Horse arena

[SilliamWhale]

I said it would never stop but surely once this is done it might be!

Ok I've got a load of digging out to do later in the year for a barn conversion and so when the 360 is here I'm thinking of making a start on this horse arena i've been "requested" to think about building

I'm going to have some spare earth so was thinking maybe I could use this as the outside bund for the arena and grass it - or do you think I'd regret it - don't want too much maintenance.

And these arenas - how big would they need to be ideally? Not a commercial one. I've got my own stone which goes down quite tight. Do I definitely need to put drainage in? My land drains quite well but probably the tight stone won't drain so well - unless there was a fall on it. Is it herringbone style coils?

I know rubber is the best but sand is surely ok isn't it? Do I definitely need a membrane - every garden membrane i ever see never seems to do a lot.

I want to do it too a budget ie cheap as possible. Already have a flat site

Thanks for tips @llamedos @Flintstone - you know what dobbin likes

 

[bovine]

I know a person who got stung for business rates on a horse arena, just keep that in mind as its non agricultural (this was for own use, not commercial)

 

[Flintstone]

@SilliamWhale

Being brief, as I'm supposed to be crop walking...

40 x 20 m is the standard non-competition size. They then go up to 60x20 for more serious stuff. I have two 40 x 20 arenas. One indoor and one outdoor.

We put drainage in just because it didn't cost a lot more, and I didn't want the riders moaning. I've never seen any water come out of the pipes though! Yes, herringbone shape and then I filled it with shingle and put a membrane on top. The membrane helps stop stones working their way up, as well as stopping the sand washing downwards.

You'll want some shredded rubber ideally too, and I have a contact who'll deliver at a good price and who I buy mine from. Just don't go to one of the 'specialist' equestrian suppliers or you'll pay twice the amount for it. You'll need silica sand, not regular sand. The supplier I know will advise you on volumes needed but I think it was two artics of sand and one of rubber when I built ours.

 

[Flintstone]

As for rates, we just got rated in Dec, and will be paying £18k per annum within 3 years. :-(

£600 rateable value per stable, and £2500 per arena.

 

[SilliamWhale]

@SilliamWhale

Being brief, as I'm supposed to be crop walking...

40 x 20 m is the standard non-competition size. They then go up to 60x20 for more serious stuff. I have two 40 x 20 arenas. One indoor and one outdoor.

We put drainage in just because it didn't cost a lot more, and I didn't want the riders moaning. I've never seen any water come out of the pipes though! Yes, herringbone shape and then I filled it with shingle and put a membrane on top. The membrane helps stop stones working their way up, as well as stopping the sand washing downwards.

You'll want some shredded rubber ideally too, and I have a contact who'll deliver at a good price and who I buy mine from. Just don't go to one of the 'specialist' equestrian suppliers or you'll pay twice the amount for it. You'll need silica sand, not regular sand. The supplier I know will advise you on volumes needed but I think it was two artics of sand and one of rubber when I built ours.

Thanks that sounds good. Reckon if I've got a 360 here anyway it end up too crazy to do. Only big cost I can see is rubber and membrane. Looks like menage sand is £11 ton about here

 

[SilliamWhale]

As for rates, we just got rated in Dec, and will be paying £18k per annum within 3 years. :-(

£600 rateable value per stable, and £2500 per arena.

Its only home use. I need to find a way of paying nothing - sheep corral I think or place to change tractor oils

 

[Moorlands]

As for rates, we just got rated in Dec, and will be paying £18k per annum within 3 years. :-(

£600 rateable value per stable, and £2500 per arena.

OMG
hope they don't come and slap that on other halves livery yard it'll be a killer!

 

[RhysT]

I said it would never stop but surely once this is done it might be!

Ok I've got a load of digging out to do later in the year for a barn conversion and so when the 360 is here I'm thinking of making a start on this horse arena i've been "requested" to think about building

I'm going to have some spare earth so was thinking maybe I could use this as the outside bund for the arena and grass it - or do you think I'd regret it - don't want too much maintenance.

And these arenas - how big would they need to be ideally? Not a commercial one. I've got my own stone which goes down quite tight. Do I definitely need to put drainage in? My land drains quite well but probably the tight stone won't drain so well - unless there was a fall on it. Is it herringbone style coils?

I know rubber is the best but sand is surely ok isn't it? Do I definitely need a membrane - every garden membrane i ever see never seems to do a lot.

I want to do it too a budget ie cheap as possible. Already have a flat site

Thanks for tips @llamedos @Flintstone - you know what dobbin likes

For a surface additive, rubber has gone out of fashion nowerdays. People use shredded carpet fibre now. Price of this venture from premium companies to other retailers. We sell it. Costs about £1000 plus vat and delivery for a 40 x 20.

 

[suffolksmallholder]

I've seen some arenas done 'on the cheap'. They're horrible. What happens when someone tries to leave out something it always comes out and bites them. Particularly when you are charging for their use. Drains. Yes absolutely. Membrane too, twice. The second time is more important but you will have to look into this as it requires some extra work. A viewing area is useful, electrics whilst you're digging AND water to two opposite corners for that little professional touch, particularly for those dry summer months. If you have nice clean stone that packs well you are lucky.
SS

 

[T C]

We built one about 8 years ago - Mrs TC's brains and my brawn !!
My attitude was it gets more expensive the nearer you are to the surface so don't skimp on the drainage. We put drains every 6m only about 45cm down, layer of stone (levelled with wilder pressure harrow and vibrating rollered). Then fence, then membrane (ours was like a heavy felt). NB nail membrane to the barge boards.
Then silica sand topped off with shredded clothing (spread with a bedding machine and rotospiked in).
If we costed everything in no change from 10k for a 40m x 30m.

Think sand only will blow - the fibres or rubber help bind it. There are wax coated sand and irrigation set ups but all add to cost.

One bonus was we lost some lawn to mow !!

 

[George from SJM Planning]

Have you considered you may need planning permission for a riding arena?
I'm only saying as I've submitted applications for at least 6 arenas as you describe within the past two years.

 

[chaffcutter]

Definitely need planning as its change of use involving engineering work.
Ours is just silica sand and apart from keeping it harrowed level takes little maintenance, have a small irrigator for keeping it wet in the summer. Needs boards and some fence replacing now but it's about 15 years old.

 

[Ivor Cornfield]

40 x20 i would say is standard minimum.You can go bigger to olympic 60x20, which you can split when necessary for more users at the same time. As this is for your own use though, and maybe by invite only to friends, it should not incurr br. We have free draining ground, dug out to around a foot deep, but drainage put in anyway, as an outlet was very close. From memory, 6inch of stone, and 4 inch silica sand. Topped with chopped rubber.
I like the sound of your bund idea, compared to post and rail.
It does seem to compact where these daft devils keep going round in the same circles, and does puddle in these areas after heavy rain. Usually ok next day though.
Biggest job is leveling the fkn pig trough they leave around the outside. But as mentioned, it is for your own use, so shouldnt be too much of a ball ache.

 

[TripleSix]

Don't have a grass banking, unless it's not very big they are an utter nightmare to mow and keep tidy.


Drains drains and more drains.

My preference would be to have it slightly higher than the land, to help drainage.

Go and have a look at other established arenas, look at their surface, pick one that's working well.

If they want to do some jumping and not just practice dressage it needs to be a lot bigger than 20x40.

Going around and around a 20x40 is awful...

Go as big as possible, it can't be too big....

 

[roscoe erf]

what are your neighbours like round there @SilliamWhale

 

[George from SJM Planning]

Definitely need planning as its change of use involving engineering work.
Ours is just silica sand and apart from keeping it harrowed level takes little maintenance, have a small irrigator for keeping it wet in the summer. Needs boards and some fence replacing now but it's about 15 years old.

I agree that a new riding arena will require planning, I previously said 'may' need planning as I'm sure many JFDI!

 

[Ukjay]

Unfortunately Cheap equals more cost later on. If you want my advice to prevent you suffering what we currently have - do not go rubber surface (not sure who told you that it is the best) or have sand only surface or you will regret it, and definitely put in drains correctly.
I will be ripping ours out this year as the one we have was done on the cheap and it is useless!

Point to note about Rubber surfaces - if you have a Grey Horse / Pony, they end up with Black Boots which is a pita!

The main part of the Manege is the base, if you get this construction wrong - you will regret it and the costs incurred to redo it. After all the hard graft to build it in the first place, you do not want to have to rip it all up to sort out poor drainage, mud coming up through the surface as it has been scrimped on.
If you have level ground - you can use your other soil to build up the perimeter to the base level, but then build it traditionally - do not bank the soil up around the edge - because it is a real pita to keep tidy (you cannot mow vertically as easy as level ground, so you time to maintain goes up).

As a minimum, the base should have the drainage installed in channels that are lined with membrane, then some clean non dusty gravel, pipe laid in, then topped with more clean non dusty gravel. Then this gets capped off with the surface layer of membrane which you should also fix boarding around the edge of the manege, then add a minimum of 150mm of cleaned / washed granite or similar stone as you subsurface (do not use limestone, as this can break down and then the fines can work to block up the routes to drain the base effectively, thus rendering your surface unusable).

The reason for you granite layer - is that this provides firstly a ground stabilizing layer, but more importantly your reservoir for containing a downpour, which then filters through to your well designed drainage channels, that should not be designed to take the water away as fast as possible, it should be controlled so that the surface has residual moisture left (not stay wet).
If your arena will be subjected to a lot of run off water in a downpour - you may need to increase the granite layer by consequence to help prevent the arena surface washing out.

Over the top of your granite - you should add another layer of membrane (again fixed to you manege boarding).

You then need to decide on your surface - which personally as stated, I would avoid the rubber or sand only. The final surface is unfortunately one area that you can get fleeced on - and more of a concern now, is that there are many suppliers who make tall claims, but the end result is not as expected. This is why a lot of people opt for Rubber or Sand - as they are substantially cheaper.

My advice on the surface - go and see some commercial maneges being used in reputable businesses, then ask them how they are holding up. Buy from a reputable dealer and you will buy once.

Easiest way to work out depths, just use 150mm boarding around the manege fence, then this is the level of each layer. I would also recommend adding a couple of additional boards to prevent the surface being kicked out of the manege as the horses circle the arena, also helps to prevent the grass coming into the arena.

Additionally - I would add some 50mm wire netting around the outside to the manege to stop the frikin rabbits. They love digging up the surface. Do not use the fine mesh netting - as this will push your boundary fence over in the wind.

Size wise, 40 x 20 is considered the std domestic surface area, but 60 x 30 is a far better option honest, as it gives so much more in terms of options, but the costs do obviously go up.

Also - a Manege does need planning permission.

 

[SilliamWhale]

I think what im going to considering ive got some good stone and will have a 360 in the area is build the base, put the drainage in, put a soil bund around it as i need to get rid of some soil and then leave the rest to my wife.

 

[suffolksmallholder]

Here's a picture of the drainage in a 20 metre circle, not a corner in sight! The hardest part is not to disturb the central pivot throughout the entire process. All soil levels fall 25mm to the trenches, all the trenches are 1:40 fall to the ditch system. Very heavy rain storms soak instantly away.
The debate for top surface material still rages with everything being an additional cost. If you live in a windy area the solution is to use mesh netting to slow the wind. This works well AND stops waskly wabbits using the area to play & weed seeds blowing in. You can always add bulking to the silica sand later so why not try sand to start with?

The net stage in the construction is to lay non woven membrane. If you need to save money or your ground is suitable this could be omitted but don't take my word for this!
http://www.terram.com/products/geot...separators-general-construction-highways.html

Following the membrane is150mm of 40mm angular washed stone which binds well. Then very careful application of the next layer of non woven membrane, glued, sewn, no gaps & 700mm overlap. Then 150mm of silica sand.

Blending in/landscaping is also a consideration. Banking the windward side may be useful but on the other hand banking the North & East aspects with a view to planting a wind-break may be more advantageous. The NE wind here in East Anglia needs planting out!

Opening the gate, whilst mounted, is catered for with a very clever two-way gate catch.
SS

 

[Extreme Optimist]

@Zetor