dressage arena size

[springer]

What is the standard size for a dressage arena? And any ideas for how to make an inexpensive, temporary area for schooling a young horse? We have a large, flat pasture with fairly good footing already-

[Janet]

A standard arena is 20m x 60 m
A small arena is 20m by 40m.

The simplest, most temporary thing I have seen (and I wouldn't leave it out with loose horses) is strips of guttering, upside down.

[Grey Pony]

A 20m by 40m is approximately 65ft 7 in by 131 ft 3 in.
A 20m by 60m is approximately 65 ft 7 in by 196 ft 10in

The diagonal of the small is about 146 ft 9 in and the diagonal of the large is about 207 ft 6 in.

A rough conversion is that 1 meter = 3 ft 3 in

[Margaret Freeman]

Place cones ($10 for 12 at Target) where the letters would be and mow the grass lower inside the "ring." Total cost $10 and it's still safe for grazing.

[yaya]

Place cones ($10 for 12 at Target) where the letters would be and mow the grass lower inside the "ring." Total cost $10 and it's still safe for grazing.

Of course, once the horses in the pasture start playing with the cones, your geometry may end up a little off!

[Arizona DQ]

I used cinder blocks and painted the letters on them Also made for a decent little mounting block in an emergency...;)

[Margaret Freeman]

The horses left the cones alone. Not so the black lab. However, the mowed "ring" remained. It's interesting how even a very green horse will honor a defined border like that, even if it's just mowed grass.

[FriesianX]

I've used jump poles to outline the corners, and a couple of them along the long sides - and a few traffic cones to highlight some of the more important 'letters' (I like something at B, E, A, C - helps to have a focal point for accuracy).

By the way - become an adopter of orphan cones, the joy of giving an unwanted cone a home is, well... priceless:lol: After construction jobs are done, sometimes a cone or two is left behind - they may be a little dirty and grungy, but they make great arena markers, or can be used for riding exercises.

[Janet]

Margaret,

I'll be in Mt Kisco this weekend. I think of you each time I am there.

[Dramapony_misty]

Or "rescue" some cones under the cover of darkness from a life of constant vehicular danger and vagancy.

Though I...erm..don't necessarily condone this practice.

[springer]

The horses left the cones alone. Not so the black lab. However, the mowed "ring" remained. It's interesting how even a very green horse will honor a defined border like that, even if it's just mowed grass.

:) Or in our case, weeds. But it all looks green when it's mowed! Thanks for the suggestions guys!

[hoopoe]

http://www.usdf.org/docs/competitions/handbook/AppendixF-Arena.pdf


you might find this handy . It shows how to use the stuff you learned ( and forgot) from highschool to set up right angles and the measurements for the placement of the letters