Building an indoor for dressage horses, recommendations

[Whispering Oaks Dressage]

Basically I just want ideas? We are in the beginning stages of planning on building our indoor and I would like to know what everyone likes about their indoors and what they don’t like. What size would you recommend? What kind of footing do you have and do you like it? What kind of lighting do you have? How much lighting do you have or recommend? Are viewing rooms worth it? We would like to have clinics at the farm some day, what would you recommend special for hosting things like that? Anything else you can think of?

We have a somewhat limited budget so anything that can get us the most bang for our buck would be great.

Thanks for your ideas.

[merrygoround]

BO built 200x70, rubber (ground up tires) sand mix footing, mirrors on one short side. attached storage area that doubles as a viewing area (unheated).

Heated viewing area would be nice, but they built it on limited funds more to train and ride .

I think the lights are nickel halide, there are 4 on each side, roughly centered above the quarter line, and they seem adequate. I don't do much night riding. I think they gave themselves the option of adding 3 more on the center line, but never did.

I'd say it is functional but not fancy.

[ToN Farm]

We are in the beginning stages of planning on building our indoor and I would like to know what everyone likes about their indoors and what they don’t like.

What size would you recommend?

Minimum 80x200. Preferably longer so that you can put up a dressage court and still have room to ride around the outside edges and then could have a show there. Think about resale. Mine is 80x200, but I had some boundary restrictions that prevented me from going longer.

What kind of footing do you have and do you like it?

Sand and rubber. No, I'm not crazy about it. I probably would never get the rubber again. No benefit imo. Also, sand is a pain in the butt because it breaks down (to powder) and compacts. I don't think there is any perfect footing. I prefer a less deep footing.

What kind of lighting do you have? How much lighting do you have or recommend?

Actually, I have some make-shift lighting.....just enough to get by. I ran over budget, and because I ride mostly in the day and it's a private farm, lighting wasn't an issue.

Are viewing rooms worth it? We would like to have clinics at the farm some day, what would you recommend special for hosting things like that?

I can't see any point to a viewing room. Just have enough room outside the dressage riding area to set up chairs for auditors. A viewing room would have to be pretty large to accomodate a big group of auditors anyway.

We have a somewhat limited budget so anything that can get us the most bang for our buck would be great.

Anything else you can think of.

Attach the indoor to the barn, or provide a covered breezeway from the barn to the indoor. I don't have that and it is miserable in bad weather. Think beforehand, about where you want your doors, windows, and mirrors. Think about whether you want steel or wood, shingles or steel roof. Make sure you have access to water close to the indoor for sprinkling. Put in lots of windows for light. Skylights, I don't have. Heard they can leak. Indoors can be hotter than heck in the Summer. If you can afford big ceiling fans...budget them in. I didn't and I swelter in the Summer with no outdoor ring.

[not again]

My indoor is 70 by 144 with a 12 foot ceiling. Slightly larger than a smaller dressage arena. I have copies of all of the FN tests which are written for small arenas so we can train through grand prix with no issues. Great size for loose jumping, which we also do lots of. We have side light panels, none on the roof. The roof is insulated with a bubble type material and is remarkably warm in winter and cool in the summer. Lights are indoor/ outdoor type (12) plus an single light at the door into the barn aisle. Big doors (12 foot) at each end plus a horse access door on the south side---I really wouldn't change anything. Footing is a mix of sand and loam which we work up every other day-- it has about 1 ton of salt added each winter to hold moisture and act as an antifreeze.
By March however, we are ready to go outside and enjoy the 90 by 230 outdoor ring.

[Elegante E]

I think viewing rooms are a waste of money as they are seldom used except if easily accessed and you have lots of little kids taking lessons (then moms tend to hang and watch). They can also be problematic as some horses will spook from them. The nice ones I've seen were where the viewing room connected the arena to the barn - could be a tack room so multi purpose. They don't work well in clinics for keeping people warm in winter as people are forced to stand and then only the first row can actually see - leads to people standing around talking which is awful for those who are there to learn.

Metal roofs need insulation or it'll rain inside the arena.

Depending on what you like, Coveralls can be a great option as they have lots of height which means cooler in the summer and they let in lots of light - the white cover also reflects the interior lights well - you need fewer lights and don't have to use them as often. You do have to watch mold rot on the fabric as it eats the seams. Some of the models have side curtains which open in summer time to let in lots of air - no need for fans. Worth checking out.

[hitchinmygetalong]

Git yerself a coupla BIG ASS FANS (http://www.bigassfans.com/):eek:

Very quiet, and they can move some serious amount of air. Ventilation is extremely important - both to let hot air out in the summer and to vent moist air in the winter - that way you might prevent the dreaded winter "indoor rain".

[rothmpp]

Panels at the top of the walls for natural light. During the day, even when it is overcast we rarely use the lights.

If you routinely have snow, go with a shingled roof rather than metal. Nothing is spookier than snow sliding off the roof. Except perhaps snow sliding off a coverall roof, and then getting tons brighter.

I would not want less than 200 ft long. We can easily lunge two horses with little fear of even a energetic horse causing trouble with the other horse.

[Sparky]

Git yerself a coupla BIG ASS FANS (http://www.bigassfans.com/):eek:

Very quiet, and they can move some serious amount of air. Ventilation is extremely important - both to let hot air out in the summer and to vent moist air in the winter - that way you might prevent the dreaded winter "indoor rain".

The Big Ass fans are awesome, I've seen them at the U of MN vet facility as well as the fairgrounds in OKC. However, the minimum clearance from the ceiling is 3', and even though I have a 17' ceiling height in my indoor, I wasn't comfortable putting in the BA fans, and having them only 14' high, since we train jumpers too. So, if you are interested in them, I would be very careful to plan on a ceiling that gives you plenty of clearance.

[Whispering Oaks Dressage]

Thanks for all the ideas. I will definitely be putting in fans.

How do you keep the dust down? Does anyone have a sprinkler system that they use and like or is it better to put an additive into the footing?

What height are most of your ceilings? We talked to a builder that said 14 ft is the norm. I am thinking taller so we can put in the fans.

We are in central Ohio, does anyone have a builder that they recommend? I think we are going to go with a steel building unless we can get a good price on something else.

Thanks again, and keep coming with more ideas:)

[SLR]

I am in Soutwest Ohio and I used Peoples building. They are near Akron, but travel all over the East Coast. Very easy to work with and know what they are doing. They had great suggestions. If I did again, I would put in longer clear wall panels.(they go at the top, down the long sides) Mine are 4 ft, but with the framing, I effectively have only about 3 feet of light. Mine is 70 x 150 to fit in the small arena with room on the end. It is 17 ft. high for jumping, but is for private use only..
I understood that the wider you go it becomes much more expensive due to the trusses. Before I built I had a friend tell me " If you look up and see nothing but wood, you're in good shape. If there's a lot of spaces, that roof won't hold up to snow or wind"
I also put on an asphalt roof. No leaks and much quieter. I have 2 rows of 7 lights, on the quarter lines, but wired alternately, so I can turn on one set only. So light 1,3,5,7 in row one comes on with 2,4,6 in row 2 and conversly.
Footing is an issue. Did have a water hydrant put in right outside the door.

[ToN Farm]

If you're on a budget, the BigAssFans are going to blow it. For my 200x80 ring, they gave me a figure of around 20k, and that doesn't include labor. I don't know how you even find someone to install them.

The other high ticket item a shingle roof. Those prices have skyrocketed. I have the steel roof, as do many indoors in my area. Yes, the ice slides and makes a noise. Not a big deal. It's not that often that it happens. I don't have any leaks, but then, my indoor isn't old.

[Bronte]

Thanks for all the ideas. I will definitely be putting in fans.

How do you keep the dust down? Does anyone have a sprinkler system that they use and like or is it better to put an additive into the footing?

We use Mag and it works well, I have never watered in five years and we have no dust

What height are most of your ceilings? We talked to a builder that said 14 ft is the norm. I am thinking taller so we can put in the fans.

16 feet

We are in central Ohio, does anyone have a builder that they recommend? I think we are going to go with a steel building unless we can get a good price on something else.

Thanks again, and keep coming with more ideas:)

Some stuff not yet mentioned. I went overboard with lights and have never regretted it, no shadows, feels warm and feels like daylight, even at night.

Also, I positioned the longside to the south, and put in double height windows right round. The effect is that of passive solar, on a sunny day, the arena can be 10 to 15 degrees warmer than outside.

If you do not connect to your barn, make sure you have an easy to open horse door, up and over garage door, or other large, but easily opened and closed door.

Make sure your main doors are large enough to accommodate a dump truck, placing all that footing manually is not fun.

Also really handy, if you do your own hay, to make sure that the doors accommodate a full hay wagon, this has saved us many times, when the rain appears as we have several loads to load into the hay loft.

Have fun, you will be so pleased!:):):):)

[sid]

Mine is 70 x 150. Skylights as well as a light panel down one long side (my arena is attached to my barn on the other long side). As someone else mentioned, unless it's really dark outside I seldom use the lights. Lights...can't have enough of them, IMO, esp. if you hold clinics and people want to video. I had my electrician wire them so I don't have to use ALL of them simultaneously -- saves electricity if you only need a little light.

Sprinkler system is well worth the expense (labor/time-wise). I have mirrors at both ends and two of them on the long side -- with plywood covers on hinges, so I can easily cover them when working horses freely. A BNT mentioned what I good idea that was as he knew of tragic accident when a fractious horse was being worked at liberty and it tried to "jump" through the mirror. Broke his neck.

My ceilings are 17' high (also for jumping, if need be). Also have one large and 2 small cupolas with exhaust fans, in lieu of fans - that keep the air moving on really hot days. But again I seldom use them as I have 16' sliding doors on 3 sides that keeps things cool. Kick walls are 7" high instead of the typical 4".

I chose not to use rubber footing as the indoor can double as a turnout area when we have icy weather and the horses are stuck inside. Mine is a 1/2" layer of bluestone dust over the base for grip, 2" of construction (angular) sand and about an 1" of hardrock maple shavings.
Stays very light and floofy.

Personally, I don't think a viewing room (especially if you have big doors) are worth the extra expense. I don't think I'd do anything differently unless I intended to hold shows -- in that case I'd have made it longer and wider.

Hope this helps.

[ToN Farm]

True, the windows provide warmth and sunlight in the Winter. In the Summer, they make it much hotter and also dry out the footing. In the Winter, I rarely have to water. In the Summer, I water daily. I do it by hand.....cheaper and quicker. But then, the footing only has to stay damp and dust free for two rides.

Susan, why do you not like rubber for turning out in the indoor. Is it fear of them eating it?

Doors....mine I hate. I have one one-way sliders. Hard to push and the bottom freezes in the Winter. Are the overhead doors nice?

[sid]

Yes, if I use the indoor for "turnout" I don't want them ingesting rubber with the hay.

[not again]

Use of rubber can create dust which over time coats the horse's lungs. There are cases of horses dying as a result. We salt twice a year--very cheap--and helps hold water in the footing.

[Whispering Oaks Dressage]

[QUOTE=ToN Farm;3800699]If you're on a budget, the BigAssFans are going to blow it. For my 200x80 ring, they gave me a figure of around 20k, and that doesn't include labor. I don't know how you even find someone to install them.QUOTE]

That’s why I like the exhaust fans:D I can’t even imagine spending 20k on fans:eek: It sounds like those of you with lots of doors don’t need the fans. I might look into putting one big door on each wall as well as an oversized “man door” on the side by the barn. I have seen a 4ft man door that I am sure the majority of horses can handle walking through in the winter. I wish we could attach the arena to the barn but it is just not possible, but they will only be 40ft apart. Our land slopes and building the arena up to meet the barn would cost us as much in fill dirt as building the arena.

Bronte- you said you have double height windows. Are they normal glass pane windows? How high are they? Do they open?

not again- you said you "salt" your footing. What exactly is salting? I have never heard of this exactly but I know there are additives that you can mix in footing.

Anyone have issues with skylights leaking when it rains?

Thanks again everyone.

[not again]

We use mixing salt, such as is added to feed. It comes in 80 pound bags which can sit in the tractor bucket and be slit and dribbled out while the tractor stirs it in with the drag. No calcium chloride or strange oil based chemicals for me. The salt holds moisture and on humid days attracts moisture. Kills molds too.

[ASB Stars]

I've been in some indoors with sand and/or screenings which were horrendously dusty, and an indoor in Kentucky that had 100% rubber footing, and not a bit of dust.

I honestly believe that it comes down to how you maintain your footing- regardless of what you select.

[not again]

If you have a latex allergy you have to be very careful around rubber.

[FOXYANDME]

Whispering - how exciting for you! I second the recommendation for Peoples Buildings who are actually located in Hubbard, OH (NE) and happen to be personal friends of mine. Try this:
Peoples Building Co.
39 Erie St
Hubbard, OH 44425 Map

(800) 345-3911

Ask for Jack. Enjoy your planning!
Jan

[rothmpp]

The other high ticket item a shingle roof. Those prices have skyrocketed. I have the steel roof, as do many indoors in my area. Yes, the ice slides and makes a noise. Not a big deal. It's not that often that it happens. I don't have any leaks, but then, my indoor isn't old.

I haven't priced a roof, shingled or not, so I have no idea what the price differential is. Before I had my youngster at a barn with a metal roof, I would've agreed with you. But after a winter of at least once a week of the avalance sound that always seemed to happen when I was riding, it's a deal breaker for me now. It was the first time I boarded at a place with metal roof. And hopefully the last time while I live in a climate where there is substantial snow. I don't know how often it snows where the OP lives, so can't comment on her specific situation.

[HoochieMama]

I am, as I write, having my indoor built. It is 80' x 160' which I thought was the minimum I could get by with in terms of length and went to 80' in width for easier turns when free jumping. (Wyatt is 18 hh and not the most nimble on his feet...) I have ridden in a couple of indoors approximately this size and it doesn't feel cramped when there are a couple of horses in there. It is a pole building with steel roof and siding, insulated with the bubble stuff and the trusses are scissor trusses so that the center is about 3.5' higher than the eave. I wanted 14' eaves but went with 16' so that I could stand up in the loft area being built over storage rooms. The total building length is 200' so I have an 80'x40' area for storage of stuff. On the long sides on the arena are 5' high windows that span the distance between the poles and are set 5' from the ground. The windows can be opened in Spr, Fall & Sum a little more than half the window area. The roof has a vented ridge with a clear section in the middle of the cap and on either side of the ridge are 3' clear panels traversing the length of the building. One short side will have mirrors. I plan to install sand footing and will probably mix with a little rubber at some point. I plan to install overhead sprinklers at some point for dust control as I believe water to be the best, but will have to make do with either calcium or magnesium chloride until then. Lighting will be 3 rows of 7 FL highbays, 6 T8 lamps with a dual ballast setting that will allow me to start either three of the lamps or all six. BTW 21 fixtures is about 10 less than the lighting software recommended for lighting this size area. But since I'm not doing brain surgery in there I didn't think I needed that degree of light.

I originally wanted a steel trussed building but at the time I was getting quotes the steel building ALONE was pricing out $160,000 more than my TOTAL budget. (My total budget includes the indoor, two new run-ins, about 1600 feet of new fencing, the excavation for the building, 40' of stable driveway around the building and an new 16' wide by 325' long driveway to the road) Steel has come way down with the declining world demand and there are certainly advantages to having a clear span building, but if $$$ are a factor, steel is probably not an option.

One thing to consider when choosing your site is the amount of water that will be coming off that roof. Make sure your excavator understands that you don't want to flood your barn or other nearby buildings when you get a 10, 20 or 50 year storm. Good luck!!!

[SharonA]

Remember to save space for storing jump standards and poles.

If you live in an area with snow, consider an overhang to prevent snow from building up behind the doors (which keeps them from opening when the snow turns to ice or when it gets really deep).

The indoor at my barn has several tiers of benches built into a corner, with a heat lamp over them. This way, people can sit and watch you work, without freezing.

If the indoor is likely to have several people using it at once, it's nice if it's big enough for a lesson to be using one half of it, for instance, while the remaining half is still big enough for others to ride and get a decent workout.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

I am, as I write, having my indoor built. It is 80' x 160' which I thought was the minimum I could get by with in terms of length and went to 80' in width for easier turns when free jumping. (Wyatt is 18 hh and not the most nimble on his feet...) I have ridden in a couple of indoors approximately this size and it doesn't feel cramped when there are a couple of horses in there. It is a pole building with steel roof and siding, insulated with the bubble stuff and the trusses are scissor trusses so that the center is about 3.5' higher than the eave. I wanted 14' eaves but went with 16' so that I could stand up in the loft area being built over storage rooms. The total building length is 200' so I have an 80'x40' area for storage of stuff. On the long sides on the arena are 5' high windows that span the distance between the poles and are set 5' from the ground. The windows can be opened in Spr, Fall & Sum a little more than half the window area. The roof has a vented ridge with a clear section in the middle of the cap and on either side of the ridge are 3' clear panels traversing the length of the building. One short side will have mirrors. I plan to install sand footing and will probably mix with a little rubber at some point. I plan to install overhead sprinklers at some point for dust control as I believe water to be the best, but will have to make do with either calcium or magnesium chloride until then. Lighting will be 3 rows of 7 FL highbays, 6 T8 lamps with a dual ballast setting that will allow me to start either three of the lamps or all six. BTW 21 fixtures is about 10 less than the lighting software recommended for lighting this size area. But since I'm not doing brain surgery in there I didn't think I needed that degree of light.

I originally wanted a steel trussed building but at the time I was getting quotes the steel building ALONE was pricing out $160,000 more than my TOTAL budget. (My total budget includes the indoor, two new run-ins, about 1600 feet of new fencing, the excavation for the building, 40' of stable driveway around the building and an new 16' wide by 325' long driveway to the road) Steel has come way down with the declining world demand and there are certainly advantages to having a clear span building, but if $$$ are a factor, steel is probably not an option.

One thing to consider when choosing your site is the amount of water that will be coming off that roof. Make sure your excavator understands that you don't want to flood your barn or other nearby buildings when you get a 10, 20 or 50 year storm. Good luck!!!

How does the insulation work if you have a clear panel/center of the roof? Or are you insulating the sides? Just curious.

[ToN Farm]

I originally wanted a steel trussed building but at the time I was getting quotes the steel building ALONE was pricing out $160,000 more than my TOTAL budget.
Do you mean the steel building with steel trusses was 160k or a steel building with wood trusses?

My barn is wood (built by King Construction) and if I had it to do over again, I would pick steel. I don't care for the look unpainted/stained wood, and painting it requires too much upkeep.

I didn't get that many estimates when I built, but there was a HUGE difference in the prices from a couple places for exact same thing.

[Runanhide]

Congratulations Whispering Oaks, it sounds like an exciting project. When I lived up North, I purchased a farm with an older 70’ x170’ indoor. It wasn’t perfect, the size was adequate, but, it was a real treat and I miss it terribly now.

For me, the most important aspects of an indoor are the footing base and the actual building structure. Ventilation and lighting are next. Everything else is gravy (and can be added or changed later when budgeting allows). Because you live in a colder climate during winter, and have relatively shorter summers, make winter management issues a priority over summer heat issues, including making doubly sure your roof can support an extra-heavy snow-load.

Build the best and deepest base you can afford. Then, once you decide on what kind of footing you prefer, think of how you’ll daily manage your base and footing. Literally, walk through an average day in your mind. What are you doing? Where does stuff go? How many steps does it take? Is there something you could “build in” to your facility that would make your average day easier? You’ll want to spend time with horses and people, not fighting frozen hoses and dealing with the drudgery of keeping your immense building clean and neat (or paying someone else to do it). So, build every little detail of your arena with your daily activities and preferences in mind.

If there is something you want, but can’t justify in the budget now (like BA fans, killer lights), plan for it… make the ceiling high enough. Put wiring in place. Just add the dream item later.

Will you be turning horses loose in the arena? What elements do you need to add to ensure their safety? (Covers on mirrors? Special gates/doors?) What equipment will you need to manage your arena? How are you cleaning your facility? What do you use to drag your footing? Will you have a mounting block, jumps, cones, cavaletti, lunge lines, lunge whips, chairs? Don’t forget to build convenient, clean storage for all these things.

If you’ll be watering footing material, shop for a quality watering system engineered to work in freezing weather. There’s nothing worse than dinking around with hoses, a sprinkler (they ALWAYS break), or a frozen system when it is frigid. Or, having to go salt a section of frozen footing by hand just before a clinic. Ugh. Perhaps, you’ll want to use a small truck or ATV with a water tank?

The suggestions regarding door and ceiling heights to accommodate trucks are noteworthy. Our big door was three-inches too short to accommodate a box truck with a “walking floor.” That meant a big pile of footing was dumped (or shoveled) outside the arena door, then, brought in tractor bucket load at a time. When we needed smaller loads, we could fit a smaller dump truck inside and “dump and run”… it was a blessing at least that we could get smaller dump trucks inside. There were times, however, when I wish we could have gotten a full-sized box trailer inside. But, that is due to the footing we used. I doubt most would need to get a huge truck inside an arena – unless they were redoing the base or footing.

We used a coarse sawdust footing in the indoor, perhaps a little on the deep side. It was relatively inexpensive and made for a wonderful ride. In fact, during summer, we usually chose to ride on the sawdust in the indoor over the coarse sand in the arena outside. Also, if you have kids riding, the sawdust is great for cushioning falls. :) The downside was that the sawdust required regular watering, grooming, and, to be tops, it needed to be replaced about every six months. But, still, not a bad option for a more “quiet” operation without a lot of traffic. If it is just you and a few other riders, with regular watering, you could definitely stretch out the replacement time. More than 40 of my own horses used the arena, and not one experienced any issues related to footing.

The snow-on-the-roof issue is certainly something to think about. Some people DO heat their roof material. Regardless, if I could have reinstalled the roof, I might have gone with top-grade metal again, insulated to cut down on noise (mostly from rain and sleet), and I would have added skylights and more than one cupola with fans (ca-ching). We had skylights in the attached barn and never had a leakage problem (and they were quite old). Also, although our roof was nearly 30 years old, it was just beginning to leak in a few of the enlarged screw holes. Still, it was not much, the most problematic holes were plugged, and I wouldn’t have replaced the roof for another 5-10 years or so. I think that’s a pretty decent lifetime for any roof.

Also, the snow piles created after the snow comes off the roof... as well as the melting water and ice need to be considered.

We had light panels at the top of the walls. I don’t remember the height now, but, I do remember wishing they were taller. They were next on the list for replacement. Actually, for a while, I wanted windows that could slide open. But, a pro-rider-friend disagreed, especially because I had a lot of young horses. She contended that the youngsters could be too distracted looking out the windows, and the direct sunlight would be too hot in the summer (even with the windows open). Your call…

Don’t forget a decent kick-wall. Also, I wish I’d had more mirrors. And, whether it is windows or doors, it is pleasant to open things up in the summer to try to catch a breeze. We had doors on three sides. I thought about adding one on the fourth side, but, it was the windy side and during winter I was happy to have it tightly closed to the elements. If I had funds, I would have added huge screen doors, to keep summertime bugs, birds, and sunlight out.

If you can, have large sliding doors mounted to the inside of the building, or that slide into a "pocket," so there is no need to shovel snow to open doors.

Also, again, because you say you are budgeting carefully, I’d pass on the viewing area. I had one, and during lessons and clinics, most people chose to sit at the end of the arena to watch riders, even in 20-degree weather. The indoor viewing area seemed “removed” and, as someone here wrote, only the people right up front could see what was going on in the arena anyway. If clinics are on your agenda, give some thought to permanent seating, or at least, a designated seating area.

As far as lighting goes… if you can afford pricey lights, go for it. They are wonderful. We could not, however, afford the $20K we were quoted for the lights that I wanted, so we substituted fluorescent lighting for the “spot lights,” (literally, horses used to jump over the “spots” on the ground), installed by the original owners. Although not my first choice, the fluorescent lighting was a cost efficient and sufficient alternative. Be sure to have enough lighting in the corners.

Located where you are, I might choose heat lamps over BA fans, btw… ;)

Sorry to be so long-winded. Good luck, and have a blast with your project!

[MsM]

Let me chip in on the low-budget end of things! :winkgrin:
The barn where I board has an indoor that is about 66 X 120. It is fine for dressage (not talking shows) and manageable for jumping though they would prefer more width. It is wood with transluscent panels along the top of the wall and then about a two foot open area just under the eaves. Provides great ventilation. We do get a dusting of snow in there during windy storms, but look on it a Nature's watering and just blend it in when dragging the ring. The roof is metal with wooden panels underneath. Not terribly loud, but the snow sliding is difficult to get used to. The lighting is I think Mercury vapor and minimal but effective enough. The owner has worked on the footing and it is very good. It seems that and the MgCl has all but eliminated dust - very little watering. There is an upstairs viewing room in the barn, but it is hardly ever used - came with the place, she wouldnt have paid for it.
Some other things to think about: Sliding doors from the barn are heavy and get stuck in the footing. I would try to have some that move more easily. Doors also did not have windows - she added one to one door and it is much better to see where the riders are before you yell "door!". The outside sliding door is also difficult to work and can bang in the wind, so be careful how that works and latches. BTW I am not a big fan of garage doors for frequent use either - noisy, scary for some horses, and you really have to open completely to use safely. I wish we had mirrors, but due to multiple disciplines and the occasional use for turnout/ free longeing it is not going to happen.

[ise@ssl]

I absolutely LOVE my arena. The size is 80-120 and we have an 8' elevated deck on the short side toward the barns which has proven to be a great idea. We can have people sit there and come and go without coming into the riding area. We also use it as a "desk" area for foal/mare inspections.

Because we are breeders we didn't want a HUGE arena but definitely wanted 80' wide which is a lot better for starting/working young horses. We also installed 5' rider guard walls - so we can free school and free jump horses. Our arena is open above the kick walls but we installed wind-screens and even though we are in NJ we can ride all year round. We can see outside clearly but it blocks the sun and wind (i.e. if it's 25 mph outside it's 2 mph inside). BIG BENEFIT - no flies - we've used no fly spray since we built it. It's never hot inside in the summer and even in the tough months in winter we can still work horses.

We installed a 25+KW solar system on the south roof elevation and that provides all of our electric plus we sell back to the grid. We also installed underground collections tanks and cisterns to take the water off the roof and use it to water the arena so we aren't using well water. And we didn't have to deal with run off eroding the surrounding area.

We have 3 lines of incandescent big lights and 2 row of halogens if we need them. Always put some outlets in various locations in the viewing area and outside. You need them for microphones, videos etc.

King Construction built out arena. It's wood board and batten, shingle roof with 2 cupolas. Went up in about 2 months. Our footing is a base of screenings packed and ridden on for 1year and then we installed "river sand" which doesn't get very dusty and also doesn't wear down the feet on the young horses who don't have shoes on.

[Whispering Oaks Dressage]

You have all been so helpful and given me a lot to think about.

Runanhide, thanks for being long-winded:D you were so helpful.

Once we get the building started I will be bugging everyone for more information.

Thanks

[Bronte]

Sorry, had not looked at the board for a while!

Our windows are lexan clear. They do not open. In the summer, I leave the two large doors open, in order to get a through breeze ~ and it works. I have one large door at C, and the other in the corner at K. I did not go with C & A, because I mirrored the short end at A, and did not want any interuptions.

The windows are 4 ft in height. And just to let you know how effective the solar effect can be, yesterday was -30 C here (-22 F), and in the arena in the afternoon it was a balmy -4 C (23F).