How big is your riding arena at home/ where you board?

How big is your riding arena at home/ where you board?

As I plan my barn next spring I think I'd like to get started on an arena now (outdoor!). I figure with the snow I won't be riding much anyway but if the weather should get nice (Here in PA you can go from 20 degree snowy days to 60 degree sunny days overnight at times!) drainage and footing would likely be better in an arena (I already have the footing worked out). My horse also has cruddy feet and sand is not only soft on his toes but would also help keep his barefeet happy and dry at times.

I cannot for the life of me remember how big or small the rings I rode in at all those boarding stables I worked at over the years were (or felt). Money is no issue- but space is. I want to get away with the smallest size possible. I like to ride outside the arena, so this would just be for bad/wet weather and schooling. I also can trailer him to a bigger indoor and outdoor whenever I want!

Think western pleasure, that's what we 'school for' the most. We don't game or jump ever. Nothing super fast and crazy. No cow work. Just flat work basics. I would like to be able to make normal size two circles at either end this way I could do that and figure eights and stuff. All the other stuff I can trailer out for if I want too.

I want to get the most out of my property (which isn't huge) so the less room this ring takes up the more room I have for more pasture and other fun things.

I know one arena I rode in was 54'x72' (indoor) but I was the only one in it ever another was 70'x130' but I can't remember how big or small that was... I know the latter one I could do figure eights around cones with this horse on the width of the arena (the 70')... but was it tight? I can't remember.

Thanks for any help!

My indoor is 100 x 200, but a little shorter on the length because I have foaling stalls and equipment storage on one end.

The outdoor is 100 x 300ish. Big enough that I can have quite a few riders working at once, set up full size contesting patterns and show trail courses.

Thanks.

I should also add that its just me and my pony here... no one else.

Our indoor is 62'x120' with a 35' roof.

We can have 4 riders in there comfortably.

Our mares are at home with us and we have a 100x200 outdoor arena which is more than big enough for us/family/friends.

The big indoor at my barn (we only have an indoor) is 240X120. It's much larger than the average, but it's quite handy. :)

Current arena is 90x180. When I started teaching my arena was 60'x120' then we widened it to 66'x120 when it had to be moved. 60x120 was a little tight on my larger horses depending on what we were doing.
Posted via Mobile Device

I bet we have the biggest outdoor arena. It's about 40 acres and surroundedby trees and a river. The only problem is that we can only use it between harvest time and spring planting! Okay, it's just a farmers field, lol. ;)
Posted via Mobile Device

Ok, despite being british I don't do ft so my measurements will be in meters.

I concider the smallest an arena should be is 20m by 40m, perticularly if you are schooling youngstock.

My current yard the school is 40m by 60m and you can easily have 8 riders in there at a time.

Btw just as an aside, I personaly would not go for just a sand arena. Sand can get very deep when wet and that isnt good for tendons. It can also get very dusty in summer (and we are talking a uk summer so not massivly hot conditions). The yard I'm currently on has a sand and rubber surface, absolutly brilliant and doesnt get deep, the horses have a good footing for anything you want to do and it doesnt get dusty either.

Maybe you can make it in a spot where you can utilize it as other space also? Don't know what your property is like but maybe it can be part of your turnout area or pasture if space is an issue