Sand arena construction

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Wait4It..boom

New Member
Considering installing a (budget savvy) uncovered, sand arena and doing some homework. What do folks know about them or do you have lessons learned from when you may have put one in yourself?
Should there be something below the sand to help it drain, do you have to add an additive in the sand to keep it from freezing or packing, depth, etc....
I'm planning standard dressage dimensions. I've read it should be no more than 2-3 inches deep and that 4-6 inches could cause tendon/ligament pulls and tears, etc.

Thanks! :buddies:
 
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campinmutt

Guest
Bobby pitcher did mine. he leveled what I thought was a pretty level spot..lol..then we laid down 3" crushed blue stone dust...then he rolled it ...then added 3" of sand. if was $20,000 for a 250X180ish arena,but it has been a few years and it holds up great. we do drag it close to weekly...the sand has held up great .we did not add anything to the sand for freezing,so if it is wet and temps drop it does get hard...but then it is too cold for me to ride anyway..lol...
 
fredsaid2

fredsaid2

New Member
campinmutt said:
Bobby pitcher did mine. he leveled what I thought was a pretty level spot..lol..then we laid down 3" crushed blue stone dust...then he rolled it ...then added 3" of sand. if was $20,000 for a 250X180ish arena,but it has been a few years and it holds up great. we do drag it close to weekly...the sand has held up great .we did not add anything to the sand for freezing,so if it is wet and temps drop it does get hard...but then it is too cold for me to ride anyway..lol...
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What Campinmutt said. The base is the important part. The USDF book Underfoot gives specific guidelines.
Underfoot: USDF Guide to Dressage Arena Construction, Maintenance and Repair
 
Pasofever

Pasofever

Does my butt look big?
We did a 150 X 75 and had a few dump trucks of sand brought in..it was a hard field anyway...cost about $1500 years ago with the sand..
 
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DQ2B

Active Member
My husband and I did my standard size dressage arena. Be prepared to spend some bucks if you want something that really lasts and properly drains. DO NOT skimp on the base. The base is what keeps your arena from becoming a swamp, filled with pot holes, uneven footing, etc., etc. You cannot simply dump a few loads of sand (and it must be the right type of sand) onto unexcavated ground and expect that you will have a good riding space. This may work for a bit but over time the sand will mix with top soil and you will eventually have wasted your money on the footing. We mostly followed the USDF manual that another poster mentioned and my arena is wonderful. Only in the coldest weather is it unrideable. You also need to make sure you don't add too much footing. Start lite and add more if neccessary as it is much easier to add than to have to take away. I have about 1.5 inches of sand/stonedust footing mixed with another .5 inch of felt/rubber. The felt help keep the dust down and the rubber helps thaw it faster in cold weather and of course both add cushion. Good luck, it's a huge project.
 
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Wait4It..boom

New Member
Whew! Thanks so much for all the replies so far. I'm tired just thinking about it now. ;-)
DQ2B - how long have you had your arena? With the sand/sandstone and felt/rubber combo, how often do you have to drag the arena?

What are folks using to drag and level? Did you make your own or buy an implement for the tractor?

Want to understand exactly what I'm getting myself into, including time commitment. Currently have a grass arena and none of the horses are allowed to graze there. So even now in the winter it's pretty plush.
 
Pasofever

Pasofever

Does my butt look big?
Wait4It..boom said:
Whew! Thanks so much for all the replies so far. I'm tired just thinking about it now. ;-)
DQ2B - how long have you had your arena? With the sand/sandstone and felt/rubber combo, how often do you have to drag the arena?

What are folks using to drag and level? Did you make your own or buy an implement for the tractor?

Want to understand exactly what I'm getting myself into, including time commitment. Currently have a grass arena and none of the horses are allowed to graze there. So even now in the winter it's pretty plush.
Click to expand...

I use a drag I got off of ebay that I use behind an ATV
 
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DQ2B

Active Member
Wait4It..boom said:
Whew! Thanks so much for all the replies so far. I'm tired just thinking about it now. ;-)
DQ2B - how long have you had your arena? With the sand/sandstone and felt/rubber combo, how often do you have to drag the arena?

What are folks using to drag and level? Did you make your own or buy an implement for the tractor?
Click to expand...

The arena is about 4 years old now. We let it sit the first winter before adding the footing so we could re-roll it in the spring. Dragging depends on how often and by how many horses use the arena. A really busy boarding barn might do it onca a day. I only have three horses at my place and really only two do regular work in the ring. I don't find it has to be dragged more than twice a month. We used to use a regular rake that attached to the tractor but now I have the DR grader which works really well and it means I don't have to go back an sweep off the excess footing that gets spilled over onto the railroad ties from the tractor rake.
 
paintedpony1234

paintedpony1234

Horsey Girl
Donny Insley did mine or re-did mine after we bought our farm. You cannot beat the type of sand used in my arena. Even after it pours if I just run the drag over it, its dry enough to jump. You can pm me if you want to check it out.
 
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Wait4It..boom

New Member
paintedpony1234 said:
Donny Insley did mine or re-did mine after we bought our farm. You cannot beat the type of sand used in my arena. Even after it pours if I just run the drag over it, its dry enough to jump. You can pm me if you want to check it out.
Click to expand...

What's the base under the sand that's draining so well?
 
paintedpony1234

paintedpony1234

Horsey Girl
its a sand clay mixture... and then the arena is on a slight grade barely noticeable until you see how heavy rain travels down... but the sand is good to jump in wet or dry because its not too deep just the right amount and type of sand
 
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DQ2B

Active Member
Your base should not "drain." It's the footing that should drain to the base. Your base should be immpermeable and the water should run off the base because of the slope of the base which is typically 1 -2%. You don't want the water running through the base.
 
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