Hi all! What do you use to water your arenas? Mine is a sand outdoor. As temps continue going up in the summer, I’m realizing I need to come up with a less time-consuming, more efficient way to water my arena than hand watering with a hose everyday.
If you’re in a humid climate, spreading magnesium chloride pellets or flakes can help keep footing moist enough to keep dust down. I do it once every year-year and a half and can almost skip watering entirely. If there’s a protracted dry spell with very low humidity, I’ll take the time to sprinkle some water on the surface. I’m referring to an indoor/ enclosed arena. No idea what would work for an outdoor
1 Like
We use a sprinkler? We actually have three that come on one after the other. What else would you use.
1 Like
Mine is fully an outdoor. It is actually great in the winter in a very rainy area - puddles or not, the footing is solid. But it gets hard and dry in the summer. I’ve never heard of the flakes, and would love to do an indoor in the future so glad to be aware now, thank you!
What types of sprinklers? I’d love something that could be put out permanently and set on timers or something, but isn’t horrifically expensive.
I know some people use the pull-behind waterers that are basically a trough you pull like a drag. And figured most people use sprinklers - but even within the category of sprinklers there are lots of options and ways that they could potentially be rigged.
My ring is 75x200. I have three of these:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Orbit-Sprinkler-5000-sq-ft-Impulse-Tripod-Lawn-Sprinkler/1000560589
I connect all three of them in line. I don’t have great water pressure down there, so sometimes I can run all three at once and get coverage, but sometimes I have to run them one at a time. I use the three way head attachments (bought separately) on each so that I have the option of just using them as a pass through without having to haul sprinklers around.
I generally water for about an hour, but it depends on how dry the ring is to start and how much water pressure I have.
1 Like
Hunter brand sprinklers. I-25s and I-40s, depending on the location around the arena. Permanently installed by an irrigation company and tied to a 5,000 gallon water tank.
Sand outdoor dressage arena here. I have 10 sprinkler heads mounted on 2 foot poles around it - 5 per side. I am using Rainbird Falcon sprinkler heads wit blue nozzles. Blue is the maximum range nozzle that came in the nozzle assortment with each head. Each sprinkler completely overlaps the adjacent ones. I run them one at a time off of my 1-1/2 horsepower well pump.
I have a buried 1-1/2 inch PVC pipe supply line running directly from the well, and it then makes a “U” around the arena perimeter, with a 1 inch diameter PVC pipe riser to each sprinkler head. I usually run each head daily starting at 2AM to take advantage of off- peak electricity for the well pump. Total cost about seven years ago was $2,000, including labor, pipes, sprinkler heads and valves and a 10 zone Rainbird wireless-enabled controller unit, so I can run everything from my phone. Which is great if we get rain unexpectedly. I can just shut it off without getting out of bed.
1 Like
How big is your arena? Do you have any wind? My hunters struggle to reach the center of the arena even with no wind and it can get quite breezy here 
I have the same sprinkler. My arena is only 60’ x 100’, so I water one end and then the other. I like your idea of using multiples. It’s hot and dry here, so it’s hard to get a uniform watering.
