How big are your arenas?

[Emi and Theseus]

For my birthday I am hoping to get an arena. I own a 13 2” Welsh cob and we are going to train in the show jump discipline (Also using the arena the arena for general use).I would like the arena to have enough space so that we can try different approaches to jumps like diagonals. We jump 60-80cm at the moment but would like to progress higher in the future. We own our own ground so there is no limitation on space.

 

[Sail_away]

I’m on livery but most places seem to have an equestrian sand/fibre mix nowadays. Have you looked up the costings of this? I’m sure someone will come along who’s installed their own arena but they certainly cost into the tens of thousands. It would be a big birthday present!
Maybe if that’s not doable but you still have a decent budget you could talk about getting a trailer to box up to an arena hire?

 

[Emi and Theseus]

We have the fencing materials. But are unsure whether we should leave the ground as grass or put down a flooring. We were leaning towards leaving it as grass but I was just exploring options.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

My old yard was a riding school and had a grass jumping field. It was only used from May to about October. Then reseeded. It stood up to a lot of wear - lessons every day, clear round comps every weekend. For sole use you might be able to use it more of the year. If you're thinking of an arena, that's a huge job and tens of thousands of pounds. The fencing is the least of it!

 

[Squeak]

My old yard was a riding school and had a grass jumping field. It was only used from May to about October. Then reseeded. It stood up to a lot of wear - lessons every day, clear round comps every weekend. For sole use you might be able to use it more of the year. If you're thinking of an arena, that's a huge job and tens of thousands of pounds. The fencing is the least of it!

Ditto this. Unfortunately arenas are horrendously expensive as you have to put in drainage etc before the surface. If you've got good ground I'd opt for fencing off a good sized section of the field and leaving it as grass. Most arenas start off at 20m x 40m. That's the size of the arena that you get for a dressage test. It's a bit small if you want to do much jumping so if you've got the space I'd personally add on another 10m each way.

Others will be far more knowledgeable about it than I am but I wonder if you're leaving it as grass if you'd be better to use moveable fencing so that if one area gets too muddy you can just move it to another to allow the ground to rest.

 

[mini_b]

In summer we put up a “grass arena” which is just cones somewhat 20x40.
you can then move it as areas become worn (slippy when it rains) you can’t use the grass all year round as it gets seriously waterlogged, this is on the brow of an in incline.

if I was having an arena built, owned the land, there was adequate drainage and money no object I’d go as big as i could. At least 20x40 but really 40x60 or bigger to jump a larger horse in.

they are super expensive.

 

[Kizzy2004]

We’re very lucky at our yard to have a 60 x 40 arena, can set up a full course of jumps and still leave enough space for those that don’t jump. A 20x40 is doable for a small course if you build the jumps so they can be jumped from both directions but you are a bit limited.

As others have said if you want an arena with a surface you’ll need good drainage and planning permission.