# dressage arena is finally under way!



## Can He Star (Mar 9, 2011)

so these are pics of my new and still in progress dressage arena.
after a year or two long battle i have finally got my wish. so i now have a dressage arena in progress.

now it needs to have the stones removed and it isn't finished being leveled out and the clay needs removing but were getting there! hopefully a lovely fence may accompany it in the near future....

anyways meet my new dressage arena!
also if you have any tips for a dressage arena i would love to hear them!

ohh and there may be some random pics included


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## Can He Star (Mar 9, 2011)

also it was super wet when these were taken so like a week plus of rain..


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## Caitlinpalomino (Nov 16, 2010)

Lucky!!! that looks like a huge area!


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

The drainage on the one side is draining right into the arena. This may create problems. A french drain may be useful to help keep that side of the ring from becoming a swamp. It is a real hassle, but you won't regret it, in the long run.


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## Can He Star (Mar 9, 2011)

thanks alison^

as i was saying all that clay needs to be removed and will need more topsil there when it drys out a bit. atm i cant do anyting as it is raining


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## Can He Star (Mar 9, 2011)

Caitlinpalomino said:


> Lucky!!! that looks like a huge area!


 nah its 70 by 30.. we made it a bit bigger so we have some room to play with when its done


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

I want....The only time I ever get to see dressage letters are the falling apart ones on my trainers indoor arena.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

So jealous, I'm REALLY hoping that the promises turn into actions this year....


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## crimsonsky (Feb 18, 2011)

lucky. i so miss having an arena. *sigh*


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## Can He Star (Mar 9, 2011)

Golden Horse said:


> So jealous, I'm REALLY hoping that the promises turn into actions this year....


thanks golden horse. so do i!


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## Gallop On (May 1, 2011)

That is so awesome CHS! I am extremely jealous! I want a jumping arena really, really bad, but for now I just jump in the woods, and dodge the trees :lol:


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## VanillaBean (Oct 19, 2008)

Super cool! I'm trying to get an arena too. Atleast you already had a nice area.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Gallop On said:


> That is so awesome CHS! I am extremely jealous! I want a jumping arena really, really bad, but for now I just jump in the woods, and dodge the trees :lol:


Not wanting to be a Debbie Downer, but that is dangerous, I was there when a friend failed to completely dodge a tree and hit it full on with her knee, that wasn't good.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Congrats, CHS!! What are you going to use to surface drain? On top are you considering sand?...chewed up rubber (Re-cycled tires)?...something else? _I'm interested._ =D
Are you going to leave the sides open? Are you thinking about chains with the letters? _I think_ I would consider treated recycled RR ties--Menard's sells them, $10/piece...something else?
Gotta take pictures to share as it comes together. **sigh**


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## Pineapples (Jan 22, 2012)

Wow, that looks wonderful! Haha, doesn't it always seem that things are a yearlong battle?  At least you got your way! I bet it will look spiffy when it's all finished and fenced off. What are you considering for a fence?

I'm curious as to how to keep the grass edge from encroaching again, though. Hand tilling? Or is it a property of the eventual fill, grass suppression? Sorry for the questions, inquiring minds and all, heh!


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## Can He Star (Mar 9, 2011)

Corporal said:


> Congrats, CHS!! What are you going to use to surface drain? On top are you considering sand?...chewed up rubber (Re-cycled tires)?...something else? _I'm interested._ =D
> Are you going to leave the sides open? Are you thinking about chains with the letters? _I think_ I would consider treated recycled RR ties--Menard's sells them, $10/piece...something else?
> Gotta take pictures to share as it comes together. **sigh**


thanks guys
hopefully i may get sand but we arent going to spend a fortune but i need a area to train in when it has been raining without spending a fortune. 
probably not chain as such as they are dangeous if a horse decides to play up.i do have letters and they will be put up when the base is done. then hopefully i can get something like this done with a top rail and a middle rail.. with the rubber is that like 10 bucks for shreaded rubber.. how much??

i sure will put up pictures when its done!


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## Can He Star (Mar 9, 2011)

Pineapples said:


> Wow, that looks wonderful! Haha, doesn't it always seem that things are a yearlong battle?  At least you got your way! I bet it will look spiffy when it's all finished and fenced off. What are you considering for a fence?
> 
> I'm curious as to how to keep the grass edge from encroaching again, though. Hand tilling? Or is it a property of the eventual fill, grass suppression? Sorry for the questions, inquiring minds and all, heh!


seing we put it on a slope it does have a fall on it so that is where the grass is growing. im undecided whether to plant ( seeing i cant spell it ) - kycura grass or leaving it that soft powdered dirt. im just thinking that the grass may provide cushioning


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

I wouldn't take the clay out and put topsoil in. The top soil will not make a good base. Anything you put on it will mix in. Here are some ideas;

Sub-Base
The consistency of the soil plays a big part in the sub-base at the foundation of your arena. Scientists have identified more than 10,000 different kinds of soil; sandy soils are vulnerable to runoff, while clay-based soils are more stable and harder. Your sub-base should have a slight crown at its center, or be rolled with a 1-to-2- percent grade to allow for runoff.

Base
The base is laid directly on top of the sub-base, just beneath the footing itself. It's often composed of crushed stone, then rolled flat and sealed with chip and seal (the same process used to construct rural roads).

Arena Design
The footing material you choose should be loose, and provide good drainage. If you plan to surround your arena with sod, it's a good idea to line the base and footing area with a pressure-treated board. This keeps the base from shifting under the constant weight of the horses plodding along the rail. Another option is to extend your base and footing beyond your rail or fence. A 20-foot walk track on the outside of your arena provides a cushion for the shifting of the base and footing. The arena's design will impact your footing depth. If you choose the board option, make the footing 2 to 4 inches thick, while an arena with a 20-foot walk track should have footing 3 to 6 inches thick.

Sand Footing
Sand deeper than 6 inches can be dangerous for your horses' tendons. Sand breaks down and compacts over time, so start with a 2-inch depth and be prepared to add material regularly over time (ideally in one-half inch increments). Sand also has a tendency to dry out. Products such as Arena RX (available from Midwest Industrial Supply) coat the particles and reduce or eliminate dust.

Rubber Footing
Rubber does not degrade, and its dark color reduces surface glare on a sunny day. It also absorbs the heat from the sun, keeping the footing thawed on a sunny winter day. Mixing rubber with sand retains these benefits while keeping the footing from becoming too hot. Add 2 pounds of rubber per square foot of sand. The rubber will float in heavy rain; reintegrate it into the sand by dragging the arena with a flat board so as not to damage your carefully prepared base. Buy rubber footing from a horse footing supplier to avoid footing with remaining metal or other foreign materials that may injure your horse.

Topsoil Footing
Although topsoil may seem inexpensive at first, maintaining it is very time consuming. Soil dries out very easily, creating severe dust problems. Soil containing a large percentage of clay is slippery in the rain, and will dry to a very hard surface. In addition, some soils do not drain well, remaining wet for long periods of time. The problem of drainage can be mitigated by adding more than 50 percent sand to the topsoil, but it still needs to be disked daily to maintain a pleasant riding surface.


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## Gallop On (May 1, 2011)

Golden Horse said:


> Not wanting to be a Debbie Downer, but that is dangerous, I was there when a friend failed to completely dodge a tree and hit it full on with her knee, that wasn't good.


Your not  Yes, I know it isnt the safest thing, and truthfully, its more of a "shute" that I jump in. Its a line without trees, but their are trees surrounding, and a few in the way. I have no where else to ride, and cant afford an arena


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

This is as far as we got with it last year, a flat (ish) area roped off. Fine in the dry, but can't ride in it at all when wet as our 'soil' just turns to a slime which is lethally slippery :evil:



I'm hoping to move to one of the old cow pens this year, with a better surface, and enclosed.


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## Can He Star (Mar 9, 2011)

Allison Finch said:


> I wouldn't take the clay out and put topsoil in. The top soil will not make a good base. Anything you put on it will mix in. Here are some ideas;
> 
> Sub-Base
> The consistency of the soil plays a big part in the sub-base at the foundation of your arena. Scientists have identified more than 10,000 different kinds of soil; sandy soils are vulnerable to runoff, while clay-based soils are more stable and harder. Your sub-base should have a slight crown at its center, or be rolled with a 1-to-2- percent grade to allow for runoff.
> ...


thanks i will take that into consideration!!


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## Gallop On (May 1, 2011)

Golden Horse said:


> This is as far as we got with it last year, a flat (ish) area roped off. Fine in the dry, but can't ride in it at all when wet as our 'soil' just turns to a slime which is lethally slippery :evil:
> 
> 
> 
> I'm hoping to move to one of the old cow pens this year, with a better surface, and enclosed.


Awe, that is still awesome! We have 10 acres, and all of it is hilly, and forest. Their is NO chunck on our property that looks like that, haha.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Great start, that was the easy cheap part. You still have a lot of work left. Keep posting updated pix. I built a riding arena when we built the horse. Never worked so hard in life, digging post holes, picking rocks, shoveling sand, but in the end, it's worth it. I still have to paint the white rails every 2nd year.


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## Can He Star (Mar 9, 2011)

^lol hah the rocks is the worst


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## Clayton Taffy (May 24, 2011)

I am green with envy!!


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

I want to add that if you are putting posts in buy an AUGER instead of the "slam down and pull apart" post hole digger. I used my auger every year to dig holes EVERYWHERE. The 2 last times were to put a supporting recycled 8' (8" diameter) post 3 foot deep in my shelter (for the new manger) last November. I also had to replace a protective post in front of my barn's loft. I bought hay from this guy who backed into it and broke the post with his trailer. )=/
FINALLY replaced it last month and I dug through gravel and dirt with my auger. It looks like a giant corkscrew and has two handles at the top. You can adjust the width at the bottom. You must dig a shallow hole with a spade to start, then you just keep turning until it's full, pull it out and empty and keep working at it until you reach the desired depth.
I also garden with my auger. Couldn't do my farm maintenance without it. =D


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

Has anyone used rubber in HIGH wind areas? 

The place I board used 2" of sand and in less than a year needed to replace all of it, as it blew away. 70mph winds are "normal" around here, when my run-ins were put in the guy sunk 8ft pieces of rebar to anchor them and told me if they came loose, he'd come back with 12ft pieces!

I'd like to bring my horse home but need to build an arena first. It's very, very dry here so I was considering rubber but not if all the expensive rubber is going to blow away the first time the wind blows!


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## Can He Star (Mar 9, 2011)

Corporal said:


> I want to add that if you are putting posts in buy an AUGER instead of the "slam down and pull apart" post hole digger. I used my auger every year to dig holes EVERYWHERE. The 2 last times were to put a supporting recycled 8' (8" diameter) post 3 foot deep in my shelter (for the new manger) last November. I also had to replace a protective post in front of my barn's loft. I bought hay from this guy who backed into it and broke the post with his trailer. )=/
> FINALLY replaced it last month and I dug through gravel and dirt with my auger. It looks like a giant corkscrew and has two handles at the top. You can adjust the width at the bottom. You must dig a shallow hole with a spade to start, then you just keep turning until it's full, pull it out and empty and keep working at it until you reach the desired depth.
> I also garden with my auger. Couldn't do my farm maintenance without it. =D


i have never heard of it. can you buy them in australia? price


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Looks like this~
http://www.archway-engineering.com/images/hand_auger.jpg


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## PintoTess (Aug 18, 2010)

Hope you know that this means that I will be over all the time to train wiith you! 

Id kill for an arena (my have one soon) cos my rope one has gone  Sad yes and not the best solution for an arena but it was all I could get!


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## Can He Star (Mar 9, 2011)

PintoTess said:


> Hope you know that this means that I will be over all the time to train wiith you!
> 
> Id kill for an arena (my have one soon) cos my rope one has gone  Sad yes and not the best solution for an arena but it was all I could get!


 haha we'll see
yes the rope ones is a big no no . they are a tad dangerous especially if horses decide to be silly.

hopefully a fenced in one can be done 4 me. atm the rain is making that dificult


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## PintoTess (Aug 18, 2010)

^^ I was joking, just saying.

Yeah they can be dangerous, they had them at state for the little kids and all were fine.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Corporal said:


> Looks like this~
> http://www.archway-engineering.com/images/hand_auger.jpg



TSK TSK, call that a post hole auger, ??

This is the baby we have










Now that is the way to make holes for your posts:lol:


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## Can He Star (Mar 9, 2011)

PintoTess said:


> ^^ I was joking, just saying.
> 
> Yeah they can be dangerous, they had them at state for the little kids and all were fine.


hahh yeah the little kiddies with the quite ponies. they are very dangerous.

its all the de-rocking thats annoying me


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