Existing Indoor Arena Size and Footing Questions

[RedRyderKy]

We are looking at a property to purchase that has an existing Indoor Arena with stalls attached. We will want to have some boarders to offset the cost of the facilities. The arena can be closed off from the stalls so dust can be controlled. My biggest concern is the size and existing footing. The sellers state arena is 60X180 ( I haven’t measured yet) and the footing is sawdust over what appears to be a hard packed dirt base. Would the arena size be ok for most people? What footing would be the best choice? Depth? Do I need a gravel base? The arena sits at a higher elevation, not too concerned about flooding.

There is not an outdoor arena yet, we will eventually build one, but there will be grass area set up with jumps along with an open 25 acres to hack and condition.

[OTTBs]

Mine is 60 x 140 and I think it’s fine. Wanted to go 160 long but had to cut some costs. I think it feels wider than a dressage arena which should be about 66 feet.

Does the base appear to be level, or roughed up with hoof prints? Can’t say much about the base needed in your area. After my experience, I’d say tell the contractor you want to see what 1" of sand (or other footing) looks like and go from there. (I’ve told my tale in other threads that my 2" of sand allowed 4"+ deep hoofprints… It IS easier to add than to remove footing.)

[SugarCubes]

It’s narrow, but the length is great. I think that’s a nice size for most people! Can you kick away some of the footing and get a better look at the base? Is it hard and compacted and nice and level? How deep is the footing? I’ve not heard of sawdust as footing, but I guess for an indoor it could work but it’d probably be really dusty!

[Tiffani_B]

Many Saddlebred barns use shavings, mulch or sawdust as footing because it’s very cushy and doesn’t have the slip that sand sometimes has. But yes, it can be very dusty when it dries out and it breaks down much faster than sand so you have to replace it frequently or it becomes the finest dust powder you’ve ever seen LOL. I put MAG down in mine and that solved the dust problem immediately.

With sawdust, I like about 3-4" of depth. It really depends on how fine the particles are. For me, the chunkier it is (more like mulch) the deeper I want it to be.

[Color_of_Light]

60x180 feet is probably the outside dimension. Actual riding space will be smaller, depending on width of walls or kickwall. That arena might be 3 meters narrower than a 20 meter arena, or a bit less than half a quarterline narrower. My indoor arena actual riding space is 20x60 meters. I constantly school figures, change direction, so if mine was narrower I’d be fine with it. It’s the length that I like for schooling lateral work and 180 (minus wall width) is 19 feet+ shorter than regulation length.

To get an idea about the arena base, if you have a metal ruler, go around the arena and measure the footing all the way to the base in many different areas. If the footing looks level in appearance beforehand, this will give you an idea about how level the base is. Measure right at bottom of wall, then a few feet in where people ride on the track, then a few feet into the middle from there. Then random areas.

Do you know what kind of riding was done in that arena?

[Color_of_Light]

[QUOTE=Tiffani B;8842176]
Many Saddlebred barns use shavings, mulch or sawdust as footing because it’s very cushy and doesn’t have the slip that sand sometimes has. But yes, it can be very dusty when it dries out and it breaks down much faster than sand so you have to replace it frequently or it becomes the finest dust powder you’ve ever seen LOL. I put MAG down in mine and that solved the dust problem immediately.

With sawdust, I like about 3-4" of depth. It really depends on how fine the particles are. For me, the chunkier it is (more like mulch) the deeper I want it to be.[/QUOTE]

Is MAG mag oxide? How much do you apply and how? Must be fun applying that fine particle dusty stuff.

[Lucassb]

What type (discipline) of boarders are you hoping to attract and what is the anticipated amount of use?

When I had hunters I once boarded at a place with an indoor just slightly larger than that, but the indoor was used only when the relatively infrequent bad weather made the huge outdoor ring too flooded. It was perfectly fine to flat the horses and enjoy some protection when the weather was crummy.

That said, at that time I would not have wanted to be confined in that size ring for months on end in a place where significant winter weather for much of the year. So I think that whether or not the size will work depends a lot on the intended use (and possibly also what the other amenities of the property are or will be.) A big outdoor ring with great footing often means the indoor can be smaller or less fancy in terms of footing!

I’ve never ridden on the kind of footing you describe, so won’t comment on that.