Help - planning layout of new competition yard?

[kit279]

Finally it's now looking like we will actually get to move, after a few minor issues along the way such as previous vendors dropping out at the eleventh hour, and moving to a lovely place with about 5 acres but less facilities than previous place that fell through.

The yard is currently set up with two 12x12' stables and a large hay store 12x18', electric and water connected and concrete base. There is a longish strip of grazing from the yard down to the main paddocks, exactly 19.5m wide and 90m long, where I thought about putting an arena in. Paddocks are all post and rail fenced already with water connected.

The difficulty is that currently I've got 3 horses (nominally eventers although currently absolutely naff all time to do a thing with them!) and although I try and let them live out as much as possible, I do prefer to have the facilities to bring them all in if needs must. We've got a fairly reasonable budget to revamp the yard and put in an arena (£45-50K) but I do take my husband's point that he would prefer not to completely blow it all and it may be that we can buy a bit more land in the future so would prefer to save for this.

So stable options are:-

1) Extend stable block - needs planning and would be reasonably expensive but would try and put in 2 more stables and a wash box.
2) Set of mobile stables as may not always have 3 horses and use for storage when not in use.
3) Internal stable partitions to divide hay store into small storage area and 3rd stable.
4) Do nothing and save up to build proper American barn at some point in the future!

Arena options are:-

A) 19.5x40
B) 19.5x50
C) 19.5x60

Plus usual arena dilemma of surfaces - sand/fibre/rubber/all of these!

It's basically a bit of a balance between nice arena and nice stables as probably wouldn't want to completely blow the budget and do both.

Any advice based on personal experience? I think the key here is ergonomics - can't even begin to describe how busy we are at the moment so yard needs to be super user-friendly for the time-poor owner!

 

[Jo_x]

Never had my own yard, but I would go for the biggest arena and best surface you can afford. Personally I wouldnt mind scruffy stables as long as they didnt leak, drained ok, etc, its the horses in them that count and the bigger arena the better when it comes to riding IMO.

 

[Ellibelli]

My advice would be not to make the mistake of building your yard around what is already there. If you are intending to stay there long term, and you can afford it, build your ideal yard, or build it so that you can expand it easily into your ideal yard when you can afford it. Don't put your arena in an area that would limit expansion if you think that's what you would like to do long term, and don't build it in an area that isn't ideal just because there is currently a convenient space for it.

 

[LynH]

I had lots of plans for our place before we moved in. I needed to move the horses very soon after we moved in and ended up with them living out with a mobile field shelter. As they coped really well with this I then took my time working where best to put everything. Although our house came with planning permission for an arena and yard it wasn't ideal so we reapplied for exactly what I wanted. It was worth the time and effort and I am glad we waited until we had lived here a while to see where the ground gets wet in the rain etc.

As far as surfaces etc I did lots of research and got 6 arena and 5 yard quotes and I would advise reading all the small print and going for a company who will fix things if they go wrong. (See my thread about my arena issues)

Our yard has just been built and I love it and am so pleased we didn't compromise.

 

[Pigeon]

Ridiculously jealous

Arena as big as you can possibly make it. (even an extra metre here or there makes all the difference, doesn't matter if it doesn't stick to standard dressage dimensions, you can always mark in a 20 x 40 with white boards. Sand mix is my favourite surface, ours is rubber and coarse sand and it's great in pretty much all weathers. Sand on it's own can get a little bit deep when it's dry, and rubber is rubbish in the wet. Also agree that the arena is more important than the stables. And with the stables you can always extend/add bits on, but you're pretty much stuck with the arena

I would do option three (divide the hay store) as a temporary measure, while you save up for whatever is your ideal. Dutch barn would be mine, so much easier to keep dry, also you may want more than 3 stables in case you ever decide to breed, or one of yours retires and you get another etc.

 

[kit279]

Thanks for advice - I am absolutely forbidden from having more than 3 as husband rightly points out that I hardly have enough time for those at the moment but I think leaning towards third option for stabling and going for the biggest arena available.

 

[Tiddlypom]

This all sounds very exciting!

Do be careful though with the width of the finished arena if the available space in your preferred location is only 19.5m wide. You may well lose some of that width as part of the construction process (fencing, cut and fill etc.). A reputable, experienced arena construction company would advise you on that.