Cheapest way possible to build an all weather arena??

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crinster

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Hi, sure this has been asked hundreds of times before, but what have people found to be the cheapest way to build an arena? it doesn't need to be anything fancy, only going to be used by 5 or 6 people and not to do loads of jumping of hours of schooling, just to give us somewhere to ride in the winter. Our field is pretty flat and fairly well drained naturally. We had thought cheapest option could be to make an edging of sleepers and basically infill with a surface, like bark chippings. Has anyone done this with much success? or I've read about a product called Equitex Drain Membrane that can be put straight on the ground and surface put on top, has anyone used this? thanks
 
I honestly don't believe there is a cheap solution to building an arena. You need drains and a good surface. Both of which cost the money

Until we could afford one, we used one of the flatter paddocks. Which was fine until it got really wet.

The cheapest surface I found was MartinCollins Clopf, bought direct, but even that had to go on silica sand.
 
We knocked in short posts and used 6 x 1 gravel boards with a Terram membrane and woodchip. I was religious about the maintenance to start with and it was raked and rolled every time I used it. The horses loved it as it was springy. Topped it up with an additional four inches after a year, then after another two years. The membrane needs to be sewn or sealed, you can't just lap it over and leave it - which I discovered to my fury was what the guy who put it in had done. It worked well.

It has now not been maintained by the current owners for the past two years and whilst it's useable as a turnout area I'd not be wanting to work any of my big horses on there now - but they have done nothing at all in the way of harrowing or rolling.
 
Asha said:
I honestly don't believe there is a cheap solution to building an arena. You need drains and a good surface. Both of which cost the money

Until we could afford one, we used one of the flatter paddocks. Which was fine until it got really wet.

The cheapest surface I found was MartinCollins Clopf, bought direct, but even that had to go on silica sand.
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If your ground drains without the need for artificial drainage then there's no need for artificial drainage if you go above ground rather than below.
 
When I was younger my dad (very non builderish!) made our first arena, a 40X20 of telegraph poles with wood chip surface. Not very all weather but more all weather than our field was before and perfect for the use it got (3 ponies under 12hh) (no hacking as on A road). We then upgraded to sand before we moved house.
 
Face palming right now...Why didn't I think of that?! I want to build a lunge ring and it never occurred to me that it could go above ground instead of being excavated. Genius.
 
Be cautious with bark chipping, can be very slippy in the wet weather. I would avoid woodchip at all costs, it rots down very quickly and you are left with an arena full of compost type surface which sticks to everything when wet and rides very deep, if you want to replace with a different surface at a later date then you need to remove this and it is costly. This is the situation we are in with an inherited arena with a house we bought. Just would hate anyone else to end up with this costly situation.
 
Cheapest non rotting surface is 2-4mm grit. You can mix it with plastic granules from Manchester Plastics to make it ride with less depth, which then makes a surface which used to be sold as Passada, years ago it was about the best surface you could buy. You will need 100 or so tons of grit and twenty tons of plastic to start it off. The plastic is very easy to spread by hand/wheelbarrow because it's so light.

I had this for years with no land drains, and it worked all year round in a very wet area.
 
Princess Rosie said:
Be cautious with bark chipping, can be very slippy in the wet weather. I would avoid woodchip at all costs, it rots down very quickly and you are left with an arena full of compost type surface which sticks to everything when wet and rides very deep, if you want to replace with a different surface at a later date then you need to remove this and it is costly. This is the situation we are in with an inherited arena with a house we bought. Just would hate anyone else to end up with this costly situation.
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If it's maintained woodchip is a reasonable surface. When you want to get rid of it as it's biodegradeable you digger the top off and use it as a mulch for paths or spread it or advertise it to gardeners / landscapers, then peel back the membrane to clear the last of it off roll the membrane back down and Bob's your uncle. It's not like getting rid of sand and fibre etc.
 
jemima*askin said:
If it's maintained woodchip is a reasonable surface. When you want to get rid of it as it's biodegradeable you digger the top off and use it as a mulch for paths or spread it or advertise it to gardeners / landscapers, then peel back the membrane to clear the last of it off roll the membrane back down and Bob's your uncle. It's not like getting rid of sand and fibre etc.
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If you have a "well maintained" arena then you won't probably be considering disposal of it for a different surface. If however, you inherit a professionally constructed arena like we did that hasn't been maintained for just 12 Months then you are in trouble. The surface isn't suitable to use for gardeners/landscapers as it is effectively soil-ish with no richness in it, there's also a massive quantity (40x20 arena worth) and it definitely isn't for use on paths or spreading anywhere else. It is just as bad as having to get rid of any other surface and you are mistaken in your comment. On a maintained surface then yes your suggestions would work but no everyone maintains their surfaces or has the time to so do. At least with other surfaces lack of maintenance won't make your surface rot down to a pretty unusable surface.
 
BlackIrishBeauty said:
Is this needed if going above ground and not impacting with a permanent structure. you're effectively adding fencing and putting wood chip over the top?
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There are various other factors affecting PP, one being whether your land is equestrian use (for riding on it) or agri that horses are grazing on.
Where you are, eg National Park, conservation area etc,impacts; whether the council’s ecological officer has identified something not to be disturbed - can turn into a fair old saga. Best advice is keep immediate neighbours on board, and good luck.
 
Exasperated said:
There are various other factors affecting PP, one being whether your land is equestrian use (for riding on it) or agri that horses are grazing on.
Where you are, eg National Park, conservation area etc,impacts; whether the council’s ecological officer has identified something not to be disturbed - can turn into a fair old saga. Best advice is keep immediate neighbours on board, and good luck.
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Immediate neighbours built an arena last year that was a permanent structure and then retrospectively applied for permission and was granted so doubt they would have any issue. Aside from that, I don't have any neighbours (exception being local farmer who we have a VERY good relationship with).

Our land is equestrian use so no issues with previous stables, field shelters etc. I'm looking for similar advice and saw this post. Looking to build a temporary arena to ride in an area with amazing drainage and flat preferably without planning initially. We are looking to build a more permanent structure later on in life (when more money is available).
 
my bad but anything rubberised or plastic will just end up in watercourses eventually so not environmentally friendly. this is one of the reason they're about to ban carpet shreds in arenas-co is ends up in rivers and streams. Just a thought.....
 
Parrotperson said:
my bad but anything rubberised or plastic will just end up in watercourses eventually so not environmentally friendly. this is one of the reason they're about to ban carpet shreds in arenas-co is ends up in rivers and streams. Just a thought.....
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I don't think I could have anything plastic anyway as trying to do this without planning permission so needs to be biodegrable or removable.
 
I am pretty sure that you need planning to have a permanent riding area. Some area councils would count an area of grass to ride round needs planning if it’s a specific set aside to ride on- they have to catch you at it first though. Be very careful if you put anything down without planning, if you p**s them off you may not get planning later on.

I also agree with others that woodchip can be very slippery when wet, at my old yard several horses fell over in the woodchip lunge pen.

I come from a riding age when not many people had arenas at all- we coped and jumping horses used to jump on grass. It is dying off nowadays. Cheap is not an option, you need proper drainage, good surface and equipment to maintain it. Don’t waste any money, keep it in an isa and save the cash to do it properly.
 
If it's a livery yard and an arena being added there may be extra rates to pay as well.

Hate woodchip as a riding surface. Had an accident with a horse in one where it was wet and slippery.
 
Cost putting in an arena and then cost up arena hire round and about. You could do a lot of work in other peoples arenas for the cost of your own. Plus the cost is spread over years.
 
I have had three friends that have had a DIY arena, they have paid people to do the drainage, and bought their own materials and the cost you can not avoid is drainage and a good membrane or it is never going to work long term as it should. Getting the right drainage and the best membrane is not cheap and if you are shopping around make sure the drainage stone is the right one. You can replace the surface but relaying the drainage is a big job.
When we bought our now home it had a rectangle pond that had been dug out for an arena, at the bottom of a slope on clay, its now filled in to a round pond that is used for drainage out to the ditch, we have ducks.
 
rabatsa said:
Cost putting in an arena and then cost up arena hire round and about. You could do a lot of work in other peoples arenas for the cost of your own. Plus the cost is spread over years.
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It's not so much the cost but the ease of it being at home. I don't really want to have to box up everytime I want a quick ride in the winter.
 
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