This project is still in process but here is an early glimpse of what we have been doing for one horse-loving client in Blackborough End.
The brief was to turn an old yard into a modern, functional and attractive horse arena, suitable for working out the horses and ponies and giving lessons. The owners also have plans to run dog training classes in the arena.
Some of the rubble we moved to create the new arena
At time of publishing this article, we have cleared the area of rubble and rubbish, laid the floor, and erected the post and rail fence, including five-bar gates at either end. The surface is a mix of silica sand and fibre, approx 100-125mm of sand and 50mm fibre. This means it is durable and weather-resistant and also easy on the horses' feet.
The silica sand and fibre flooring provides a safe, durable surface
As part of our service, we cleared a metre around the outside perimeter of the arena and this will be sown with grass. We have added Tornado Taurus horse netting R10/90/8 so that the owners can use sheep to keep the grass on the outside edge of the arena nice and clear of weeds and cropped short. The netting will also prove useful when wilful dogs are in the early stages of training!
The next stage is to build a jump store, for storing the horse jumps and the arena leveller. It will measure 6m wide by 4.5m, constructed out of 150 x 150 posts, clad in Yorkshire boarding, and roofed with juniper green anti-con box profile roof sheets.
The project took two weeks from clearance to completion of the arena.
Specifications
100 x 125 x 2.1m posts.
Rails and gravel boards are 150 x 38 x 5.4m.
Fence height 1.35m
Spacings between posts 2.7m.
Nearing completion... just a storage shed to add
