Constructing an arena – our guide

By Phillipa

Installing a new arena is not something that should be undertaken lightly.

Before getting swept up in the excitement of knowing that you’ll have your own manѐge to school your horse in – and let’s be honest, it is a dream come true for so many of us – it’s worth putting in a lot of thought about the positioning, access to, and future requirements of your arena.

• Planning permission – a new arena is classed as engineering works, so planning will be required. Depending on your local authority, allow about twelve weeks for permission to be granted. Chapelstone Equestrian Construction offer a full planning service if you’d rather hand this task to someone with the experience to undertake it.
• Access leading up to and into the arena – think about where you would like to enter the arena from, and remember, you don’t have to be restricted to just one access gate. Also consider the pathways leading up to the arena from your stable yard and paddock. Will there be a clear track leading up to the arena? What is the condition of it? Mud and debris can easily be carried into your lovely new arena and contaminate the riding surface. Consider what groundworks, if any, will be required to ensure clean access routes. Chapelstone can install the perfect access route to your manѐge.
• Riding surface – what is your principle chosen discipline? What part of the country are you in? (Extreme weather conditions may affect your choice of material used.) Chapelstone supply a whole range, including their popular Chapel-fibre. Then consider how you will maintain and level your riding surface. Have you the means to keep the surface dampened? Will you be using a towed manѐge dampener to do this or will you want to incorporate an irrigation system into the build? Do you have a suitable rake or leveller that will regrade the material and level the surface without causing damage?
• Future proofing – If for instance you think you may want to incorporate lighting at some stage in the future, it will be far more economical to plan for this from the start so that electrical cabling can be installed during the build. Is access to the arena suitable to allow a lorry in? All arena surfaces will need topping up or replacing at some point so give some thought to this too.

Another important thing to consider is the skills and knowledge of the company you choose for the job. Whilst budget is important it’s very often uneconomical to make your decision purely on price. Poor drainage, the wrong materials being used and lack of forward planning by the original installers can cause real problems for horse and rider.

Chapelstone recommend doing thorough research before committing to an installation to ensure the company you engage for the job have the experience and equestrian knowledge to deliver a well constructed facility that will ride superbly, year after year.