When you are designing your barn, you will want to carefully consider whether building an indoor arena will be part of the process. Indoor arenas maximize the amount of time you are able to spend riding during the year, and boarders are willing to pay higher prices to board at barns with indoor arenas. If you will be building an indoor arena, be sure to account for the following in your planning.

Size of Arena

One of the most important factors of your arena will be its dimensions and overall size. An indoor arena that is simply too small for your discipline will lose some of its usefulness. Classic Equine Equipment arenas start at a standard size of 100 x 200 feet, a driving arena size of 130 x 330 feet, and a competition jumping size of 660 x 660 feet. Just what size arena is appropriate for you will depend on its intended use.

Proximity to the Barn

Many indoor arenas are directly attached to the main barn. This design allows for excellent convenience, since horses and riders can access the arena without going outside, while people in the barn can usually hear if a rider in the arena needs help.

If you opt to connect the arena to the barn, and have not yet built your barn, you will want to plan the arena and your barn simultaneously. Adding your arena onto an existing barn allows you less flexibility in terms of where you locate the arena doors and access passage, but can still be done successfully with good planning.

Location of Arena Doors

Think carefully about where you want each set of arena doors located. Avoid locating the doors at the bottom of a hill, since water will run off the hill and pool in the doors and in the arena itself. The doors should also be in an area that horses and riders can safely and easily navigate.

Placement of Viewing Area

Carefully consider the placement of your viewing area. Generally, viewing areas are placed along the long side of an arena. If you will be hosting shows in your arena, you want to plan so that visitors have easy access to the viewing room. For a large competition venue, multiple viewing rooms or areas may be appropriate.

Use of Shatter-Proof Mirrors and Kick Boards

When planning to outfit your arena, make sure that any mirrors you use are made of shatter-proof glass. Installing kick boards can also help to minimize the chance of a horse making contact with a mirror.

An indoor arena is a luxury that can improve the functionality of any barn. When building an indoor arena, excellent planning is key to ensuring that the finished product is just what you wanted. Give Classic Equine Equipment a call to discuss your arena and barn building projects!

Original source: How To Design an Indoor Arena