|
|
 Expert
Posts: 1304
 
| For you all that do very simple, minimal riding arenas/round pens at home, how and what do you do? I'm not looking to do anything really fancy but also want to do it right so I don't hurt my guy when riding!
I have an area probably 60x60 on a high spot that we used to level some with the tractor loader, but I plan on it being leveled more. It seems like clay soil but will look at websoilsurvey to make sure. I also found sand I can bring in at a good price..is crushed limestone sand ok? I was told by the company they have many buy this for their horse needs.
Also, I've read you need to have a sub base under the sand. I'd plan to only have about 2 inches over this area and this is going to be a very basic, cheap area I can ride and work my horse as I live on the farm I work at (it's not mine!). So anyway, what's ok and not ok? Do I have to have a sub base? And how do you all make do with what you have without doing it wrong? |
|
| |
|
Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| Ours is a ripped up clay knob, some sand naturally, but not much. We’ve not added anything. We’ve learned when to work it after rain and when it will just get cloddy.
We rope on it all the time. I work barrels and if we’ve had some rain I will make runs - if we are dry dry it gets too hard and I won’t make runs on it. We’re looking for a different drag that can rip it a little deeper. Knock on wood we are injury free and my in laws have been riding and roping on it for more than 20 years.
My honest opinion - we rodeo, ground is never “perfect” so I prefer not to train on “perfect”. I just use my head when it comes to running on it. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1304
| Thanks for the reply! How'd you get it "soft" enough to ride if that makes sense? Since leveling it out with the loader, it's pretty compacted and super hard.. Should I drag all over it, till it a little, or wait and mix in some sand? Really looking for guidance as I've never done this! Good point about not wanting perfect ground though. I wouldn't be able to afford it anyway. Lol |
|
| |
|
Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| We have a land pride soil pulverizer for our tractor - it’s got a row of teeth and then a roller with knobs on it. It does an ok job, like I said my father in law has had the arena long enough he knows when to work it after a rain when it’s dry enough but not so dry it just gets chunky. We are halfway looking/planning to make ourselves, a small ripper to really get through the hard pan. Would love to have a groundhog or black widow type tool, but don’t have the checkbook. |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 972
 
Location: Texas! | We have a 140 x 200 area that will one day be my arena. Right now it is all grass so I just do flat work and will trot the barrels. Looking for advice as well bc we plan to just till what is here and hope we can make some “decent” ground. |
|
| |
|
Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| WYOracer - 2018-07-22 10:35 PM
We have a 140 x 200 area that will one day be my arena. Right now it is all grass so I just do flat work and will trot the barrels. Looking for advice as well bc we plan to just till what is here and hope we can make some “decent” ground.
Honestly, that’s the place to start. If you can use a skid loader with a bucket to scrap the sod off, then till and see what you’ve got to work with. Ride it for a season, see how it handles water, see how it gets when there is no rain etc etc. and go from there before you start to get a ton of money wrapped up in sand/dirt. You may just need a different arena tool or to figure out how to water it when it gets dry to keep it serviceable. I’m curious to see what ours looks like when we do find the right tool to deep rip it with, but until then we deal with it and stay grateful we have a place to ride.
|
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1304
| I'm so grateful too! That's what we did; we scraped the sod off and leveled it some with the bucket. I considered tilling it but wasn't sure if that was a good idea since underneath could be uneven? But maybe it'd be ok, and then just rake any clods and rocks out. I actually have the hook up to some sand for a good price at $25 per scoop so I was just gonna spend $100 in sand and mix it in and see how that was! I'm getting some good ideas from you guys, just gotta see what kinda tractor implements we have to work with. I don't wanna spend an arm and a leg, especially since I'm not the land owner |
|
| |
|
Location: Middle TN | OhMax - 2018-07-21 4:01 PM Ours is a ripped up clay knob, some sand naturally, but not much. We’ve not added anything. We’ve learned when to work it after rain and when it will just get cloddy. We rope on it all the time. I work barrels and if we’ve had some rain I will make runs - if we are dry dry it gets too hard and I won’t make runs on it. We’re looking for a different drag that can rip it a little deeper. Knock on wood we are injury free and my in laws have been riding and roping on it for more than 20 years. My honest opinion - we rodeo, ground is never “perfect” so I prefer not to train on “perfect”. I just use my head when it comes to running on it.
^^^Right!!! If money was free flowing then yes, I would even have a professional plan and organize the entire construction. But - money isn't free flowing anywhere near me. Besides OhMax said it well - if you plan to rodeo and even running at local arenas that are only used a few times a year - they probably aren't perfect. Don't get me wrong - I have been to some arena's out in the middle of nowhere and the ground looked like it had a pro working it daily and maybe it did.
We have a neighbor come over a few times a year with his ole tractor and rotary tiller - the first time was to deep but now he's got it adjusted just right. |
|
| |
|
Sparklin Cowgirl
Posts: 4379
| My "arena" is part of a field we kept out of crops over the last 2 years. We invested in a decent arena tool to work the ground but we didn't add anything to the soil. I don't have a fence around it either. I would like to add some sand to help it maybe drain a little better but I don't think I can afford to add enough to make a difference since it is a pretty big area. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1304
| I may rip up the ground a little and then add some sand, since it won't be much, and then till it in. Not totally sure yet but we shall see. Thanks for all the replies guys |
|
| |
Folks on-line