We are thinking about installing a 60ft round pen with all weather footing. We live in a very wet climate (PNW) and due to that and our acerage being smaller we can't have the horses out on pasture from mid November till about May when it dries out again.

we do not have an arena or room/ money to put one in which means I must haul out to ride. In the summer we are across the road from two large outdoors and have a friend with a nice outdoor nearby as well but in the winter, especially over the past year with everything my options have dwindled to one arena I can haul to after 7pm only and one I can sometimes use between 4:30-6:30 pm. There has been lots of times I actually had a babysitter and some free time and I couldn't ride at either. Not to mention it's winter and dark, cold, raining and or super foggy often at night which I I am not super comfortable hauling in. Even turning my horses out to play and just be horses is an extreme challenge and I feel badly that despite my best efforts I am lucky if I can do it once a week. They do have a all weather turn out they access daily off their stalls but it's not huge and they can't run and play to the full extent. 

I am considering putting in the round pen to help with many of these issues. I am thinking they could have daily turn out to the round pen to play, a safe place to excercise more regularly and a place I can ride when other options are limited. I do plan to still haul out regularly as well. I currently try to do so 4 days a week but often it's 2-3 when I can't find a place or when I have other obligations that fall within the very limited time I am able to use these barns. 

A few cons are that a 60ft would take up a good chunk of my front pasture (only place we can put it and we already have limited pasture. I am not sure how we would get a peice of equipment back there to work it in the muddy season. We have a small tractor and a harrow but you would have to drive through our backyard to get a tractor back there which would turn our yard and pasture into a muddy mess in the winter. Unless hand racking is a reasonable option if done frequently enough. 

I really want to be able to have my own place to work horses and keep them fit and happy but I don't want to spend a bunch of money making this to find out it's really not going to work and ruins the useablilty of my pasture so I have mixed feelings. 

we do have a spot in the back yard I could do a much smaller round pen, maybe 40-50 ft right off my turnout but I am aware that is not Likely large enough to ride in but could at least be useful for excrcise. My hubby thinks if we are going to bother to do it we should just do a 60ft. 

I was in same place as you but a little bigger.  I did a 60 fr. roundpen and did lots in it! and used it to turn horses in it too.  We had lots of clay so the mud would be slick.  So what we did is I got 2 loads of sand and we started with the outside of the circle and worked our way in.  I could use pretty much no matter how mush rain we got or at least wait a day and then use.  At first I didnt have any panels but I used it like I did.  You can do a lot just got to think outside of box!   I did all my trotting and loping there and walked in my small pasture. 

You want the 60 ft.  and I only had to haul sand in like 2x that I was there for 12 years.  and you dont have to work it very often.  My nieghbor would work with his tractor bout every 3 mths.  I was amazed that it didnt get dug out.  It did get really crusty but when I worked the horses in it, it just got soft again. 

we didnt mix the sand with the dirt, we just piled it on top. 

good luck!

Thank you! This is super helpful! Did you put down landscape fabric? We are thinking to do landscape fabric, a few inches of rock and then  few inches of sand on top.  It's helpful to know it doesn't need worked super often. I was thinking like weekly it would need to be done! Every few months would be totally fine. 

I didnt do landscaping.  I just put on top of dirt.  My dirt had a lot of clay   I think it may depend on what kind of dirt you have if this would work. 

Oh gotcha. We have Silty clay loam soil and an average of 50inches of rain per year so I am super concerned with good drainage! But our turnout we made drains pretty well so I think it's doable! 

I am in the PNW as well and put in a 60ft round pen about a year ago but for different reasons. It has been a LIFESAVER this winter! I have several indoors I can haul to, but there are nights that I am just too tired. It is nice to have the roundpen to work them in and not feel guilty for not riding or exercising I would definitely put one in! 

I have plenty of turnout and an arena but I could not do without my round pen.  It is 60' and I got old industrial conveyor belting for free and riveted it to the panels then had several loads of river sand brought in.  I can ride in it regardless the weather and the river sand doesn't pack so I rarely have to work the ground.  The horses get a nice work out if I just lunge them and I have used it for turnout new horses, weaning, etc.

Thank you guys this is super helpful info. Follow up question what panels do you have and recommend? We are looking at Nobel, or Priefeirt I think. Nobel is considerably more expensive. 

Love my round pen. I like to have a place with good footing to lunge and ride. You can do a lot in a round pen. I'll set up one barrel and work it. 

A round pen is great for many reasons and many uses, so I say yes to a round pen, even if you dont use it for working out your horses, its great to have.. They are just handy.