I have three horses that used to be boarded in a nice barn. They would be in stalls for most of the day, then be turned out, and I'd do lessons on these horses a few times a week. I was jumping one of my horses up to about 4 and a 1/2 feet! Now, though, the money situation has drastically changed, and they live with me. We don't have stalls. All we have is the bottom of a barn (where the horses are fed/take shelter) and a paddock that is only an acre big and the horses have free access to.
I've been thinking a lot lately. It's selfish of me to have these horses and not exercise them. That's unhealthy! I can't ride one horse in the paddock though, without the other two chasing and getting angry. Plus, the paddock is built on uneven terrain.
My goal now is to build an arena. A DIY arena, because I can't afford help. Any ideas? I can't just buy nice posts and sand and level ground out... I wish I could, but that's out of the question. Would grass work as an arena's footing? I just don't know!
I don't do any sort of serious competing or training, just general riding. My arena is constructed of the plastic temp fence poles and 1 strand of electric rope. that's pretty much it. I keep the electric off, and my neighbor grazes his horses in it when I'm not riding. It works great for me and it's super affordable to put up.
You don't need an arena or even level terrain to exercise your horses. There's really no reason why you can't exercise them in their paddock for that matter. Ride one and tie the others up so that they can't bother you.
Until just a few days ago, my main schooling area was grass footing and didn't even have a fence around it. It's still just grass footing (used as a paddock when I'm not schooling in there) but at least it does have a fence now.
While my main schooling area at the barn is relatively flat, much of the countryside where I ride isn't. It's not at all uncommon to catch me loping circles on the side of a hill where a horse has to lope up one side and down the other. So long as there are no big rocks or big holes to step in, then you can school/exercise just about anywhere.
The paddock is not that large and it's rather hilly. The horses do not like being tied... and they won't tolerate it. Also, we don't really have anywhere to tie them :?
Also, my horse, Twix, can and will take off if there aren't set boundaries. I'd love to just take off riding her in a field that's not enclosed, but I'm worried about me falling and her getting loose. We're right next to a road, and I would hate for her to run off (again).
If I had a super calm, laid back horse maybe that would be an option
Wow, um, it sounds like you maybe need a roundpen instead of an arena where you can spend some time on re-training all kinds of things.
You may take this as being rude, but it's not the way I mean it. You are making excuses for your horses behaving badly (not tolerating being tied, can and will take off if there aren't set boundaries, etc). Making excuses for them will not correct the behaviors.
The area where I ride is right next to a busy roadway where there are a ton of semi trucks and heavy equipment going by. I'm usually out there on horses with no more than 3-4 days under saddle, so hardly "super calm and laid back". It's all a matter of having the knowledge and ability to correct any shenanigans that might come up and putting the proper training on a horse before you put them in that situation.
And ther ya have it, work with them and make good horses. Yes, some are nut jobs, but sounds you've taken the role of enabler.
Work them in the open, tie them, ride em alone.
Please don't take that as an insult or rude, but it's how I took your posts. What you have for facility's shouldn't hinder you at all.
Eta: and smrobs beat me to it, I type slow. Posted via Mobile Device
I've never had an arena of any kind, and never will. I ride in fields that have the gates open (To all the young ones out there... Please don't follow my example!) and also on the roads, and in my paddocks when the ground is soft (very rough when the ground is hard).
Considering your horses won't be tied up, and bomb off, I also suggest a round pen and a lot of ground work.
I know that I've basically made monsters out of my horses and I'm working on that. I'm doing groundwork with the most spirited of my horses every day for a couple hours now and I'm seeing improvement already. I don't want advice on how to correct their bad/unacceptable behaviors on this thread... I'd just really appreciate ideas on how to make an arena. In an arena, I can take one horse at a time (even on a halter and lead) so they're alone and have less distractions and focus on working one at a time.
Advice on behavior is appreciated, but unnecessary at this time. I've sought out help with that already.
I cannot post pictures from my phone, but read this thread. There is a hung of info on my arena. We just bought this property so really didn't have a ton of money. I tilled the ground (I'm used to deep footing for gaming) We purchased t posts for the corners & all the middle is temporary posts, with a strand or 2 of hot poly wire.
This weekend we set 5 postal in concrete (we eventually will have the entire area in wood rails & it doubles as our sacrifice area.
If you have naughty snots, I'm not sure how secure your fencing will need to be. Mine are really easy on fences. They can be ripping around, kicking, jumping, etc & will stop dead for a single strand.
A round pen would be cheaper, since its a smaller area to fence. Posted via Mobile Device
I built my arena out of used tires stacked four high, the tires were free I just went around collecting them from the side of the road, and put an add on Craigs list for them, and went to my mechanic. I put up a 4ft gate and now I have my arena. It is by no means sturdy but it gives some boundaries and I have yet to have a horse try to go through or over it. I also use the tires to build obstacles. I really did not think about what I will do if I ever have to move, but that is not in my plans.
Gssw, post a picture! That sounds very interesting. Posted via Mobile Device
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