Ideas for a fabric building to use as a small small arena (?)

[Starting-Point-Stabl]

I was cruising through the FarmTek magazine and saw one project that was using one of the economy line agriculture fabric buildings for a small riding arena. I actually then found it on their website (I hope this isn’t rule breaking and if it is I do apologize) http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies/ExternalPageView?pageKey=EXTERNAL_PAGE_164

For years I’ve been gripping about losing lessons due to the wind and drizzly weather during the winter months. And for years I’ve been coveting semi-enclosed / indoor arenas.

Of course this building could also be a benefit during our 95+ summer weather as well, and we have a half dozen boarders who may also utilize it.

Right now I have a pretty solid ‘pony school’ youth program that utilize my 13H and under ponies, weekly ground handling class for the halter shows and lungeline lessons on average sized horses.

Does anyone here use anything like this to at least carry on basic horse activities in the case of poor weather?

I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to hear about the dimensions of your tension - fabric building, general costs (not including footing), assembly choices (did you do it or hire someone), praises and regrets.

How is it in mild to moderate winds (15mph or so)? How is it sound wise in mild to moderate rain (sound wise)? How is it in the heat if you have both end doors open?

I’ve marked off similar sizes in my outdoor arena and ridden the ponies around in the space - but it isn’t the same I’m sure.

[JackSprats_Mom]

There is a great thread lurking around on this which bascially said its not as good as it looks as they claim you don’t need the same permits as a regular building etc etc.

I would love to hear more too.

[Starting-Point-Stabl]

I found this post: http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?t=309932&highlight=fabric+building&page=2

I called Farm Tek two weekends ago and got some general info and pricing. I priced out a 65’ wide by 80’ long - $16,995 for the building with out end walls, $402.00 for the hardware (install on wood posts) and shipping to my location of $2,923.00. I asked him for a general labor price, understanding he wouldn’t know my locations economics… he said typically a 4 man crew with two scissor lifts could have it up with in two days for about $5,000 - $6,000 (and I’m assuming that is labor, cost of them renting the lifts, etc?). So I actually went on YouTube and found a video of a hoop building going up and it was pretty amazingly ‘quick’. So in all this building would about cost $26,320.00. I then asked him for pricing on having the ‘fabric’ come all the way down to the ground on the long walls with the ability to fold it up in the summer and he said about $1,600 for both long sides (something like this http://www.flickr.com/photos/clearspan/5582434114/ which would be cheaper than lumber). I had pricing on the end pieces but can’t read my notes. :-\

Now, I’m just looking for a place to get my small lesson program out of mildly bad weather - which to me is average winter winds of 15mph and any-time drizzly rain (not downpours) and a place to catch some shade in the heat of the day (but my main outdoor arena has trees all down the western side). Actually something a little bigger than this could work for me http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies/ExternalPageView?pageKey=EXTERNAL_PAGE_164

I live in a location where we may get 6" of snow twice a year, and our hard winter winds or thunderstorm wind burst top out around 30mph. My barn is a metal roofed open shed-row design and some mornings during certain times of the year it is raining condensation in the barn when I go to feed. Not a big deal to me, we really don’t ride in the mornings.

I then emailed with Morton for pricing on aprox 60’ X 80’ with an insulated roof and three walls (open to the south) and was quoted aprox $15.00 per square foot. So that means a similar structure install would be about $72,000. I’m going to guess that includes ground prep, materials, labor - not sure if that includes electrical?

Now, I can not afford $72,000. Not even half that.

My hay guy had a 50’ X 100’ 2 sided wood building put up two years ago (no electric, no insulated roof, and he did his own land grading) and he said it cost him around $40K.

I read the thread I posted at the very top where someone said riding in a tension fabric building in wind or rain was very noisy. Well, I know my barn roof is metal and it is not insulated and lord knows if it down pours you can’t hear yourself talk, but in our classroom where the roof is insulated you can hardly hear it raining. Also if the wind is blowing really hard the roof will make noises too. Compared to a bare metal roof I wonder how loud the fabric buildings are.

Hmmmmm. Here is another thread. http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?t=288644&highlight=fabric+building

[Cindyg]

I have a friend who has a fabric covered large round pen, and she’s very pleased with it.

I am having serious covered-arena envy.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

I would call another company besides Morton just to get a third quote. My experience around here is that they are the most expensive.

What does it cost to replace just the fabric if/when it rips?

[cowboymom]

There are a few of those barns/arenas here and the owners love them. There’s one on our way to town-we call it the plastic barn! lol But all winter long they use it to ride and work their horses.

I live in south central Montana in a very windy area. This structure sees -40 degree blizzards, 45 MPH winds, 105* heat, tons of weather and it looks the same as the day they built it five or six years ago.

It looks cheesy to us b/c we’re used to traditional structures but I’d take one in a heartbeat!

[CHSatwork]

I think I mentioned in the other thread, I’m in SWVA and a neighbors “fabric indoor” blew away twice already. I’ve only lived here 5 years.

[eponacelt]

These fabric buildings can be great. Or not. They can be noisy, or not. They can go up easy…or, wait, they never go up as easy as they look in videos.

I can’t comment on the FarmTek structures, but having had personal experience on a “4-man crew with two scissor lifts” putting up a small Cover-It airplane hanger, well…all I can say is good freakin’ luck. Hire the pros and spare yourself the time, money, hassle and injuries to get it put up right!

I will say I used to board where we had a small-ish Coverall indoor arena, and with the exception of the roll-up doors rattling in the wind, it was a great place to ride. And I hear the door problem can be fixed.

Good luck!

[cherham]

Compare apples to apples…as mentioned above there are great fabric covered buildings and there are cheap copies. You get what you pay for. You WILL need a building permit. And they can easily cost the same or more then a traditional wood and steel arena. But they provide the most fabulous riding environments.

As for “blowing away”. We suffered a direct hit with an F2 tornado here in Ontario 2 years ago. Our Cover-all arena simply folded down in the wind. No wood shards flying around to hurt anyone. Both traditional wood and steel sided arenas on either side of our property literally blew away in the wind causing all sorts of property damage and sadly some horse casualties.

Do your research but don’t be surprised at the high prices of either of these types of buildings. I hope you find one that you like and fits your budget.

[Mallard]

I would also look into your building laws… you will probably need permits.
Up here any of the CoverAll types have proper footings and are almost like building a ‘real’ structure, except the walls/top is fabric instead of wood/steel and you need building permits/inspections etc.

And if you need electrical installed that can run thousands. It will not be useable after dark, which is 5/6 pm for 4 months of winter unless you have lights.

Don’t forget to add the cost of proper footing…and maintaining it.
\If it freezes it will not be rideable. And the colder it gets, the dustier it will be.

[furlong47]

5 year old thread.