The job of the base is to make a level surface to support the footing above. If the base is properly installed, there will never be low spots, deep spots or areas that collect water in your arena. The ideal footing helps cushion your horse’s every stride by allowing his hooves to slide just a little bit as he sets them down and provides a firm surface for his hooves to dig into as he pushes off. Leaving your ground as is will never provide these benefits, so as a result your horse’s performance will suffer because he won’t be able to trust the footing, and he will remember, perhaps spook, at uneven spots. Without proper drainage, you may also find your home riding arena under water and unusable most of the time.

Robert Malmgren, author of The Equine Arena Handbook: Developing a User-Friendly Facility, is considered the foremost authority on horse arenas. He says creating a riding arena at home on your own is very hard if not impossible because you need several players to help you avoid pitfalls.

“Making an arena seems like a lot of complications, but you’ll avoid mistakes if you plan right and employ the right people,” explains Malmgren, who is from Colorado Springs, Colo. “Mistakes are very costly to correct after the arena is installed.”

Proper Planning Prevents Problems

Before you put a shovel in the ground, sit down and get organized. Think about where you want to put the horse riding arena at home. Right next to the barn may seem convenient, but if that area collects water, think again. Drainage is an issue in every arena, so you’ll want to avoid land that’s a perpetual pond, if possible.

“As we get into global warming and climate change, we are going to have some extremes in moisture,” Malmgren adds. “This year in Colorado we’ve had some very extreme rains with a long duration of storms. That kind of rain would inundate an arena with drainage problems.”

Next, you need to determine the soil type in the site. Malmgren says to seek free assistance through people at your local office of the Natural Resources Conservation Services.

“They are the government’s soil people for the entire country,” he says. “Every county should have an office. Go in and tell them what you’re building and ask about what kind of soil you have. They usually have the information at hand, and can tell you whether it’s possible to create an arena in that area. They also provide good information, such as the percentage of sand, silt, clay and gravel in your soil. They will often come out to your site.”

Make sure to have a plat map of your property with you so the NRCS officials can pinpoint the location. They might not be familiar with the arena characteristics you require, so tell them what you need to know: type of soil, three feet in depth. Also, ask if the soil is high in clay, which is important regarding water absorption and base stability.

The next step is to obtain a permit. Getting a permit for a home riding arena might sound like overkill, but most counties require at least a grading permit if a certain amount of land is disturbed. You may also need an erosion and sediment control permit. You may not think you are disturbing that much land, but you will disturb twice as much earth as the size of your horse arena.

Even if you don’t think you need a permit, double check with your local government about its building inspection procedures because rules do change. If you begin building before proper approvals or inspections take place, your local government’s building inspection department has the right to stop the construction until proper permits and procedures are met. Sometimes this includes paying fines and penalties.

You’ll need to get yet another expert on your side—a soil consultant. Soil consultants are engineers who understand all the ins and outs of working with soil. They are the ones called in to advise facilities such as baseball fields, golf courses and parking lots. Look for a soil consultant under listings for engineering consultants.

The NRCS office may also recommend someone in your area. “A soil consultant is important because you’ll be moving soil and he’ll know how to help you do that correctly,” Malmgren says. “He can look at the NRCS’s information and tell you what you need to do to make the arena work for your situation.”

Starting at the Bottom: The Base

The base is important for a successful horse riding arena. Bottom line: You will never have a good arena without an adequate base. Your soil consultant will help determine your base requirements and if the soil will form a stable base. The base should be about six inches below the surface, if it’s a stable base. “If it isn’t stable, you might have to bring in some crushed stone to create a firm base,” Malmgren says. “You want the base to be firm because it will create a level surface for the footing above. The stone will have to be rolled when installed to create maximum hardness and evenness, and so it stays in place.”

Your topsoil might make a good base and you can put your footing right on top of it, but that’s the exception rather than the rule. Soil situations are different for everyone. It can even be vastly different within the same locale. One neighbor might have clay soil while another has sand.

Some areas of the country are subject to “frost heave” where the ground expands in the winter, causing rocks to come up to the surface. In the spring you’ll find rocks on the surface, and you’ll have to pick them up every year. The soil consultant will tell you if frost heave might occur in your area. If you have frost heave, extra heavy rolling at the time of construction will help keep your base in place. The NRCS may also give you this information at no charge.

Creating a Drain for a Riding Arena

Anyone who has had training interrupted because of a flooded arena knows how frustrating it is. Sinking money into a horse arena that sits underwater part of the year is a waste. Your soil consultant can help you avoid drainage issues.

He or she will first determine what your soil is like from the surface down to three feet deep. So perhaps you’ll have three feet of pure clay or maybe six inches of loam and then six inches of sand, followed by gravel.

“This is important to understand because you need to know how your soil handles water,” Malmgren says. “For instance, a gravel layer is going to hold some water where clay will not. If you have heavy rains, you’ll know how much water you’re going to be able to store before you have problems. And then during construction, you’ll know how to work with that.”

If your soil doesn’t drain well, don’t give up on your dream arena. There are ways you can limit flooding. You can install a French drain, which carries water away from the arena. There are several ways to create this type of drain for each area of the country. The NRCS and your consultant can help with water drainage issues.

You can also crown the arena, so that water drains off it. Or you can raise the whole arena above ground level.

What’s Underfoot in a Riding Arena?

Many types of footing additives are on the market, from shredded felt to crumb rubber to poly microfibers, but most footing “recipes” begin with sand. And any old sand won’t do. You want sand that will bind and hold together.

Sand comes in a variety of shapes; some is sharp and angular, and some is rounded. Sand performs in different ways depending upon its characteristics. It can be slippery if it’s round, like tiny ball bearings. The round grain will act like beach sand and be unsteady underfoot. It will be difficult to move through it, particularly if it’s dry.

Sharp sand binds together to hold better, which is the preferred footing for arenas. “Look at your sand grains with a hand magnifying glass if you want to get down to details, so you know what you’re getting,” Malmgren says.

Finding quality sand can be a challenge. If you have neighbors who have an arena, ask them if they are happy with their sand and where they got it. If your neighbor has a good riding arena and soil similar to yours, then you know that type of sand at your home will work for you. Also, ask how many inches your neighbor used. Footing depth ranges from two to six inches, depending upon your land situation and discipline. (For example, dressage riders generally prefer a shallower footing while reiners like deeper footing.) However, always use less footing than you think you will need. It’s easier to add more than to remove.

Sand by itself works well, but you need to be careful when watering. Too much water can flood the arena, making it unworkable for a long time. Wet sand is harder than dry sand, but very dry sand can be inefficient and create a dust problem.

Footing additives can help to improve cushion and improve traction. They also clump sand together better and prevent compaction. Some may help prevent freezing and cut down on trenching along the walls of the arena. Additives also create footing that requires less harrowing and watering. When choosing any additive, make sure that it’s manufactured for riding arenas.

Sometimes people use arenas as dumping grounds for horse manure and shavings. Although it can hold water well, manure creates a health issue for both humans and horses. The shavings also break down quickly and create a slippery surface.

Most arenas with heavy use will have a rut with half of the footing falling out of the arena. Pulling the footing back in the arena is a killer, Malmgren says. “Boards installed around the arena will solve the problem,” he advises.

“Untreated, unpainted lumber is best. I don’t like using any chemicals in an arena. If horses are turned out, they can gnaw on the boards. The height of the board depends upon the nature of your footing. If it’s a lot of footing, you’ll need bigger boards. It’s best to use higher boards because you may need to add more footing later on.”

Grass (turf) arenas are suitable under the right circumstances, depending on your annual rainfall and the type of grass. “Bunch grass doesn’t make good footing because soil is in between the plants, creating an uneven surface,” Malmgren says.

Key Takeaways

In this article, you’ve learned about building a horse arena and the DIY aspects of creating a home arena, including proper planning, the importance of the base and footing, drainage solutions, footing materials, maintenance, and grass arenas.

Read on for tips on arena maintenance so that you’re prepared to maintain your home riding arena.

This article about building a home riding arena originally appeared in the September 2007 issue of Horse Illustrated. Click here to subscribe.

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Although the horse originated on the plains of what is now North America, it became extinct here for unknown reasons. But the horse had migrated over an ancient land bridge to Eurasia and Africa, where it thrived and was domesticated. In 1493, Queen Isabella of Spain gave a variety of breeds of Spanish and Barb bloodlines to Christopher Columbus for his second voyage to the New World. These breeds included the powerful Andalusian, the hardy Sorraia and the gaited Spanish Jennet. Many more horses of these bloodlines were soon brought to the New World by subsequent Spanish explorers, thus reintroducing the horse to North America. Mounted on their horses, the Spanish were able to conquer the native people.

John S. Hockensmith, author and photographer of “Spanish Mustangs in the Great American West (Return of the Horse),” says that the natives were forbidden to ride horses, a crime punishable by death. “The Spaniards knew that if the natives got on a horse, they would be able to rebel,” he says. “Using horses, the Spanish kept the Indians in total fear. But in 1680, there was an Indian uprising in Santa Fe, and the settlers fled, leaving 3,000 horses behind. After that, the Indians had horses.”

Horses appealed to the nomadic tribes more than the agrarian tribes. Nomadic tribes—such as the Apache, Ute, Kiowa, Navaho and Comanche—followed the buffalo, and now they had a way to hunt them more efficiently. These tribes brought the horse farther into North America, adding to their herds by stealing other Indians’ and settlers’ horses, trading with other tribes and breeding their own.

Courage and speed were the characteristics prized most in horses. However, since all equine colors were present in the early Spanish breeds, Hockensmith says it’s likely that the Native Americans would have also chosen colorful horses because they were colorful people.

“They would paint themselves going into battle, so it stands to reason that they’d choose to ride the most colorful horses,” he says. “A warrior mounted on a pinto with a medicine hat marking believed that the horse was invincible and the warrior riding it could only be harmed if he had sinned.”

In the early 1800s, The United States government wanted the Native Americans’ land for settlers, so tribes were pushed off their native land. Rebelling tribes were able to evade the cavalry on their swift horses, so the only way to subdue them was to take away their horses. “Horses that remained [with the Native Americans] were bred to other breeds, such as draft horses, to make them slower.” By the end of the 19th century, the Native American horse culture was over, but the horses they favored remain living legacies. Some are very close to their native bloodlines, such as the Nokota and Spanish Mustang, while others, such as the Appaloosa and Paint, derived from native horses.

American Paint Horse

The flashy, multi-toned coat of the American Paint Horse traces back to the horses brought to North America by Spanish explorers. When Native Americans acquired horses, they preferred the spotted color, and settlers later bred their own horses to Indian ponies out of necessity, perpetuating the coloring.
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Appaloosa

Cave drawings have proven that the Appaloosa’s spotted coloration has existed since pre-historic times. Spotted horses brought over the Pyrenees to Spain by the Visigoths were used to create the Spanish Jennet, which accompanied New World explorers on their travels and captivated the Native Americans with their beautiful coat patterns.
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Nez Percé Horse

When Meriwether Lewis, the famed second half of the Lewis and Clark expedition of the American West, crossed the Bitterroot Mountains into eastern Idaho in 1805, he noted in his journal that the Nez Percé tribe had very grand horses: “Their horses appear to be of an excellent race. They are lofty, elegantly formed, active and durable. In short, many of them look like fine English horses and would make a figure in any country.”
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Nokota Horse

The Nokota Horse developed in the rugged Little Missouri badlands of southwestern North Dakota. DNA evidence has shown that the Nokota is descended from early 20th century ranch and Indian stock, which had all but disappeared since the 1950s.
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Spanish Mustang

The Spanish Mustang is the original Native American breed. It descends from the horses of the Conquistadors and Native Americans, and developed on the plains of the American West, growing stronger and thriftier through natural selection. The breed differs from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Mustang in that it shows little ranch or draft horse influence. Bob Brislawn from Oshoto, Wyo., is credited with bringing the Spanish Mustang back from near extinction in 1957. He gathered horses on Indian reservations and worked with the BLM to find the best Spanish Mustangs, bringing them to his 3,000-acre Cayuse Ranch. Brislawn’s son, Emmet, now runs the ranch, where Spanish Mustangs are still raised and sold.
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American Indian Horse

The American Indian Horse Registry (AIHR) considers all horses of native legacy as American Indian Horses, regardless of their breed. To the AIHR, their history and origins link each one together. “There are different strains of the American Indian Horse around the country, such as the Marsh Tacky from South Carolina, the Nokota from North Dakota and the Florida Cracker,” says Nancy Falley, spokesperson for the registry. “Breeds such as the Appaloosa and Quarter Horse were descended from the American Indian Horse, so they are all eligible too.” Because this is a large group of breeds, the registry distinguishes horses through five classes of registration, which is determined through photographic inspections.
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The “End of the Trail” statue, created by sculptor James Earle Fraser (1876-1953) in 1915, is perhaps one of the most poignant examples of the loss of the horse in Native American culture. The rider sits slumped over his exhausted horse, lance held downward, as the pair lean into an unseen wind. But the Native American breeds are still with us, and through ardent breeders and enthusiasts, they will survive not only as living legacies, but also to make their mark in our modern equine world.

Sharon Biggs is a writer and dressage instructor. She is the author of Advanced English Riding (BowTie Press) and In One Arena (Half Halt Press).

This article originally appeared in the June 2011 issue of Horse Illustrated. Click here to subscribe!

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Despite variations between the breeds, Falley says American Indian Horses share similar characteristics. They generally have long, lean muscling and are not usually heavy, although the Northern-bred horses have developed to be heavier than Southern-bred horses because of the climate. Their heads usually have a straight profile, although roman noses are sometimes found. Horses should be hardy and sure-footed. The American Indian Horse is versatile in both English and western pursuits but shines on the trail. All colors are found, and heights range according to breed and classification.

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The Spanish Mustang is the original Native American breed. It descends from the horses of the Conquistadors and Native Americans, and developed on the plains of the American West, growing stronger and thriftier through natural selection. The breed differs from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Mustang in that it shows little ranch or draft horse influence. Bob Brislawn from Oshoto, Wyo., is credited with bringing the Spanish Mustang back from near extinction in 1957. He gathered horses on Indian reservations and worked with the BLM to find the best Spanish Mustangs, bringing them to his 3,000-acre Cayuse Ranch. Brislawn’s son, Emmet, now runs the ranch, where Spanish Mustangs are still raised and sold.

The breed possesses Spanish features, with a compact and muscular build, rounded hindquarters and a low-set tail. The neck is arched and set high out of the withers, and the profile is straight or concave. Many Spanish Mustangs are gaited, which is a common Spanish horse attribute. The breed possesses tremendous stamina and hardiness. There is a wide range of colors, including pinto, buckskin, roan and black. They are sought after as ranch, endurance and trail horses. They stand 13.2 to 15 hands.

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“These areas in the Northern plains were the last strongholds of the natives, and where the last battles were fought,” says Frank Kuntz of Linton, N.D., who with his brother Leo began buying the horses to save them from slaughter or crossbreeding in the 1980s. “When the Sioux tribe’s medicine man and leader, Sitting Bull, was forced to surrender to the U.S. Army in 1881 at Fort Buford, N.D., he had to hand over his weapons and his horses.”

The tribe’s horses were sold to the fort’s traders, and many were dispersed through public sales. However, the Marquis de Mores, a French aristocrat and pioneer rancher of western North Dakota, showed interest in preserving these horses and bought 250 of them. The Marquis founded the town of Medora, the gateway to what is now the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. When the Marquis died in 1896, his ranch foreman rounded up and sold the horses. The ones that weren’t caught wandered into the badlands.

The horses in the badlands were inadvertently fenced in during the development of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and when the National Park Service began removing them from the land, the Kuntz brothers stepped in. They recognized that these park horses looked different from modern breeds and had a common conformation. By 1990, they began to call them Nokotas, a nod to their North Dakota origins. Today there are more than 1,000 Nokotas in the United States. The Nokota Horse Conservancy has an outreach program with local Sioux tribes to help re-introduce the horse culture.

Margaret Odgers of Carlisle, Ky., owns the Nokota Horse Blue Moon Rising, an ambassador of the breed who was ridden in the opening ceremonies at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. “The history of these horses is very tragic, but it’s powerful,” says Odgers. “When you have one, you feel as though you are helping to preserve history.”

The large-boned Nokotas have a straight or slightly concave profile on a medium-sized head. The Nokota stands 14.2 to 15 hands. The coat is often roan, as well as bay, brown, chestnut or pinto. Due to their sure-footedness, the Nokotas are prized endurance and trail horses.

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Cave drawings have proven that the Appaloosa’s spotted coloration has existed since pre-historic times. Spotted horses brought over the Pyrenees to Spain by the Visigoths were used to create the Spanish Jennet, which accompanied New World explorers on their travels and captivated the Native Americans with their beautiful coat patterns.

In the 18th century, the Nez Percé tribe, from the Pacific Northwest and inland Northwest, had become excellent horsemen and were the only Native Americans known to practice selective breeding. “The tribe bred first for speed and sure-footedness,” says Merida McClanahan, director of marketing at the Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC). “It’s really a romantic notion that they bred for color first.”

European settlers referred to the tribe’s horses as “Palouse” horses, named for the Palouse River that ran through the area. In 1877, the United States Cavalry killed many of the Palouse horses, or Appaloosas, as they had been renamed, to ensure that the Nez Percé would never rise against the government. However, some horses escaped to the hills, and settlers and ranchers secretly kept them. Some Nez Percé were allowed to keep their horses, but only if they bred them to slower draft types and used them for farming.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, interest in the Appaloosa grew, as the breed began appearing in western roundups and rodeos, and dedicated breeders formed the ApHC in 1938. “The Indians didn’t record their breeding practices,” says McClanahan. “The association had the full purpose of tracking and protecting the breed. It’s a different horse today than when the Nez Percé were breeding them. The gene pool was so small that in order to have a good-quality breeding base, the founders brought in breeds that already had traits from the Indian ponies, such as the Quarter Horse. Later on, they infused a little bit of Arabian blood. Essentially, the basics of what the tribe bred for in its stock are still there; it’s still the color, the versatility and the stamina.”

The modern Appaloosa has a muscular build with an upright carriage. Heights can range anywhere from 14.2 to 16 hands. The breed is characterized by a white sclera around the eyes, mottled skin and striped hooves. The Appaloosa has several color patterns. The snowflake pattern is a solid coat sprinkled with a dusting of white. A leopard Appaloosa has definitive spots over his entire body. A blanket marking consists of a solid white area over the horse’s hips, or up to his shoulders, and sometimes there are spots found within the blanket. Some Appaloosas are roan with dark strips along the face bones, known as varnish. The Appaloosa is a versatile horse used in all English and western disciplines, as well as racing.

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The flashy, multi-toned coat of the American Paint Horse traces back to the horses brought to North America by Spanish explorers. When Native Americans acquired horses, they preferred the spotted color, and settlers later bred their own horses to Indian ponies out of necessity, perpetuating the coloring.

The pinto and Paint are often lumped together as the same breed; however, pinto is a color, and horses can be of any parentage as long as coat requirements are fulfilled. The American Paint Horse, on the other hand, must have one parent registered with the American Paint Horse Association (APHA) and the other registered with the APHA, American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) or the Jockey Club (Thoroughbred). He must also display pinto coloration; offspring of Paint Horses that do not have coloration are referred to as Solid Paint-Breds.

When the AQHA formed in 1940 to preserve its stock horse breed, the organization excluded pinto and “crop out” horses (those born with white body spots or white above the knees and hocks). Pinto stock horse enthusiasts formed a variety of organizations to preserve and promote their animals, and eventually these groups merged in 1962 to form the APHA.

Today, Paints come in a variety of colors and two main coat patterns: tobiano and overo. Tobiano horses have well-defined vertical patches of color across their backs, and they often have white legs and coloring on their heads. The white in the overo horse generally doesn’t meet over the back. Overos usually have large white markings on their face and come in three different types. The frame overo has a frame of color around the white body markings. Sabinos have roaning at the edges of the white markings and white that extends past the face and chin; some “maximum white” sabinos are nearly all white. Splashed white overos have blue eyes, long white socks, white or blazed faces, and/or white on the belly. There is also a less common pattern called the tovero, which is a combination of the tobiano and overo.

Characteristics of the tovero include blue eyes (one or both) and a mostly white body with coloring on the ears, poll and sometimes the top of the neck. This marking is called the medicine hat or war bonnet (with less color than the medicine hat; sometimes the war bonnet, on the ears and poll, is the only coloring) and was highly prized by Native American chiefs and medicine men. Color patterns can also occur on the tovero’s hindquarters, chest or belly. A dark marking surrounded by a large patch of white, such as on the chest or face, is called a shield.

Paints are found in all English and western pursuits and are prized ranch horses. The breed ranges in height from 14.2 to 16.2 hands.

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These are the horses the Nez Percé tribe is currently attempting to resurrect by crossing the Akhal-Teke with the Appaloosa. “The tribe didn’t feel the modern stock-type Appaloosa was a true representation of the breed they had in the 1800s, which was longer and leaner,” says Kim Cannon, director of the land services department for the Nez Percé tribe in Lapwai, Idaho. “They felt the Akhal-Teke had those qualities.”

The breeding program began in 1994 with four donated Akhal-Teke stallions and Appaloosa mares the tribe already possessed. The tribe now has 70 horses. They sell some to keep numbers manageable, but the rest are used in the tribe’s Young Horsemen Project.

The Nez Percé Horse is more slender than the modern Appaloosa and has a longer neck. It also has thinner withers. It is very strong and sure-footed and is a quality endurance horse. Both solid and Appaloosa coloring are found, along with the burnished coat, a characteristic of the Akhal-Teke. Heights range from 14.2 to 15 hands.

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But then I started meeting people like Pinnie Sears. Now I wear my helmet for the right reason—to protect my head, not my ego.

Olivia “Pinnie” Sears is like most of us—horse crazy, good rider and doesn’t take stupid chances. But on April 11, 2007, Sears, a lab technician, took her new horse, Julio, a Mustang gelding, on a trail ride in the Montague Plains, a wildlife sanctuary in Massachusetts. But the Pinnie Sears who went out isn’t the same one who came back.

**For the full article, pick up the October 2007 issue of HORSE ILLUSTRATED.**

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Just as you need a permit to build the arena, you need a permit for lights. Apply for a lighting permit at the same time you apply for your arena permit, and check local regulations to find out how tall your light poles can be. “Go as high as the regulations will let you,” Donovan says. “The cost of a 20 foot pole to a 30 foot pole is minimal. Taller poles cast smaller shadows because the light strikes horse and rider more vertically. You will also need to hire an electrician. This is high voltage power, so don’t let someone who is not qualified install the lights. It really does need a professional. Electricity can kill, plus bad wiring is the major cause of barn fires.”

“The expensive part of lighting is the installation, so think carefully about your power,” Donovan says. “It’s likely that your house doesn’t have enough electricity to support arena lights, so either you’ll have to shut off all the lights in the house to prevent a blown fuse, or you’ll have to install a sub panel, which can be costly.” The electricity in the barn may not be enough either. A 200-amp panel is generally sufficient to support arena lighting. While you’re in the planning stage, have an electrician come out and look at your power sources.  He will also be able to do an analysis of your arena to determine how much lighting is necessary.

“There is a certain amount of light that you’ll need for your arena,” Donovan says. “Different applications require different amounts of light. Much less light is needed for a parking lot than you would need for a tennis court. Riding arenas fall in between those two examples and are generally well lit with 15 foot candles. A foot-candle is the measure of a light’s intensity–the density of light that falls on a surface.”

Place the light poles symmetrically around the arena. The number of poles depends upon the size of the ring, but a minimum of four is a must. This is to avoid shadows, which can spook horses.

Donovan also says to put as many lights on each pole as possible. Choose metal halide lights because they put out the cleanest light, as opposed to the old-fashioned mercury or sodium vapor lights.

And finally, don’t allow your contractor to run conduit or wiring under your arena. If something goes wrong, you might have to dig up the arena to make repairs. This is a sure-fire way to ruin your arena. The base needs to be level throughout, and if one area is disturbed it will act as a sump and collect water. Always have the wiring in conduit and outside the arena.

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