Building an Outdoor Riding Arena
Building an outdoor riding arena for the first time can be intimidating. This article will outline key considerations, tips, and things an AQHA ranch riding amateur learned when building my first outdoor riding arena.
How to build a horse arena
Building a horse arena involves many considerations. Everything from location to drainage to materials used to build the arena works together to make the final horse riding arena a safe and comfortable space for both horse and rider.
This post will review what I learned as a first-time arena builder and non-pro rider who competes in AQHA Ranch Riding and the Versatility Ranch Horse events.
It is worth noting that when building a riding arena, you must consider the sport you plan to participate in. Barrel racers, cutting, jumpers, and reining horses have different footing needs.
I highly suggest consulting with a professional that builds arenas and leveraging some Facebook groups that some really great conversations in them.
Where to build your riding arena
The first major considerations when starting to plan your arena will be its placement on your property and the size you would like. I ended up using a place on my property that has less-than-desirable drainage, which has created some challenges.
If I had to do it again, I would choose a high and dry place with little drainage. If you are limited in space, I suggest working with a drainage expert or a landscape engineer.
One thing to keep in mind is that proper drainage will protect your investment in your footing. And footing is one of the most expensive inputs for building a horse riding arena. When your arena drains well, your footing stays in place and maintains its integrity over long periods.
Like everything, a horse-riding arena will require maintenance, but building it in a high and dry place will pay dividends and mean less work in the long run.
How big should a riding arena be
A well-built horse arena can vary in size. Understanding how many people will be using the arena at one time and what you will be doing in the riding arena is important.
We built a 90X100 sand arena, and it works well for one to three ranch riders or similar at a time. I do wish it was bigger for some of the reining maneuvers, but it is plenty big for schooling a bit at home.
I like to have friends over to ride, and we have group lessons with a local trainer. I have noticed that when we have more than three horses in this size of arena, it gets a little congested from time to time.
Below are some general arena sizes and their uses from the Hi-Hog brand:
Pleasure Riding Arena: 60′ x 120′
Small Dressage Arena: 66′ x 131’
Large Dressage Arena: 66′ x 197′
Reining Arena: 100′ x 200′ minimum, 150′ x 300′ is better
Working Cow (Reigning Cow) Arena: 60′ x 120′ min, 75′ x 165′ is better. If the arena gets too wide (over 100′) or too long (over 280′) the arena will be less suitable for this event.
Hunter/Jumper Arena: 150′ x 300′, bigger would be better. The arena size will depend greatly on the class of jumpers and the course design that you will be hosting.
Ultimately, only you know what you need when it comes to space. You will know what other places you have to ride. Maybe your arena will only be used occasionally, or perhaps it’s your only place to ride. All of these things will play into the overall size of your arena.
Riding arena sand
The sand or ground you use in your riding arena will depend on your riding discipline and the types of local sand mixtures available in your region.
It’s important to note that good ground or footing often comprises two key components: a base and sand or footing. The base is a hard and rigid mixture that could be made of limestone screenings, hard clay, or other materials.
The sand or footing part of the arena is what your horse will come in contact with most. It provides stability for the horse’s movements and protects its joints and ligaments while it works.
I am located in northeast Kansas, and our arena has a 7” lime screenings base. This base is then covered with about 2 inches of local river bottom sand. This mixture works well for some friends who ride reiners, my ranch riders, and some who use my arena for their jumper ponies.
Finding a sand or footing mixture is a science and is best done by professionals. I had Jim Kiser from Kiser Arena Specialists consult on my arena, and I genuinely believe that is why I am so happy with my current mixture.
The biggest lesson I learned
The biggest lesson I learned while building my horse arena is how important testing the base and footing BEFORE installing them is. Unfortunately, we got in a hurry on our base and installed a poor quality limestone screening that holds a lot of water and pack poorly.
This means that I need to be very careful riding on my arena when it is wet so that I don’t create holes in my base. Again, this was something Jim suggested I do beforehand but we got in a hurry.
This choice in poor quality limestone screenings has also resulted in my base eroding over time. We have since installed railroad ties along the sides of the arena to hold the base in and I believe that has helped hold the soft base in place.
