Grass arena anyone?

[Meoldmucka]

So while we save up to build an arena with a proper surface... Husband has volunteered to level the area of the field, add drainage and fencing and cut the grass for daughter to ride in.
It would be used maybe two to three times per week for one or two horses for around half an hour each time. We wouldn't use it if the weather was bad or in the winter etc.
What do you guys think? Has anyone done this?

 

[HashRouge]

The only places I know with grass arenas they have been out of action all winter but usable all summer and often in spring/ autumn too. Whether you can use it in winter will depend on what your land is like. I'd be surprised if you could use it in the winter unless you were on well draining sandy soil. Otherwise, go for it!

ETA obviously if the ground gets too hard in summer you won't be able to use it then either.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I wouldn’t fence it unless the area is very large. You can’t keep working on the same area all the time, or it will get cut up.

Having said that, all I had was a grass arena for 25 years and, as long as I looked after it, it was ok. I kept moving the boards onto a fresh area. It was not useable at all in winter. Mostly ok in summer, but sometimes even then too hard, or suddenly slippery after rain.

 

[Callieann]

I've got a grass arena. Not by choice as I rent the land. Its on top of a hill, clay soil. I can only use it in summer and even then only when ground is dry asxasxcas it gets chopped up. I don't know it as I put horses in to keep grass down. As tiddlypom says, it is some times too hard or too slippery.

 

[Goldenstar]

I have one it’s quite big I am not sure of it’s size but you easily get a forty by 100 metre driving arena in it and drive round the outside easily and have room for jumps at one end .
The area is not quite level this a good thing because the water runs off easily .
we started by rolling it really flat and fencing it off it was then rested probably from August one year till May of the next .
It was mown and mown every week until the winter set in the. It was left and no one set foot on .
The next spring we mowed weekly and then started using it it’s the best thing I ever did we use it almost everyday spring and summer it drys up between mid March and mid April we stop using if it wet enough to make a mess never for long .
I mow it weekly move jumps at least once a fortnight .We roll it when we need to usually once a year in spring .
Its the best thing I ever did I wish I had done it years years before .

 

[Meoldmucka]

I wouldn’t fence it unless the area is very large. You can’t keep working on the same area all the time, or it will get cut up.

Having said that, all I had was a grass arena for 25 years and, as long as I looked after it, it was ok. I kept moving the boards onto a fresh area. It was not useable at all in winter. Mostly ok in summer, but sometimes even then too hard, or suddenly slippery after rain.

The land is currently on a slope so we'd have to level it and so not much scope for moving it around. I'm hopeful if she doesn't ride circles round the edge all the time it would be ok

 

[w1bbler]

Ours is on a gentle slope. We put electric fence around to keep grazing ponies off & mow regularly through the summer.
Lat year was usable from March to late October, although at points it got so hard it was only suitable for walk / ground poles & some trot.
Gets an occasional harrow if it gets cut up from jumping & seems to bounce back well each year.