Temporary Arena

[CILLA]

We currently have our house on the market but cannot sell. My daughter uses the field to ride in weather permitting but becoming increasingly difficult. Cannot afford the 15,000 for an arena as would not get it back. My question is has anyone constructed a temporary arena. A suggestion was sleepers, fencing and 8 inches of cushion ride on top. Anyone know if this would work or have any other suggestions please ?

 

[Finlib]

It is the drainage that is usually the problem rather than the surface you are riding on. What you suggest may work in the summer but not sure about the winter .I am also not sure about planning permission as permenant arenas certainly need planning permission .It took us the best part of two and a half years to get planning for our arena .
If you import a lot of material to make the surface you may find that you will have planning interested regardless of the fact it is temporary.
I feel you would probably get the money back if you built a permenant arena it would just be the time invovled to get plannng through and then build .Even with an easy ride (one planning application) you are looking at 6 months minimum .
Certainly we have found that arenas are in such demand for equestrian properties often it is the difference between selling and not selling.
If we were to relocate we certainly wouldn't even consider anything without an arena because we know how difficult it is to get permission for them.
J

 

[kerilli]

i think the chances are that it would turn into a slippery mud pit, tbh, depending on your subsoil.
IF you have very well draining land one thing you can do is to periodically 'seed' the grass with a light dusting of rubber crumb, light enough not to kill the grass. this is then washed down and gets held in the root structure, making it a bit more resilient and springier. BUT it's a very long-term job, not a quick fix.
there are cheapish roll out and ride type arena surfaces, but you would need planning permission, and the subsoil has to be the right type.
believe me, if we didn't have to spend tens of thousands on drainage etc, we wouldn't!

 

[martlin]

QR
The only thing that comes to my mind is the Eco Arena from Equestrian Direct, this is a membrane with the drainage channels built in and surface on top. All you need to do is scrape the vegetation from your site, but there has to be a bit of a gradient for it to work.

 

[CILLA]

Thanks for the advice we have planning permission from when the stables where built the other problem is we only have 2 acres for two horses and a pony which suffices all year round now but may be different if we built a menage and would people rather have the grazing. Difficult decision .

 

[Finlib]

Arenas are usually 40 mx20m so out of 2 acres it is not a huge amount .Most people I know would 'kill' for an arena rather than 40x20's worth of grass .On that sort of grazing for 2 horses and 1 pony you probably would not be self sufficient anyway In the winter an arena can be used to exercise horses instead of turning out .I know people say you can ruin an arena by turning out in it but one at a time for loose exercise is fine as long as you level it regularly.This being the case i would go for the arena every time over keeping that area as grass .
Anyone with native types or ponies prone tlaminitis don't want a lot of grass anyway.
For me having an arena would be the difference between buying and not buying a property