What would you choose if you could only have one or the other: 75’ round pen or a 66x100 oval? …for free lunging, flat work concentrating on transitions, frame + cross rail as intro to jumping.
Oval.
75 ft round for me, our round pen is actually 66ft… but really not used much at all
the 66x100 ft oval… the straight sections would be 44 feet (assumes the 100ft is measured for apex of arched ends to apex) … but then again my math could be wrong
if the 100ft is to be the straightaway then overall the oval would be 166 feet arch to arch again assumes I am thinking correctly
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Apex to apex is 100 ft. Short straight sections = 44 ft. I haven’t done the math but that sounds correct.
I had an 80’ round pen, when riding in it, it felt quite small, especially with a bigger moving horse. I’d opt for the oval. I actually took the round pen down and made a rectangle with the addition of a few more panels. It is nice to have a straight wall/fence to work on rather than going in circles.
What size rectangle did you end up with?
It came out roughly 112x70, that was with a few additional panels
In Spain they use a picadero - or square pen, dating back for years. They say they use it for establishing bend and straightness. Don’t know the measurements, but it is a ridden in as well as used for groundwork and body language.
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We have a roundpen that’s basically the size of a longe circle. I find it limiting. My horse tends to cut in and not want to run through the puddles on the rail, and if we work trot canter n there more than once a week her hind legs stock up. It’s sand and just too small and hard for her. I can’t imagine riding in it, never tried.
She free longes well in their w t c halt on voice commands which is fun but I feel something about running along so close to the fence makes her counterbend and fall in, and free longing gives you no control over the bend.
We do our liberty and trick work in the full size arenas.
I don’t know if I’d have more use for the roundpen if I was breaking a colt? Not sure. I think I d still prefer more space around us.
I just found this:
When a horse walks, trots or canters in a square or rectangular arena, every time he really goes through the corners, he lifts his shoulders and comes out of the corner more straight and uphill. Therefore the corners are a big part of the Gymnasium (= anciently known sequence of exercises that empowers the horse) for a horse who takes a corner produces a small Shoulder In. Shoulder in, is in fact a horse walking as if going through a corner, but then keeps his shape and walks in a straight line forward. Of course, when you work a horse free in a rectangular space which is to large, the horse will often cut the corners. That is why a picadero was invented. It is a square measuring 12 by 12 or 15 by 15 meters. Within the picadero, just following the track in walk, trot or canter will benefit your horse by lifting his shoulders each corner.
A 15 meter picadero is just under 50’ ft. square. 12x12 just under 40’
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I see many advantages to a circle or a square. I can’t think of an advantage to an oval. Why would I want one?
G,
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I’m not mad for an oval either, but my usable space is limited to semi-circles on both ends due to mature trees that are in the way and a driveway curve. So I’m trying to make do and squeeze the largest ring I can get into a less than optimum space.
When training horses on cattle, you don’t want corners, because cattle will “ball-up” in a corner and interrupt the flow you want for the horse to learn to track one at the proper power distance.
Most cattle pens to train horses tend to be round, around 150’ diameter, for that reason.
Cattle have to keep following that wall around and around, no corner to break the flow, while you can keep the main herd in the middle, the horse between the one on the outside and the herd, learning to track and work cattle.
Any other, just to train a horse in dry work, western or English riding, you can adapt your riding to any size and shape area.
Could you possibly put up some flags or cones and try riding different shapes, see what may work best for what you are after?
I have had both a round pen and a square ( rectangle really ). I used the round pen to mount up on my youngsters when I first started them. I preferred the larger square for everything else.
I never had a round pen, but my horses were early trained in their turn-out paddock which is like a small, pony, kid sized riding ring…so they were square penned instead - they seemed to understand perfectly regardless.
I would go with the Oval. I also wouldn’t worry about it being symmetrical if that is part of what is limiting the size. I have ridden in arena’s that are oddly shaped and it was fine. Made me think more about being correct rather than just let my horse follow the track.
