How to make a riding area/arena when there is terrible acess?

[staceyn]

I have 2 years until my boy is 3 and need a sandpaddock or riding area, i have a 25x20m paddock which has been fenced off post and rail. I wanted to get it dug out hardcore then sand. I am hitting a brick wall constantly You could only fir a quad bike sized vehicle to get to the paddock there is no other acess as you have to go past the stables through a 4ft gate.
We have thought of dumping hardcore and sand outside of the house and hiring a dumper for taking it to the paddock but surely this would take weeks. I cant leave anything outside the house longer then a day as people need parking.
You cant get past the house in anything larger/heavier then a van as the drain pipes are at the start of the house. Tried shoveling woodchip to the paddock but its no good and turns to mulch. Its very boggy so will need something?
Someone must have some idea how to get this done lol its driving me mad.

The only other option i have is there is a house over the bridge about 3 min walk that has a sandschool i am tempted to ask if it would be possible to use it when they are not using it and offer money but again they may not want that and it would cost me a lot in the long run.

ARGHHH lol any advice would be brill!

 

[Miss L Toe]

I have 2 years until my boy is 3 and need a sandpaddock or riding area, i have a 25x20m paddock which has been fenced off post and rail. I wanted to get it dug out hardcore then sand. I am hitting a brick wall constantly You could only fit a quad bike sized vehicle to get to the paddock there is no other acess as you have to go past the stables through a 4ft gate.
We have thought of dumping hardcore and sand outside of the house and hiring a dumper for taking it to the paddock but surely this would take weeks. I cant leave anything outside the house longer then a day as people need parking.
You cant get past the house in anything larger/heavier then a van as the drain pipes are at the start of the house. Tried shoveling woodchip to the paddock but its no good and turns to mulch. Its very boggy so will need something?
Someone must have some idea how to get this done lol its driving me mad.

The only other option i have is there is a house over the bridge about 3 min walk that has a sandschool i am tempted to ask if it would be possible to use it when they are not using it and offer money but again they may not want that and it would cost me a lot in the long run.

ARGHHH lol any advice would be brill!

They may not be able to take your money as it changes the use from private to public [planning issues and insurance]. Cost wise, paying a fiver a time would be a lot less than forking out £15 K for an arena.
Re building your own arena, the most important thing is size, drainage, and construction generally which must involve digging and levelling and rolling, you could find out if a small digger is narrow enough, if not the idea is a lost cause really, you would also need a lot of time, or employ a lot of people to work quickly. If the digger could get access and it would possible for it to lift the big bags of aggregate, it might be feasable, but it might be better to put horse in a trailer and go for a lesson somewhere else. Building an arena is expensive, and if not done well, will have ongoing costs.
I assume the four foot is not just the width of the gate, but the width of the access, a gate can be removed, a house wall is less adaptable.
You could consider building a round pen which is used for breaking youngsters, they are available in portable versions. Make your paddock in to a grass arena for light use by draining, sanding, rolling harrowing, and sowing grasses suited to the purpose.
If you have to use your paddock to construct a french drain, ie a ditch filled with gravel, you will have an arena that is too small.
Do not put any arena surface straight on top of a grass paddock, it just will not work, the base is the main thing.

 

[catkin]

As the poster above has said - ask about borrowing/hiring the school over the bridge but don't be upset if the answer is no, the rules on private use, planning and insurance are very strict.

With regard to your own paddock: when we had a school constructed many years ago the costs were increased because of access (and that was because we couldn't get articulated lorries down a narrow lane and through a 15 foot gateway rather than the very narrow situation you have!). The amounts of material to surface 20x25m are large - many many tonnes. It is false economy to not have a properly constructed and drained base - it will be unusable very quickly without. You will also need to check on the planning situation - converting a paddock into an all-weather surface is likely to be change of use.

It may be worth talking with construction companies locally to see if they have any suggestions, but due to the heavy nature of the materials and difficulties in delivery you will need to accept that the costs are likely to be high for the site you've described.

 

[staceyn]

thanks for your help.
Thing is its not my house but its my own private yard.I dont have to pay any livery but once my pony is ready to be ridden, usually with my old horses they would be ridden everyday.
I didnt want to start the job if its going to be too costly as its not my yard or house. I dont want to move yards as i would never find a private place like this were i dont have to pay livery. I guess with him being so young the first year of riding will mostly be hacking i suppose and i would be able to get away with a good rides in the field in the summer months if we have summer again! lol.
I think its going to be more hassel and money then its worth. I have initially 4 years we could just hack for the first year of his ridden life. I think i need to carry on saving for some land and just have a place of my own.

Thanks for your advice!

 

[catkin]

As you have a young horse you may find you can do lots of the initial familiarisation and ground work with what you have - lots of short sessions will be what they need. Many many people have done this and produced nice horses at the end of it. You are right - youngsters need to see and learn about the world and how to behave in it, and if you have suitable hacking that's a great way to do it.

One suggestion to think about over the next few years is perhaps to take the pair of you off on a 'working holiday' to a calm yard with facilities for a week or two when you get to critical stages in the horse's education, perhaps to your instructor's place if it's suitable. I did this with one of mine and although it takes some organising, it worked well - young pony, her companion and myself all spent a couple of weeks at my trainer's yard when we actually came to back her (we'd done all the prep work at home). As we were all there together, and she already knew the 'inmates', she took the change of place in her stride as we hoped she would, the backing was a complete 'non-event' too, just as it should be!!.