# Starting to hate farm designing



## Nickers2002 (Nov 25, 2009)

Why is it I keep having to change plans...*sigh* Designing a farm layout can be so much fun, yet so frustrating lol. Doesn't help that I'm a Gemini so I second guess myself and take a year to make final decisions 

I got a quote yesterday for doing some field/arena building. If I put the arena at the top of the one field it would need to be cleaned (taking out all the bad stuff) and bringing in footing for the arena including harrowing/raking the bottom of the field and machine/labor - it'll be about $2500. Really not bad for all of that but I still need to get it from somewhere 

If I make the riding arena at the bottom of the sand field that already has a sand footing that just needs to be leveled and "fluffed" since it drains very well and doesn't get slick/mushy I can make a larger arena and have less trees actually to deal with. I can make a 74' x 120/125' arena with 2 trees not along the fence line/in the way instead of a 66' x 100' arena with 3 trees kind of in the way. Not to mention the price for the arena would then most likely be around $500. Then I would get my manure guy to clean the top of the field where the arena would have been for only $270 when he comes to get the pile I have going...

Which sounds better? Either way I need to get some sort of lighting (was thinking solar spot lights...going green) and still need to do some fence work/footing work...but would be minimal compared to the other end. 

*sigh* Horse people - what would you do?

Here is a photo of the field in question, it's the best one I have:










Here are the 2 layouts. The 1st one would be more money:









This one would save money. It also show's where the trees are so you can see where they would be in the first one also:


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## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

I'd go # 2.....
Better drainage
Larger arena (we all want that!)
Less money!


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

I also would lean towards the cheaper version - no need to worry about what to do with the extra cash going this route as there will be a hundred and one other farm related things to spend it on. You`re trees look lovely so if there`s trees in this arena, you can incorporate them in desensitization and or obstacle training rather than trying to chop them down (Spruce Meadows in Alberta has trees in its international show jumping ring:wink.

P.S. It is good you are doing this preplanning (headaches and all) - you`ll find it will pay for itself in the long run.

Best of luck with the place.


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## backyardhorse (Feb 22, 2013)

So far, it seems unanimous--#2 is the way to go. Other than the shorter walk to the arena, what does #1 have going for it? BTW, the solar lights you're considering would not be spots, they'd be floods, and that's where your savings (by not going with #1) could go!


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

You need an area of 16 x 16' to store hay. That should hold 100 bales. A wash area is really wasted space because a horse should rarely be washed and the yard should do.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

Plan 2. look at this way, those couple of trees allow some shade in summer when riding and you can use them for training. 
i would make a wash rack. It is just nice to have some place to tie a horse, and get it clean. I need to make one this year. I am just putting down some dirt, with rubber mats , not doing the whole cement thing. I wont have to worry about any horse being an *** and slipping etc. As soon as you are done, and have all the permanant fences, barns, shades etc up, you will think.. oh geez, I should have...


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## Nickers2002 (Nov 25, 2009)

Saddlebag said:


> You need an area of 16 x 16' to store hay. That should hold 100 bales. A wash area is really wasted space because a horse should rarely be washed and the yard should do.


The dirt isn't a good place to mix with water when dealing with a half white horse though and I would like a place to hose them down after riding in 100 degree weather as well  Plus I do show so need to get him cleaned up.

The area in the barn has a spot where we are keeping 40 bales at a time, the rest of the hay is kept in the hay barn at the end of the pastures (opposite side of the property as the barn/stalls) to reduce fire hazards. That can hold a few hundred bales.

Yea, I was actually trying to keep a couple trees in the arena for some shade. This way when it's hot we can cool out under them  We do western/western dressage so no need to anything but flat work in the arena lol.


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