Building an All-Weather Arena (Part 1)
by April LaLande
This article is the first in a two-part series. Published first in the March issue of The Green Horse –the online newsletter of Horses for Clean Water
Stuck inside looking out at wet trails, slippery slopes and soggy ground? Horses getting fat? Has your outdoor riding area turned into a mud pit? Want to build a safe, mudless outdoor area to ride in...but wonder, how much will it cost? Will it really work after all the time, money and sweat?
I must admit I have made some expensive errors in judgment when planning my exercise areas. And when I say “my,” I mean I get more exercise than the horses repairing holes and raking! My first arena project involved using the tractor and to carve out a little lunging area. Well, the little lunging area got expanded into a 70 foot diameter round pen, and later got a beautiful fence (courtesy of my patient husband) and now it is a permanent fixture on our property. It looks good, but it doesn’t work too well! I didn’t know I would change from having two quiet geriatric mares to a three year old who could dig in and take off like a rocket, or that I would have visiting horses that resembled live pogo sticks, and draft horses that could ruin my footing by just walking. Luckily, we have space, so the round pen is only used during dry weeks and in the summer. The old saying “do it right the first time” has come to mind more than once!
We now use our all-weather sand arena most of the time—it has seen three seasons of record rain, snow and wind yet looks the same as when we put it in! The general building principles that we used are the same as those used by professional arena builders and contractors. You can save some money by doing many of the steps yourself, but having the right equipment available is key.
When you plan your arena (especially if you don’t have a lot of room), write a list of what you want to accomplish with your horse property over the next five years and what type of riding you expect to be doing. Then talk to as many people as possible that have built an arena. It is invaluable to go look at and ride in as many horse arenas as you can before you start. We’ve all ridden in arenas we don’t like, but it’s good to take the time to find some you do like before you start.
First Things First
Determine your goals: What do you want to do in your arena? What is your time frame for completion? How much use will the arena get?
Under Foot, the great United States Dressage Foundation’s very useful all-purpose guide to building and maintaining arenas, states: “Footing is to the horse as the shoe is to the athlete.” This couldn’t be more true. Everything you do from start to finish will be with one goal in mind: Provide the best surface possible for the type of riding you do. There are three main components to an arena, 1) the subbase, 2) the base and 3) the riding surface. The more diligent you are about getting these components right, the longer your arena will last, the more traffic you can have, and the less maintenance you’ll need. If you have time, you can do one layer at a time, letting it sit in between to determine problem areas. This also lets nature do some of the compacting work for you. Depending on what time of year you start and the soil moisture content this may take up to a year, but you will have a great finished surface. If you need an arena right away, there are contractors and machines that can get the same effect, but expect to pay for this.
If you are going to have a long-term arena with moderate to heavy use, it is imperative you don’t skimp on any of the three steps in your building. If your arena is for light use and depending on your soil type, the subbase step can sometimes be skipped.
You also need to decide what size you want up front. What is the minimum size you can use for your sport and keep yourself and your horses safe? Lastly, if you plan on someday covering your arena, many manufacturers use pre-made truss and panel dimensions so you will need to pick your arena size accordingly.
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Some Typical Arena Sizes |
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Round pen |
60 foot diameter is best, 40 foot minimum |
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Cows and Reining |
100 x 200 feet minimum |
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Jumping |
80 x 120 feet minimum |
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Small Dressage |
66 x 132 feet (20 x 40 meters) |
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Large Dressage |
66 x 198 feet (20 x 60 meters) |
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Driving |
132 x 264 (40 x 80 meters) |
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Multi Purpose professional |
150 x 300 feet |
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Location, Location, Location! Choosing a site.
Your first investment in your project should be a good 200 foot reel tape measure. You’ll be using it a lot! Once you have determined the size of your arena, go out with your tape to the highest spot on your property and measure off your site. Ideally, it will be in an accessible location that you could drive all the way around with a tractor or truck for maintenance, easy to access for the heavy equipment and it would have good sub soil that drains in all directions. This was the case for arena #1, which didn’t need any excavation to start their project.
Arena #1 is Elk Run Stable, a schooling, boarding and dressage facility in North Bend, WA. The school horses work in the arena often, therefore, the main consideration for this owner was getting maximum cushion and resilience to protect the horse’s joints while providing good traction and an all weather surface. This is the perfect site drainage-wise—an important decision for this area of North Bend which gets up to 95 inches of rain a year! A good quality hog fuel was chosen because it provides the needed cushion and is heavy enough not to wash or blow away during big storms: hog fuel is easy to maintain and add to when needed.
Arena #2 is a personal use arena. The main consideration was to be able to use it in any weather since there is no “indoor” option. Washed, screened granite sand was chosen to keep the dust down with a fairly large grain for good cushion and to keep washout at a minimum. Sand varies a lot from quarry to quarry so it’s good to get a sample, lay it on the ground for a while to see how it feels and holds up over time. Sand and/or wood dust can be irritating and once you bring in tons of material you are stuck with it! If at all possible, test your material out first so you don’t waste a lot of time and resources later having to keep it watered.
It’s safe to assume we aren’t all going to be as lucky as arena #1. The less earth you have to move or fill in the better, both on cost control and for surface integrity. Look for the most level site on your property. This is very difficult to eyeball, so once you think you have a site, rent a laser level to determine how many feet, front to back and side to side your area is off from the highest point. This will give you some idea of the work that needs to be done and whether this is a feasible site. If you use a contractor they will help you with this process, usually as part of their initial consultation and bid process. Arena #2 was built on a sloping property with the most level area being initially 5 feet higher on the topside. This arena required excavation, fill and both a swale and drainage ditches to keep the surface area and base dry.
The least desirable and most expensive option is building your arena at the bottom of a hill. Extensive drains must be put in to keep the subbase and base from getting wet, plus the base and surface must be built up higher than the surrounding area.
A few other considerations:
- The less organic matter the better. Your subbase will be more stable if you can scrape off the squishy top layer of soil and don’t have a lot of deep stumps and rocks to pull out.
- Notice how water runs across the site after a heavy rain. Test the soil moisture by digging small holes and seeing where it’s wet or dry. This will give you some idea of how many and what kind of ditches or drainage you’ll need.
- If you are going to use your arena for competitions, generally they are laid out North to South so judges can sit with the sun at their back.
- Get a soil survey of your property. This will tell you what your subbase will be composed of, which will make your site selection and all the work thereafter much easier in the long run. If you have sandy loam, you may not need extensive drainage ditches no matter where your site, but if you have clay you will need a lot more planning. If you need to bring in fill, it will make the selection of material much easier. According to Matt Dunnahoe, a farm planner from the King Conservation District in King County, there are two soil surveys: the 1973 survey which covers the western and central parts, and the 1992 survey which covers eastern areas including Snoqualmie Pass and parts of Pierce County. You can get this information online, or go into the King Conservation District offices (call 425-277-5581) and pick up a copy of your soil description (to interpret the map) and a black and white soil survey map. If you live outside King County, contact your local conservation district to obtain soil maps and descriptions of your soil type or types. Visit the Washington State Conservation Districts directory or Washington Soil Survey Reports.
- Research whether you’ll need or want to use a geotextile fabric. See US Fabrics Geosynthetics Resource Center for more information. GeoTextile fabric goes between the subbase and base—not under the top layer of footing. Advantages for some types of soil are 1) rocks won’t work their way up through the subbase 2) water will wick away more evenly and 3) compacting of the base will be improved.
Protect your horse and yourself. Choosing an appropriate footing.
Choosing your footing can be the most frustrating part of your arena. All choices have their advantages and disadvantages, so you will need to weigh the pros and cons. You don’t have to decide right away since it doesn’t make any difference in how your base is constructed.
Outdoor footing options are numerous. In the Northwest they are usually sand, wood or some combination of the two. Other footing options include various forms of recycled rubber. It does provide excellent cushioning for the horse but shouldn’t be used by people with latex allergies or where it can’t be contained and maintained properly (it floats!). Cedar hogfuel is popular; it breaks down into an even, cushiony footing, but it can get dusty and is lighter weight than other hogfuels. It is also good to consider your “microclimate. ” All types of wood will become slippery and hard during a frost, whereas dry sand will usually have adequate traction. Some hogfuel will break down quickly and you will get slimy or slippery spots. Make sure to check with your supplier and get the right size and type for arena use. Kiln dried wood such as cedar play chips have been used successfully and last longer than most hogfuel. A mix of sand and a wood product can be ideal, providing both good traction and cushion. Avoid mixing sawdust in with anything as it breaks down quickly (causing mud) and is extremely dusty when dry.
If you don’t live in the Northwest, talk with other horse owners in your discipline who have arenas and find out what types of footings work and don't work for them. Visit and, if possible, ride on several types of arena footings before making a decision.
One last thing to consider: If you are using a wood product for your arena surface, consider what you will do with it when it breaks down and needs to be replaced. If you have a hogfuel arena and trails that need surfacing, great! You’re all set and have somewhere to put the old surface. Hauling or piling mounds of old surface can be expensive—so be sure to have a long-term plan.
That’s it for Part 1. Next month we’ll get into the nitty-gritty technical details as well as listing more resources, so stay tuned!
Published in the Green Horse, the official online newsletter of Horses for Clean Water, www.horsesforcleanwater.com
