sprinklers can be installed around an outdoor arena perimeter to reach the entire surface with water.

What are the benefits of installing a horse arena water system?

And electricity might be cheaper during certain hours. Furthermore, a correctly designed and installed system will ensure even water distribution across the entire arena, eliminating water pooling and waste.

How do I install drainage in my riding arena?

There are two critical factors when installing drainage. Firstly, you want to create a ensure you have a gentle fall so that water is naturally encouraged off the arena. The most common approach is to create a modest crown down the centre line, and have drains running along each side to collect the water and carry it away.

What is the best way to water an equine arena?

From a garden hose to a fully-integrated moisture management system, here are great ways to water your equine arena on any budget. All riders know dusty arenas are unpleasant.

What type of sprinkler system is best for a horse arena?

Sprinklers are the perfect fit for outdoor riding arena dust suppression systems. Nelson Big Guns are the original high-volume sprinkler and have been settling dust at riding arenas for decades. The radius of throw capability of the Big Gun Sprinkler compared to other sprinklers makes it the ideal solution for arenas.

How many all weather paddocks do I need for my horse facility?

A good management tool for horse facilities on limited acreage is to provide at least one all-weather paddock for foul weather turnout. Also known as a rainy day or sacrifice paddock, this paddock takes the worst wear during unfavorable weather conditions while attempting to preserve the grass of the remaining paddocks.

How many sprinkler heads are needed to suppress a fire?

A sprinkler system usually suppresses a fire with as few as two sprinkler heads and is very effective at controlling fires before they get out of hand. However, for sprinkler systems to be effective, an adequate water supply needs to be available at all times to provide enough gallons and sufficient pressure to extinguish the fire.

What do you need to know about horse arena footing?

The most important pieces include your base, understanding your sand, incorporating the right footing product, and maintenance. As the top horse arena construction supplier our premier footing specialists will walk you through the steps to improve an existing surface or build new.