Indoor riding arena questions

[Sandpit]

I joined in hopes of receiving some opinions on what to do with our indoor riding arena. It is 72x150

I started to take off all the kick wall down (because of the non treated lumber rotting). It has been on for almost 32 years.

Is there a standard slant for kick walls? The owner before had only a slant of 7 inches (4 foot tall wall).

It had tongue and groove 1 inch boards on face of the wall. It seems very sturdy but is there any other opinions on what could be used?

Had any insulated their kickwall? I will not do spray insulation and am wondering about using Styrofoam?

Above the 4 foot kick wall - does anyone have opinions on what to do? I had been thinking about using barn siding?

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Doug
York, PA

[Cassi1125]

The barn I’m at has the kick wall, shelf, and just the metal barn siding above. The only place that has extra coverage is where the mirror is on one long wall. I don’t honestly think I’ve been at any barn that has covered the barn siding up to the fiberglass.

[mmeqcenter]

A lot of people use 3/4" plywood instead of boards. Depends on the look you’re going for.

I think using a rigid insulation will be difficult to completely fill the triangular gap. What about wool batt?

For the top part, I mean the world is your oyster. I’ve personally never seen anyone cover the metal sheets. What kind of look are you going for? Board and batten, tongue-and-groove. Plywood could be covered with faux stone or something.

[trubandloki]

@Sandpit

I joined in hopes of receiving some opinions on what to do with our indoor riding arena. It is 72x150

I started to take off all the kick wall down (because of the non treated lumber rotting). It has been on for almost 32 years.

Is there a standard slant for kick walls? The owner before had only a slant of 7 inches (4 foot tall wall).

It had tongue and groove 1 inch boards on face of the wall. It seems very sturdy but is there any other opinions on what could be used?

Had any insulated their kickwall? I will not do spray insulation and am wondering about using Styrofoam?

Above the 4 foot kick wall - does anyone have opinions on what to do? I had been thinking about using barn siding?

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Doug
York, PA

I feel like the answer to how slanted the kick wall needs to be is one of those things that everyone will have their own opinion and list of reasons why their opinion is right.

The slant lowers the likelihood of your leg/foot encountering the wall.

I have ridden at places with no slant and it has not been a problem.
I feel like 7" difference between the base and the top is quite a bit of slant.

What are you using the indoor for? Riding?
If driving I could see the reason for more slant, so the wheel hubs are safely away from the wall.

Most of the barns I have seen have some form of plywood for the kickboard. 3/4" can withstand quite a bit.

Why do you want to insulate in the kickwall?
I can not think of a reason for that.

[Sandpit]

Yes, I have found out that there are many opinions about slant walls and no slant.

My wife will use the arena mostly for riding.

We were thinking about insulating the whole wall so we could heat the arena in the winter.

Thank you for your opinions/ideas. I really appreciate it.

[pony_baloney]

You could do a straight wall instead of a slant, and run thick wood around like a fence rail to keep them from coming too close to the wall.

[jvanrens]

@pony_baloney

You could do a straight wall instead of a slant, and run thick wood around like a fence rail to keep them from coming too close to the wall.

But do most outdoor arenas have that? I know the slant is common it an indoor, but rails around an outdoor? Not that I’ve ever seen. I’ve ridden in outdoors with hotwire without a problem.

[Sandpit]

This is for an indoor riding arena.

[Bluey]

In Europe all indoors had slant walls for many years, then they found out horses would trip more if they hit the slanted wall than a straight wall.
Makes sense, a horse hitting the slant wall will slip down and fall on the wall, way more apt to happen than a rider hit a straight wall with it’s leg.

Starting colts when I was 13, colts don’t do corners too well, still have legs going all over, I had a gelding miss the end of the turn, slip on the slant wall and slam his belly into the wall as he fell, my foot turned around and twisted and broke the fibula.

That is when our riding instructor made a point slanted walls were an accident waiting to happen, but that is what we had, so we coped with it, were extra careful.
I have seen over the next half a century people going with straight walls for some years, then back to slanted ones, curious that no one can decide what is really best.
Our barns have all had straight walls and working fine like that, never had a problem.

OP, maybe consider if you do go with slanted walls, do a minimal slant?

[Alpha_Mare]

Just $0.02, My builder put some of the screenings (base footing) at the base of a slanted wall, as he said footing would otherwise tend to move in there and make it uneven in the riding lane. I find the slanted wall comfortable, it has a flat top that’s handy for lunge lines, etc. near the entrance.

[NaturallyHappy]

We have a straight wall- no problems. I’ve heard of the problems @Bluey describes.

[Bluey]

@NaturallyHappy

We have a straight wall- no problems. I’ve heard of the problems @Bluey describes.

Is mere physics.
A horse hits slanted wall about one or so foot up, his hoof slips down sideways and horse loses his balance sideways and falls into the wall.
Hitting on a slanted wall takes the hoof right out from under the horse, horse falls unbalance and sideways, similar to when they roped horses, fore-footing a horse you want to trip over onto its shoulder.

Same scenario but with straight wall, the hoof hits and slides straight down, horse is still balancing straight up, may stumble forward, but not sideways into the wall.

[frugalannie]

We have slant walls of tongue and groove, with an 8" x 1" PT kickboard at the bottom. We haven’t yet had a horse slip or trip due to it, and the PT board has prevented rot for over 40 years. Previous owners built the indoor in the late 70’s.

My only problem with it is that critters LOVE to hang out, conduct romances, and raise babies in the space between the inner and exterior sheathing. Raccoons and squirrels are the worst, and there are some days that we just give up and ride outdoors. Having insulation in there might make it even more cozy for them.

[MsM]

We have straight plywood kickboards at my boarding barn with no problems, even when horses are allowed loose in there.

[pony_baloney]

I’m talking about the indoor arena. You attach a fence rail onto the vertical arena wall supports, essentially fencing the wall off; this way the horse and your ankle doesn’t get knocked by the support beams. It does the same thing as a slanted wall, in that it keeps the horse off the wall.

[NaturalSelection]

A friend has a beautiful personal indoor area, 80’ x 200’. Slanted kick wall.

I boarded at her farm one winter and the critters in the sidewalls are the WORST. Probably didn’t help that there was little traffic in the arena. These animals would be scuttling around in the walls and screaming at each other when I was trying to ride. Drove my horse bananas, and how could I blame him?

Skunks, raccoons, possums. My friends were always trying to seal up any gaps to prevent tunneling from outside the barn and setting live traps.

[Pico_Banana]

I always wonder why people ride so close to the wall that they want a slant to give their foot more room. Just ride a bit off the wall and use it as a way to make sure you’re actually keeping your horse straight without using the wall as a crutch.

Go ahead. Call me a curmudgeon.

[PaddockWood]

When we built a few years ago, our Amish builder who specializes in barns and arenas, suggested light colored barn siding and a straight wall. And he capped the top too - many of us have been tortured hearing baby birds and other animals trapped down the sides of walls with no cap. It’s been a lovely space to play.

[CHT]

Your arena looks very nicely finished.

OP, depending on your budget, I have an alternative idea; instead of a wooden kick wall, put up a cement pony wall and imbed heat loops in the cement so you can use a boiler to heat your arena. A layer of Styrofoam sandwiched between the exterior and the pony wall would likely be sufficient, with a higher R rating isolation for the top - the best option will vary depending on your location.

[trubandloki]

@Pico_Banana

I always wonder why people ride so close to the wall that they want a slant to give their foot more room. Just ride a bit off the wall and use it as a way to make sure you’re actually keeping your horse straight without using the wall as a crutch.

Or, your ring is small and narrow and you are trying to use every inch of the space you have.

It does not mean you do not also use the quarter line to work on straightness with out the wall.