I used to teach group jumping lesson (only up to about 2’6, maaaaaybe 3’) in a 60x120 indoor. Up to 6 people at a time, too. We had to be VERY organized but our kids kicked butt in local jumper shows because they knew how to turn really well! All of the jumps were 8’ or less in width. I could set a 7 jump course in there and still have room for flatwork, although anything longer than a 3 stride line was generally reserved for lessons in the bigger outdoor.
Ok sooo… it has been some time, the arena was delayed a bit obviously because LIFE.
Now, taping out, and guess what? No place I originally thought will really work. I can fit one in between barn and paddocks BUT it has a shocking 4’ drop. Bonuses: close, easier to get water to; cons: smaller, which won’t even help the cost of bringing in dirt not to mention drainage… looking at 66’x176’ to make it work.
Or I can build pretty danged big at the back of my property, like basically pick your size.
Sigh.
Anyone deal with a longer walk? Does it get old? Will I regret it?
1 Like
How long is the walk? And is it a good, solid path. A few hundred feet on solid footing isn’t really a big deal, but if the path is muddy, uneven and difficult it will get old quickly.
This is what I have, options-wise.
That 4’ drop was a huge shock… having it built up like right next to my paddocks, I can only imagine how unfun that will be…
650ish feet, give or take 20. Will not be muddy, etc.
That sounds doable. The walk to the arena will make a nice start to your warm up.
3 Likes
Exactly. I have a similar walk to an outdoor arena at the moment and it really does not bother me. I would do it as I’d prefer to have a larger riding space. There are just more options this way and I hate being confined to smaller arenas. I like as large as reasonably possible, personally.
I’ve been at a few stables over the years that have had short walks to the indoor or outdoor arenas and it hasn’t bothered me at all.
So, if dressage were my main discipline a 66’ wide area would be just fine - that’s basically 20 meters. But that’s a bit tight it you plan to jump or drive or do anything else. If I had your property, I’d build the arena on the back, and make it 100’ wide (or 125’ if I had the room) and the length (long side) as far as I could get away with (within reason, of course).
A short walk to the arena would be no biggy to me - just part of warm up. I hope some day to have an arena. That would certainly be grand. 
Until then, I live vicariously through those that are building them. :yes:
2 Likes
Well building is a stretch haha. This was the tape off so I can get a contractor out, so I know how many PB&Js to eat over the next two years :lol:
1 Like
I have to be the devils advocate here and that is which way is that 4 foot drop going? Long side or short side? We had a pretty big arena at one place on untouched ground and it had close to that on its short side, which had to be at least 200 feet. It was interesting to ride in as there was a very distinct up and downhill component.
Also had a cute 2’9" perimeter fence that one of the lesson horses I rode used to think should be jumped. We had higher fences on the courses and he didn’t see the logic in it.
Hey, at least you’re planning for one! :yes: That’s a start anyway!
Long side, and will be going along next to the paddocks… so to put horses out/in, will be walking with the hill next to me. Not a fan of that, plus drainage around or under it that doesn’t also flood the top of my paddocks.
My only comment would be that 650’ is a long walk in the pouring rain.
But if you’re not likely to be riding when the weather’s really terrible? Then it’s a lovely warm-up/down walk every day.
The 4’ drop is not a major issue IMO. My arena had an 8’ drop lengthwise when we built it (which was seriously surprising to me since it looked relatively flat), and I have no issues with flooding of any type off of any of the sides (all 4 sides of the arena are pasture).
I’ll reiterate what I said before about size, though. You’re planning a very large arena for single person use. I think you would likely be happy down to a 60 x 160 size. I’m not saying that larger wouldn’t be nice, but you really pay for it in materials. To get good enough drainage for our area you have to do layers that you might skip elsewhere and that material really adds up.
2 Likes
It’s not different than riding in the arena in the rain though.
Where I board, the outdoor arenas are about 1/4 mi from the barns. There is one indoor about 300’ from the main barn (lucky me, I’m currently much closer), and there’s a new indoor about 600’ from the main barn. The advantage is that by the time you reach the outdoors, you are warmed up and ready to go. But if it’s raining more than a sprinkle/drizzle, I always ride inside so I can’t say whether or not the walk would bother me in real rain. I will say that during winter, I try to at least walk out to the outdoor and back before riding whenever it’s not too icy or windy, even if the ground is frozen and I do my actual ride indoors.
I did have a draft x with a streak of Shetland pony in him who had a lot of trouble working in the outdoor after the horses had been brought in from turnout. He was pretty sure everyone else was gorging themselves on grain while he was working, lol. It wasn’t dangerous, just a nuisance, but my trainer at the time did mention that some horses really have a problem with it (I’m assuming those horses end up going somewhere else, because I don’t see people having problems). You probably won’t have this problem, assuming you have the ability to leave horses in turnout so the one working doesn’t feel so far away from everyone else.
Of the two options, I would build as big as I could afford at the back of the property.
4 Likes
Well I gotta tell ya, as a boarder and an owner, I’ve never been in a smaller arena than 80x150. That has been the smallest. The last two have been 70x200 and width made turns tight to fences while leaving a rail to ride on too; my favorite was 100x150. Of course, I’m not a strong rider, with time I could do it. Width is the killer. My Dad says I don’t want an arena right on top of my house, I am like shrug I just don’t know. It would be 38’ from the edge of my porch and 50’ from the slider, and that is awfully close… I could of course go slightly shorter for a titch more width, right now we have stakes in the ground for a 66x170 (says my Dad, I swear it was 176), so I could scooch it away from the house 20’ and make it 10’ wider… it does beg the question: Would having an arena right at your literal back door be a negative?? Wondering about resale too. I plan on living here a while, but it is also my retirement plan to sell this and move in my 50s…
And yeah, we all know I won’t be riding in the pouring rain :lol: :lol: :lol: So far the consensus is: pay for materials to build up, or pay for materials for a larger arena. Either way, I’m paying. And since the property slopes down all the way to the end of the paddocks, where it then comes back up, I have to deal with drainage. However, it isn’t like I’ll be putting horses out in the pouring rain, or after a rain, because when it’s muddy, they stay in. I just need quotes, but wanted opinions on the walk…
This is my current view from my dining room table: the round pen is in the same spot as the satellite pic, and the post in the ground between the center post of the slider and the edge of the screen door is the closest corner of what we taped…
[ATTACH=JSON]{“data-align”:“none”,“data-size”:“large”,“data-attachmentid”:10421562}[/ATTACH]
I would not want my arena wedged in between paddocks and that close to my house. Dust will get in your house. My barn and paddocks are close to my house and the noise and dust can be an issue if the boys get to romping on their gravel/sand footing in there. The cost to overcome that drop will be considerable I’m betting, too. I’d go for the back of the property…or bring it in to the middle-ish of the property? The walk is similar to walks I’ve had at boarding barns with outdoor arenas…heck I had one like that to an indoor at one place. That was fun on cold, wet, windy nights! I’d get quotes for both for sure.
1 Like
Hmmm. I’d actually love it if my arena were closer to the house … as it is, it feels like I’m pretty isolated at the corner of the farm. The walk isn’t bad when things are quiet, but I’d never go there in bad weather. Also, if I had a fenced all-weather arena near the barn, that would also be used as turnout when weather is bad, even if they just needed to get out for a bit while I cleaned the barn.
No contest, I’d go for the wider arena at the back of the property. I have a 66’x198’ arena (standard dressage size) and would definitely want more width if I jumped courses at home. It can even be tough to canter greenies in there. I’d also be concerned about dust in/near your house.
The only reason I’d consider the closer arena better is if you were planning to start a lot of young horses. Some safety issues might arise from the long, unconfined walk to the outdoor plus the distraction of turned out horses or the anxiety-inducing distance from stalled horses. If that’s not something you do regularly, I think you should be good. As others have said, the walk out there will just become part of your warm-up/cool-down. And if the weather is too unpleasant to walk out there, it’s probably too unpleasant to ride anyway.
