|
|
Posts: 1365
  
Location: waiting for the thaw | We are looking at building, what can't you live with out? Size etc. To heat, or not to heat? We are in the cold north. Give me the dream list, then I'll tapper down by budget. TIA |
|
| |
|
 The Famous Hot Wing Chicken Girl
Posts: 2964
 
| When we build one, I will have heat for winter. and large fans for in the summer. Huge roll up doors on all sides. Also going to have a small alleyway inside and out. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1414
| We live in the cold north too. We put curtains on 3 sides. We wanted a very open feel so it converts from an "indoor" in the winter to a covered arena in the spring through fall. We live in the country and the wind is always blowing so we didn't have to worry about fans. I'm not a fan of heated arenas. JMO. I've been in 3 and even with proper circulation the air felt stale and there were health issues with the horses.
One exterior pic shows one curtain up and one down on either side of the exterior door. The pic with the tractor shows what it looks like on the inside with the curtains down. Since that pic we put metal panels around arena to protect curtains.
Edited by roanrider 2014-02-23 8:10 PM
 (arena.jpg)
 (arena1.jpg)
 (arena2.jpg)
 (138.jpg)
 (142.jpg)
Attachments
----------------
 arena.jpg (22KB - 202 downloads)
arena1.jpg (23KB - 196 downloads)
arena2.jpg (16KB - 210 downloads)
138.jpg (52KB - 191 downloads)
142.jpg (48KB - 203 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
 Chasin my Dream
Posts: 13651
Location: Alberta | roanrider - 2014-02-23 7:02 PM We live in the cold north too. We put curtains on 3 sides. We wanted a very open feel so it converts from an "indoor" in the winter to a covered arena in the spring through fall. We live in the country and the wind is always blowing so we didn't have to worry about fans. I'm not a fan of heated arenas. JMO. I've been in 3 and even with proper circulation the air felt stale and there were health issues with the horses.
That is a neat idea with the curtain aspect.... |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1414
| Our building is 100 x 225, with the first 30ish feet blocked off from riding to store trailers, etc. The pic labeled Arena1 shows the "stalls". We need to block that in the winter so the snow doesn't come flying in. This year we blocked off half of them with plywood and it was better but we've had a brutal winter and wish we would have blocked off more than we did. We got busy with building a house so a more "permanent" fix it will have to wait until next fall.
All in all I love it, especially in the hot summer. It's a place to get out of the sun, yet still get a breeze. |
|
| |
|
 Forever Young
Posts: 6768
Location: relocated to Texas | I would go for a larger size arena 100 x 200 would be nice. I would not heat it, but would insulate well. I am not a fan of heated indoors either because the dust, poop and urine circulates through the air. Makes for an unhealthy environment, IMO. You want large doors on both ends and plenty of skylights on sides. Also need to think about how you will water the ground because the dust gets bad in these indoors unless you can add moisture to the ground. I like the idea of the tarps, but have never had an arena with them. Our indoor was 75 X 200 and I always wished we had built it wider. |
|
| |
|
Regular
Posts: 87
| I know you guys said that there's health concerns with heat, but if your in as cold of north as me, get it heated. Theres arenas around my place (I don't have one sadly) that aren't heated, even though they're insulated they're freezing! Always at least 10 degrees (celcius) colder than it is outside. It would be worth it, IMO. And if I built one, it would either have to have a heated barn attached to put horses in after riding in the winter when they're all sweaty, or if not that have space on one end to put up a few stalls or pens. I agree with the big doors, those would be great to have, especially in the summer, could really air the place out. Sorry, can't help you with size though, just big enough to set up a barrel pattern comfortably at least though. And by the way... I'm sooo jealous!!! You're lucky!! |
|
| |
|
 Best of the Badlands
Location: You never know where I will show up...... | I am in South Dakota and I have an indoor but it's just insulated. Not heated. I have a neighbor with a heated barn that I used to go ride in, before mine was built.
Their's was only kept @ 55 degrees but when you go to working horses in there they get too hot, too fast, and don't cool out very well at all. I have problems cooling mine out even here at home, and my barn is usually between 20-30 degrees above 0 on any given day.
Even though their barn is kept so very clean, and ventilated it still smells. |
|
| |
|
  More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
Location: Riding Crackhead. | rockinas - 2014-02-23 10:34 PM I am in South Dakota and I have an indoor but it's just insulated. Not heated. I have a neighbor with a heated barn that I used to go ride in, before mine was built.
Their's was only kept @ 55 degrees but when you go to working horses in there they get too hot, too fast, and don't cool out very well at all. I have problems cooling mine out even here at home, and my barn is usually between 20-30 degrees above 0 on any given day.
Even though their barn is kept so very clean, and ventilated it still smells.
I agree with Rockinas. Don't heat it. If you put some clear panels in so the sun can help heat it naturally plus let light in. The heated barns here in SD that I've been in, I haven't been a fan of. |
|
| |
|
| In the frozen tundra .... 2 things would be first .... a dark colored roof so sun's uv and ir rays will melt the snow and ice off of it quicker than a white roof ... peak roof vents for air circulation in summer and winter..
2 ... short end of arena building would be facing the prevailing (north??) wind during the winter and be metal walls to take the brunt force of the storms ... would consider doing vented solid walls on west side if late sun is a problem ...
3rd one ... all I can think of ... is have it in a basement ... lol .. |
|
| |
|
boon
Posts: 3
| Can anyone tell me building a full size arena would cost how much?
|
|
| |
|
Veteran
Posts: 229
Location: Montana | jackiemoulfow - 2014-02-23 10:16 PM
Can anyone tell me building a full size arena would cost how much?
I am currently pricing. What I have found in anywhere between $8.35 per sq foot if you stay with 60' wide. At 72' wide the least I have been quoted is $9.47 per sq foot. Pole barn construction 15' side wall. BUT that is the lowest prices, I have been quoted up to $12 per sq foot by other companies.
I would think going steel would be more, but I have not priced any steel frame building.
|
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1066
| My husband used to be an installation contractor for chicken/dairy barns and got some good idea while working there.
-We would have sky lights, and plexiglass windows for natural light, and large doors to open, but still have gates across so a person could open it right up in the summer without calves/horses getting out
-Huge fans like they have in chicken barns- they blow hard enough that theres a bit of a breeze and are designed to keep humidity down.
-Sprinkler system that could be set on a timer so you can water the arena while doing other things without over-watering
-If we didn't have the whole arena heated we would at least have heaters above the viewing area and/or roping boxes (so chute help is a little more comfortable), but we'd likely hang heaters at least down the outside of the whole arena as we are babies about the cold.
-Return alley that a dog could get in and out of to push calves back up.
I know there's more that we had discussed, but I cant think of it now. Will add as it comes to me.
|
|
| |
|
Best of the Badlands
Location: You never know where I will show up...... | CYA Ranch - 2014-02-23 10:41 PM [] I agree with Rockinas. Don't heat it. If you put some clear panels in so the sun can help heat it naturally plus let light in. The heated barns here in SD that I've been in, I haven't been a fan of.
I've got 5' skylights, the full 200' length, on the north and south walls in mine. They let so much natural light in, I seldom have to turn the lights on in the arena to ride in there, in the daytime. |
|
| |
|
More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
Location: Riding Crackhead. | rockinas - 2014-02-24 12:13 PM CYA Ranch - 2014-02-23 10:41 PM [] I agree with Rockinas. Don't heat it. If you put some clear panels in so the sun can help heat it naturally plus let light in. The heated barns here in SD that I've been in, I haven't been a fan of. I've got 5' skylights, the full 200' length, on the north and south walls in mine. They let so much natural light in, I seldom have to turn the lights on in the arena to ride in there, in the daytime.
That was a smart move. Kyle Gilmore at Faulkton doesn't even have lights in his indoor, its bright enough without. Obviously he isn't riding at night though. LOL
My aunt has an indoor west of Belle that she has lots of skylights in and hers is the same way. If this weather doesn't clear up soon I'm going to haul a trailer full out there for a couple weeks just to get some good riding in. |
|
| |
|
Forever Young
Posts: 6768
Location: relocated to Texas | Some of these folks who want heated arenas might change their mind once they see what it costs to heat it. Even if cost was no object, the heated arenas that I have been in smell. I don't want to breathe air that is circulating urine, poop and dust, nor do I want my horses breathing it. It is not healthy. |
|
| |
|
 That's White "Man" to You
Posts: 5515
| If you do heat it, get a waste oil furnace or two, depending on the size of arena. Pretty cheap to run and does just fine in the arena we ride in during the winter. |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 898
Location: Mountains of VA | My outdoor ring is 100x200 and I think it is not wide enough. If there is any way to get your indoor wider than 100' it would be worth the money. Don't forget some type of watering system and the footing should not freeze hard for winter riding. So, width and footing would be my first priorities. |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1066
| Hollywood's Fan - 2014-02-24 4:05 PM Some of these folks who want heated arenas might change their mind once they see what it costs to heat it. Even if cost was no object, the heated arenas that I have been in smell. I don't want to breathe air that is circulating urine, poop and dust, nor do I want my horses breathing it. It is not healthy.
If I were to heat an arena I would have either electric heaters (hanging from the roof) that were on a timer so I could set them to take the chill off for 20- 30 minutes, or a wood heater. Wood is less convenient because obviously you have to split wood, and start the fire a few hours ahead of time, but it takes the chill off just the same, and is much more cost effiecient! I wouldn't even consider keeping the arena heated at all times, but I also wouldn't have an arena without some form of heat available. |
|
| |
|
 Lived to tell about it and will never do it again
Posts: 5408
| roanrider - 2014-02-23 8:14 PM Our building is 100 x 225, with the first 30ish feet blocked off from riding to store trailers, etc. The pic labeled Arena1 shows the "stalls". We need to block that in the winter so the snow doesn't come flying in. This year we blocked off half of them with plywood and it was better but we've had a brutal winter and wish we would have blocked off more than we did. We got busy with building a house so a more "permanent" fix it will have to wait until next fall.
All in all I love it, especially in the hot summer. It's a place to get out of the sun, yet still get a breeze.
I'm not sure if you have enough tractor to work up the ground to most people's liking. lol 
Hubby is a John Deere salesman, I swear he bleeds GREEN |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1414
| euchee - 2014-02-24 6:53 PM roanrider - 2014-02-23 8:14 PM Our building is 100 x 225, with the first 30ish feet blocked off from riding to store trailers, etc. The pic labeled Arena1 shows the "stalls". We need to block that in the winter so the snow doesn't come flying in. This year we blocked off half of them with plywood and it was better but we've had a brutal winter and wish we would have blocked off more than we did. We got busy with building a house so a more "permanent" fix it will have to wait until next fall.
All in all I love it, especially in the hot summer. It's a place to get out of the sun, yet still get a breeze. I'm not sure if you have enough tractor to work up the ground to most people's liking. lol
Hubby is a John Deere salesman, I swear he bleeds GREEN
LOL this was right after the construction was done. The ground was so compacted my little 46 hp JD couldn't do it. We had to get the big guns out for that job! |
|
| |