Measuring out a dressage arena

[Marigold4]

I'm fencing off a 20 x 40 grass arena in my field. Fencing is wooden round posts with tensioned electric tape. Electrics will be off when using it. My question is, when measuring an arena, is it the exact line of the fencing or is it the track inside the fencing, so = a little bigger when fenced than 20 x 40. TIA.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Fence it a little oversized, so that you can ride right up to the (imaginary) boards.

You may know that the electric is off, but the horse doesn’t! It also gives a bit of wriggle room to move the ‘arena’ when it gets cut up.

Tbh, I don’t recommend fencing off a grass arena, as you need to keep moving it slightly. Advice is based on 25 years of having a grass arena here before the permanent arena was put in.

 

[White Horse2]

Why do you need to fence it off?

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I just set out the letters in a paddock, using pre measured lengths of baler twine. (I have a 40m and a 20m length with knots showing for quarter and half markers).
I always leave at least a metre if not 2m space from any fence.

As TP says, you might well want to be regularly moving it depending on ground conditions.

The only time I'd fence off would be for a tiny tot getting going off lead or as a safe area.

 

[Marigold4]

It's not ideal, I know, but it's a young unschooled horse. I think it will help him concentrate and get the hang of the shapes better. Young horses can sometimes need the help and security of sides to keep straight and to create bend on the circle - they get a bit wobbly with just cones to guide them. Posts will come out easily and once the early stages of schooling are done, I'll move round the field as suggested. It will only be a couple of times a week for 20 mins.

 

[Marigold4]

I just set out the letters in a paddock, using pre measured lengths of baler twine. (I have a 40m and a 20m length with knots showing for quarter and half markers).
I always leave at least a metre if not 2m space from any fence.

As TP says, you might well want to be regularly moving it depending on ground conditions.

The only time I'd fence off would be for a tiny tot getting going off lead or as a safe area.

Thanks, I think I'll give him an extra metre all the way round.

 

[Marigold4]

Why do you need to fence it off?

See my post later

 

[Marigold4]

Fence it a little oversized, so that you can ride right up to the (imaginary) boards.

You may know that the electric is off, but the horse doesn’t! It also gives a bit of wriggle room to move the ‘arena’ when it gets cut up.

Tbh, I don’t recommend fencing off a grass arena, as you need to keep moving it slightly. Advice is based on 25 years of having a grass arena here before the permanent arena was put in.

Thanks. I'm going to give it an extra metre all round - see my later post about young horse for why - we spent last summer "hacking" round the field in w,t,c but now need a bit more focus.

 

[cobgoblin]

I'd give it more than a metre spare. You want enough space such that you can't hit the fence if you fall at the edge of the arena.
A metre would be just about right to crack your head on.

 

[GoldenWillow]

I would definitely make it bigger than you want to ride as others have suggested. I don't have a school so all my schooling is done in the field, I have a half acre shut off for use in Spring until this time of year when I start using it for grazing and work all around it so no areas get poached. At a yard where I had my mare there was both an arena and a jumping field both fenced off with electric fencing and my mare, who was very respectful of electric fencing, found it worrying having to work close to it.

Something else to consider is that you will have to keep the grass down to a reasonable length.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Thanks, I think I'll give him an extra metre all the way round.

I would be measuring a 25m by 50m at a minimum.
Would mean a 2.5m strip on each long side and 5m on each short side outside the letters, a minimum to work safely in x

 

[Marigold4]

I would definitely make it bigger than you want to ride as others have suggested. I don't have a school so all my schooling is done in the field, I have a half acre shut off for use in Spring until this time of year when I start using it for grazing and work all around it so no areas get poached. At a yard where I had my mare there was both an arena and a jumping field both fenced off with electric fencing and my mare, who was very respectful of electric fencing, found it worrying having to work close to it.

Something else to consider is that you will have to keep the grass down to a reasonable length.

I am planning to get the lawn mower out! I'm on chalk and the ground doesn't get poached, so bowling green standard is achievable - although longer grass is less slippery than short, so I will have to experiment with best grass length.

 

[Tiddlypom]

How about using plastic fence posts to mark off an area when you start out? Then you’ll learn a bit about how cut up your ground will get when riding on the same area regularly.

Allowing 25m x 50m, as TFF suggests, sounds wise.

I mowed my 60m x 20m grass arena every 10 days or so, with a self propelled 21” walk-behind mower. Good exercise!

 

[Marigold4]

Trouble with the plastic ones is if he caught one and pulled it out, we could be in trouble! Unlikely, I know but possible with a young, silly horse. The field is divided into paddocks anyway, so I'm just making this paddock narrower and adding a 4th side - easy to take 4th side out. Whole long, thin paddock will be made 20m+, so we can move up and down when he's more established, with perhaps cones to mark ends. Having the extra side also gives a bit more security to keep him in if I fall off, as I'm often riding on my own.