Anyone got a slightly smaller Arena

[PinkvSantaboots]

I'm thinking of putting in an arena at home but I have a limited space because of where I want it, it won't be massively smaller than a 20x 40 but just wondered how you find it?

My horses are not big the biggest is 15.3.

 

[Auslander]

I used to ride in a 15x30. It was absolutely fine

 

[VRIN]

Its much preferable to not having one at all!

 

[GreyDot]

Upside of having a slightly smaller arena is that when you compete, you suddenly have all the space in the world!

 

[Squeak]

Upside of having a slightly smaller arena is that when you compete, you suddenly have all the space in the world!

This It was far far better than having none and most of the time it did the job perfectly. When I wanted to jump a full course then I'd hire an arena and when the ground in the field was good then I'd go out there for a bit more space and use it to practice mediums and things that were harder to do in the smaller space.

 

[Cortez]

Yes, mine is about 18 x 35, and slightly wonky (i.e not completely rectangular). I don’t compete much (or didn’t: I don’t ride at all at the moment), but it wasn’t a problem when I did, the long sides just seemed really long! If you are competing just remember to teach yourself the real size of a 20 or 15, 10, etc. circle.

 

[ycbm]

I have ridden fine in a 27m x 12m barn, adapting the work to the horse's ability and size.
.

 

[SEL]

I was at a yard with an indoor that was 18 x 34 (we measured!). It was part of an old barn.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

You can ride arenas of any size within reason but if you are competing you must make allowances as they are 20 x 40 or 20 x 6o depending which dressage test you are doing. When you decide the size you want put in good drainage. With good drainage you will have a functional surface that won't flood or freeze so you can ride through out the year.

 

[BSL2]

Yep, and the one at our yard has a very slight slope..certainly teaches balance in both rider and horse?. However it is better than nothing.

 

[Tiddlypom]

It'll be fine, and much better than no arena. Be creative to maximise the rideable footprint as much as poss even if it means bevelling off a corner - don't worry about it being a perfect rectangle.

It's only recently that 40m x 20m have been dismissively referred to as 'small' arenas. 40m x 20m is standard size . Larger than that is great, of course, but a number of people seem to have forgotten how to ride in a standard size arena.

 

[Landcruiser]

My new one is 18 x 40, to be honest I don't notice the short side is shorter than "normal" except I'd like a slightly bigger diameter for lunging sometimes.

 

[Roxylola]

I think having the best surface you can is more important than size - I've ridden in smaller than 20x40 without problem but a bigger arena with a deep surface is harder on the horses I find

 

[TheHairyOne]

Upside of having a slightly smaller arena is that when you compete, you suddenly have all the space in the world!

This! I used to have a 35 by 18. My sister found it a bit challenging with her 17.2 tb youngster, but the more established horses were fine. Could get about 5 - 6 jumps out in it as well with a bit of planning. Just cant let the edges get like some schools to make it even smaller!

My current yard has a 60x40, which is almost too big as you have so much space you can find yourself being less disiplined!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Thanks guys I am hoping it will only be a few feet on length and width otherwise it will have to go too near the road which I don't want, and I don't want it further down or I will have to walk through muddy field in winter to get to it, so it will run parallel with the back of the bungalow so no hedges or trees to spook at either ?

 

[Spottyappy]

Tip here, if you put in for planning, apply for a full size one, as if anything changes in the future, you (or anyone else) can, I believe extend it without needing further planning, as long as yours is built.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Tip here, if you put in for planning, apply for a full size one, as if anything changes in the future, you (or anyone else) can, I believe extend it without needing further planning, as long as yours is built.

Good point. We have PP for a 60m x 20m, but only had the pennies to get a 40m x 20m put in. Because the construction works were commenced well within the time limit for work to start, the now 11yo arena can be extended to the full permitted length at any time.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Tip here, if you put in for planning, apply for a full size one, as if anything changes in the future, you (or anyone else) can, I believe extend it without needing further planning, as long as yours is built.

Thank you I would never have thought of that ?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I was thinking of a sand fibre surface anyone got one do you like it?

 

[Spottyappy]

Thank you I would never have thought of that ?

Just check with someone in the know, as it were, that this still applies.
my arena is sand with Flexiride, which we loved. It didn’t freeze either. However, company were abit of an issue at delivery point.
Also, we are on a very windy site, and lost no end of it, to the extent that afte4 just 7 years and combined with the delivery issues (pm if you want to know more),I have just had to top it up, but I used a totally different company who have been fantastic to deal with from start to finish, SurfacesRus.
it’s my own private yard, so topping it up after just 7 years, with a maximum of 3 horses using it, maybe 2 x a week each at the very most, was abit disappointing.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

One of our local farmers does ground work for sports and Equestrian projects amongst other things so I might get him down initially and see what he thinks, I only know 2 people that have the fibre sand and they are both happy with it, one friend only had her arena built last summer so I might enquire who did it and get a few quotes.

So is flexiride fibre?

I'm off to Google it now!

 

[ThreeFurs]

I competed for about eight years on my schoolmaster at Medium and Advanced, and schooled PSG at home where I was boarding him on a 20x40 with a reasonably good surface. Was fine, 'cept at comps when I was doing mediums down the long side it was like 'OMG the end is miles away!'.

With subsequent horses, and barns, I actually look back and think a little small was better than huge; as I've recently had a horse at a showjumping place with an all weather 70' - 80' by 40'; and that huge space I was duly using cone markers to mark out 60 x 20 within it, which of course the jumpers moved all the time.

 

[Spottyappy]

One of our local farmers does ground work for sports and Equestrian projects amongst other things so I might get him down initially and see what he thinks, I only know 2 people that have the fibre sand and they are both happy with it, one friend only had her arena built last summer so I might enquire who did it and get a few quotes.

So is flexiride fibre?

I'm off to Google it now!

No, it’s not fibre. I decided against fibre, as I can’t put a watering system in, as we aren’t on mains electric, and IMHo, fibre can be very dry if we get prolonged periods of no rain.
if you can put a watering system in, do look at the leaky pipes one, it’s fab!