Basic Arena Construction

Proper foundation, accurate falls and natural drainage are key to the successful functioning of any arena.

Here are the key elements:

• Preparation of the base is essential

• Compaction of the base with a steam roller provides a solid platform for your surface

• A laser level is necessary to ensure accurate levels

• The falls are extremely important and must be done correctly for proper drainage

• Agpipe is not recommended for underneath the surface, but can be used within surrounding drains and buried under gravel

• Sleepers or timber poles must be placed properly so that water can escape

• If built on flat ground, it’s ideal to build the arena slightly higher than the surrounding ground

• Set some money aside for landscaping when the arena is finished.  Plant trees for shade and beauty and consider a native ground creeper for slopes, which reduces erosion, looks beautiful and is lower maintenance than turf

THE BASE

The base is the most important part of any arena or Round Yard. Mostly, people think or get told that they have to put down the most expensive blue metal, but this is not the case.

Depending on where your nearest quarry is, you can use a variety of materials, normally 20 mm roadbase, but recycled materials can be quite good too as long as they don’t contain any wire or glass.  We lay the base in 2 layers and have had good success using finer -6 mm material on the upper layer.  This prevents the possibility of any stones coming through and causing hoof bruises.  The thickness of an arena base should never be less than 150mm but preferably 300mm. If you are on flat ground, you can have the base as thick as you like and you should lift the arena up as high as possible. Then you can have the top shaped to each side in a slight dome for water run off in every direction.

DRAINAGE
Nothing beats a proper, naturally draining arena.  This is the most important consideration and the base is the most important part of that. You must have a fall and that should slope away to where your water drainage direction will be. There should be ideally about 1% fall.  As I said above, if on flat ground, the arena must be lifted and domed slightly by the grader when preparing for the surface.  One must take into account the relevant water and drainage regulations for your area.

SURFACE
I prefer the right sand.  Depending on what is available in your area, Course River Sand is a great choice, but it varies dramatically from place to place.  You can get courser varieties and finer more beach sand types.  There are darker colours which do not reflect and lighter colours that may leave your horses legs, especially those with white socks, looking cleaner.  The sand that you choose must be washed enough that it does not have a high clay content otherwise it will not drain.  Also, the washed options will be less dusty.  The courser varieties are good for drainage, but be careful if your horses have any white line separation because the little stones can get lodged in the hoof crevices and cause absessing.

Shredded rubber

Very hot if outside, nice to ride on but I am not a fan.  It is not a natural product, it’s quite expensive and has the possibility of causing respiratory problems as it breaks down and tiny particles get released into the air.

THE SURROUND

The retaining timber, to keep the surface from falling out of the arena, can be all manner of things. We normally use old timber railway sleepers which are approximately 2.4 metres long.  One layer will do the job, but two layers high looks much better and is slightly more of a deterrent for horses that may want to jump out.

THE FENCE
Equestrian Federation of Australia states that the height of the fence should be at least 1.25 metres high with an additional rail at 75 cm.
I suppose money dictates this but whatever you use, it is a good idea to put your posts in at an angle of about 5 degree to the outside. This will stop a rider having their legs hit on the rails if the horse gets too close, which is often the case. Just make up a wooden template which you use with a spirit level held against the post and so you get the same angle on the post each time. Looks good then
Place the rails on the inside of the posts  for safety
Counter sink the bolt heads inside the inside of the posts with the nuts on the outside of the arena.
Galvanized square tube 50mm is good too or whatever suits you really. Minimum 2.5mm wall thickness though. 100 x 50mm.
and it can be other things of course…..

THE GATE
Due to litigation these days, the arena should be fenced if other people are going to be riding in it. It also should have a gate and that should be sited in a location to allow tractors and trucks to enter in the future. The gate should not be obvious to horses as this can give learner riders’ problems in the future.  It should also open outwards.

The first question most people ask is how much will it cost?

Normally, a 20 x 60 metre dressage arena will cost approximately

$25 – 35,000.

What determines the cost?

• The price of materials varies depending on your location
• And the proximity to the local quarry
• What kind of soil is already present on your property
• If water is available on site
• If there is access for a truck and dog
• If a cut and fill is necessary
• If tree removal is required
• If the client requests single or double high sleepers or fencing around the perimeter
• If sprinklers are installed
• Etc.

As you can see, there are many details to consider which is why it is essential we survey each property and source all the necessary materials before we provide an accurate quote.