First Arena

[taylorelaine]

A few months ago, my dad put in an outdoor arena for me. It’s our first riding arena, and I have some questions that I hope the forum can help with.

We haven’t dragged the arena yet, as we were waiting to install the sprinklers. I thought that not dragging it might help retain moisture until the sprinklers were working. Now that they’re installed, we’re planning to drag the arena today. Our drag has settings for depths of 1”, 2”, or 3”, and the current footing depth of our arena is about 3”. I’m unsure how close to the base we should set the drag. Is there a recommended depth for dragging in this situation? Also, we installed 2x6 boards around the arena to help contain the sand. They were dug about 4” into the ground, 1” of that into the base. We haven’t dragged the arena yet, so I know the sand will “fluff up” a little, but I think the boards should still be high enough even if it does right?

I’ve attached a couple pictures showing the height of the boards before dragging. You can see in the pictures the sand is a little higher in one and lower in the other, since it hasn’t been dragged yet, so it might be a little hard to tell where it’ll settle once it’s dragged. Any insights or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Bluey]

Start dragging shallow, you can always go deeper.

[Displaced_Yankee]

@Bluey

Start dragging shallow, you can always go deeper.

This.

Much like body clipping, pulling manes, etc…You can always do more on a second pass.

I have also found that new arenas or ones that haven’t been dragged/regularly/poorly benefit from some hand raking. Hard to tell from your pictures put is the footing deeper in some areas more than others? Hand raking is the best way (IMO) to redistribute your footing…since you have to be walking in it to see where it needs more or less.

Have fun! I am still on grass after 12 years…

[LCDR]

Is this sand on top of native soil?

[Bluey]

We use on the indoor and outside a TR3 rake and has a leveler, one pass does it all.
Our indoor has 3" of triple cleaned pure river sand and we generally drag at about 1 1/2", about 1+ hour after watering, mostly early mornings.
Since we are on the semi-desert, some times we water again before heavier use in the evenings.
Outside not used that much and is topsoil and most times doesn’t need much of anything.

[LCDR]

OP, before spending $3500 or so on a TR3, tell us what arena drag you currently have and probably have already used today.

[taylorelaine]

Thanks for all the responses I’m sorry I forgot to mention that we have a rascal pro from ABI attachments. And, our sand is on top of coquina base.

[LCDR]

Thanks. It looks to me as if the Rasal Pro and TR3-e do basically the same job with almost identical looking leveling rakes. My Drag’nFly arena groomer is very similar, but adds a basket roller behind the leveling blade to put a different texture into the sand.

[LCDR]

Coquina- I haven’t seen that since I lived in Atlantic Beach, Florida.

Sounds as if you will have good drainage. Keeping it watered will be your key to good footing. You should be on top of that with your irrigation

[findeight]

Know you did not ask but need to gently offer that the 2x6 boards with 2” above the surface bordering the ring to keep the footing from spreading can be ankle twisters. Both horse and human. Particularly when camouflaged by grass and footing trying to escape. Ouch.

[taylorelaine]

I was worried about that too. I’m not sure if there was a better way to do the boards, we tried our best with not really knowing a whole lot since this is our first experience with an arena. We’re thinking about doing this, would that work well? Or any other suggestions? I’m really worried about hitting them while riding and potentially tripping.

[pony_grandma]

A rail on top that protrudes to keep the horse from rubbing the fence? Indoor arenas often do that.

Oh excuse me I thought the above photo is what you have.

[findeight]

@taylorelaine

I’m really worried about hitting them while riding and potentially tripping.

As you should be. I have seen that, a Dressage horse. And rider, just loose rein walking beside it and splat.

Depends on what you are doing too. If you just have low and slow horses or Western it might he OK but accidents happen anyway, why light the fuse on one. My other experience with this type arena border was I tripped over it while carrying some orange cones into the arena for trainer teaching beginner lessons. Trip to ER resulted, bad sprain. In my defense it was grass and sand covered but how do you get a bad sprain watching cute little pig tailed munchkins who can’t even post yet

IIWY I’d just fence it and put in one simple gate. It will cost but greatly increase the usefulness of the arena. Never underestimate the need for another easy access fenced area with “ all weather” (more or less) footing. Lunging, serious ground work, lay up, turn out…very handy to have one.

[LCDR]

Yes that will work well but pay close attention to the height of the top board when you build. I rode for years in almost exactly that arena and my leg length and horse height caused my outside stirrup to ride right over the top of the rail and catch, yanking my leg back.

But that was only with my dressage saddle. Jumping saddle with stirrups higher was fine.

[taylorelaine]

I’m going to be jumping in the arena, so that does make me worry even more. Between the first two pictures which would be best? I think either one might be a little too costly for us at the moment, so I will have to find a less expensive alternative for now. I wish we would’ve done what the third picture has, with a thicker board like a railroad tie. If I’d had known they existed I would’ve gone with them instead.

[findeight]

That third picture is more visible to rider and horse and less likely to get covered by grass and footing but still a slip/trip hazard.

Another thought here. If you are going to be schooling over fences? Between over fences mishaps, getting on and off to adjust or reset rails and just a horse being a horse, how long a walk is it back to the barn to retrieve horse?

I am a giant fan of riding OUT of an arena away from a fence line for about a million reasons…but as it is this is a trip hazard and while you and the horses won’t trip over them, those pretty low height options will cost an awful lot and do nothing to confine a loose horse, whether intended or not.

I have see people use the yellow “ crime scene” tape and temporary stanchions from a big box store. They at least give a visible border most horses respect without risking them drifting out behind around a corner and stepping on that 2” high strip of lumber.

[taylorelaine]

Our arena is about 200 feet from the barn—it’s the blue-highlighted part in the picture below. It looks like I’ll definitely need to put up some sort of visual perimeter. I honestly like to ride without a fence, but not if there’s a risk, which seems to be the case with our current setup.

I think electric tape sounds like a good temporary and affordable solution, but I’m definitely going to try and save up for wood, mainly for aesthetic reasons. Normally, I wouldn’t care, but with the arena’s placement and how close it is to the house, I want it to look a little more polished.

I don’t think my mom was really excited about putting the arena so close to the house. It’s also the first thing you see when looking at the property, and I feel bad that this was the only space we could use. I wish we could have tucked it away a bit more, so I’m trying to make sure it looks clean and neat to help her feel better about it being there.

[pony_grandma]

You need an arena location where the rider can be seen if you’re riding alone. A Mom viewpoint!