So I decided to post some questions that I have been compiling, while taking a break from reading a historic train-wreck of a thread. I am in the very early stages of planning an indoor with a handful of stalls; kind of actually dreaming at this point. It’s quite a ways off while I work on the financial aspect. But I have some time on my hands to (over)think. I’ve done some searching the threads and google searches, but can’t quite find what I’m looking for.
Here’s what I am thinking at this point: 80ish X 120. Might have to settle for a touch narrower if the 80 feet is cost prohibitive. But absolutely no narrower than 60. I’d like to leave the option for lengthening later if I like. I have decided to put my effort in to the indoor only, rather than an indoor and an outdoor. I live in a crappy enough environment that the outdoor would not get as much use as the indoor and I’m afraid the footing would blow away anyways. So, the indoor with be my exclusive riding area; day or night, summer or winter. I will need to have a handful of stalls attached, but walled off from the arena. Haven’t decided if it makes sense to build a longer structure and wall off the one end for stalls, build a separate lean-to on the short wall, or lean-to on the long wall. I don’t want to limit myself on what can be built in case in the future I decide to bring in a trainer and a handful of board horses. But at the moment, I’m just a (mostly) DIY ammy with only my own show horses and prospects that desperately need to be worked throughout the winter.
On to the specifics…
Any of y’all have a dropped ceiling in your indoor arenas? I see some stunning, albeit pricy, arenas that have a glossy white dropped ceiling but I can’t tell what it’s made from. This probably sounds stupid, but what kind of material is it? How is it physically hung from the rafters? How does ventilation work with a dropped ceiling? I like the idea of the lower ceiling (obviously I need it high enough to jump, looking at 16-18 feet clearance) to keep some warmth from rising to the vaulted ceiling and dissipating out through a vent. But the dropped ceilings look a tad claustrophobic (though I’ve never ridden in one). Thoughts?
For those in colder mid-west climates, what has worked to best ventilate an arena? I’m still toying with how to insulate (see below) and whether I want to heat it at all (just to take make it tolerable), and if I do heat it some, I don’t want to lose the heat through the ventilation system. But… I have been in stuffy, poorly-ventilated barns and it sucks. So I get it. Just weighing options here.
What about insulation? Obviously I don’t want to create a bird-heaven in my attempt to keep my arena from turning in to an ice box. I could use to explore the spray foam insulation some more. Insulate the ceiling? Sides? Both? If you were to do one while the structure was being built and one down the road, which do you do first? Initially I thought to myself that just having an uninsulated wind break would be good enough. Then I remember the barn my family leased for a while as I was growing up; it was not insulated and turned in to an ice box in the extreme cold. I swear sometimes it felt colder inside than it did outside. I have ridden in a few insulated non-heated arenas, and the difference between the arena and outside was astonishing. So I think insulation will be a greatly appreciated investment. But I’m unsure of how I want to do it…
What about keeping birds from nesting in the rafters and bombing me while I’m riding (assuming I did not do the dropped ceiling)? I can’t not accurately put in to words how much I HATE having bird crap all over everything.
Sorry for the brain dump. I was gathering questions while at work today :yes:
