Building a little manege/lunge pen - ADVICE PLS!

H

Hollyhorse

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We have a 60x20 manege which is fab but doesn't really cope with lunging, I was told this when it was built but knew that ultimately I'd have a lunge pen due to how much I lunge and now that time has come! I originally wanted a round lunge pen, probably about 15-18m diametre, but recently I spent a long period of time at a livery yard where there was a little indoor school (10 x 15m) which was used for lunging and also for riding when it was raining! I thought this was a great idea so would like to do the same (except 10/12 x 20m) which won't have a cover initially but hopefully will at some point in the future. The main usage would be for lunging but when it has a roof it would be for riding when there's torrential rain etc! We have a very limited budget (as always) and am looking to do this ourselves at the cheapest cost. I know there are places to save, such as the fencing and surfaces. Re surfaces it is essential that it copes with lots of lunging without having to be levelled after every usage (it won't be used for jumping or dressage). Does anyone have any advice on building maneges or lunge pens and where I can save?
Many thanks
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I don't know much about this but I'm pretty sure you need planning permission if you are going to put a roof on it and make it a permenant structure.
 
hi yes you do need permission , but we got ours no problem about a 8 wk wait once the council has been ,
then we got quotes form company's but boy it was so expensive so we decided to break it all up into parts and do it ourself,

1) hired digger and dumper and drivers(FROM LOCAL COMPANY)
2) we marked out area and plumb lined it all straight etc
3) let the digger men remove all top soil then dig hole
4) rang round all arena construction company's and ordered membrane direct so was so cheap( but correct membrane)
5) phoned round and got the limestone drainage at cost
6) got farmer to lay it for me and leveled out
7) me my mum farmer and sister put in gravel boards and the membrane down ( not fun and would never do it again )
8) rang round hundreds of firms and got our all weather surface cheaper by making sure i shared the haulage cost so i had to wait days in between loads of topping delivered but saved 100s of pounds this way
9) me mum sister and framer layed surface with mini diggers and dumpers hired from local place
10) got all fence wood and posts from local suppliers and got my uncle and Friend to put up for a cost
11) paid for local electrician to do floodlights but i used a digger to dig a trench to lay cabling as this was cheaper for me to do than electrician

in total it cost me ten thousand pounds to have a 20x40 arena floodlit and ready to go it looks and rides fantastic and all livery's love it

i was quoted the cheapest 23k for this to be done by a pro

i would never do it again and if i did i would do it in the summer !
we were mad looking back , mud mud mud mud rain and wind
not fun but boy worth it !
if yours is only a small pen u could really save with the drainage and surface if you have hours to spend getting deals it really is worth it !
also you can buy surfaces which have been taken of other arenas and that would be fine for a lunge pen

good luck
hipp

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I imagine it's exactly the same as doing an arena, i.e. you will need to think about drainage, harcore, membrane, surface, fencing, etc. only all on a smaller scale and maybe a bit cheaper.
 
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