Important Things You Should Know Before Adding a Steel Riding Arena to Your Property

Horseback riding is more than a hobby -- it’s a lifestyle. People who enjoy this pastime have a deep connection with their horses and cherish their time together. The enjoyable activity requires strength, balance, and body awareness. However, to practice, you need an open space, such as a field or arena. Those who know the therapeutic properties of horseback riding may even have a stadium close to their home. In fact, steel riding arenas have risen in popularity in recent years thanks to home-building trends and the accessible nature of the structures. Companies like Coast to Coast Carports offer guided expertise in finding out how a metal riding arena could benefit your hobby. Do you want to have your own horseback riding arena on your property? It’s fast, easy, and affordable, thanks to Coast to Coast Carports. Keep reading to learn more about creating your own steel riding arena. ! Important Things You Should Know Before Adding a Steel Riding Arena to Your Property

Determine the Size of Your Steel Riding Arena

Experts suggest that the desired horse arena’s minimum dimensions should be no less than 60 feet in width. The interior heights should range from 16 to 18 feet when you measure from the ground up to the top of the trusses. Other recommended horse arena sizes are 80 feet by 200 feet or, a little smaller, at 60 feet by 120 feet, depending on your needs. You will need a clear span structure -- one that has no posts inside the riding area. Because of its sound structure, a prefab steel building makes a great and sturdy addition to any horse riding enthusiast’s home. Those who ride in large groups are advised to use a longer area for their indoor arena. You will also want to ensure your steel building is tall enough for jumping horses. Most are 16 feet high, but two or three extra feet in height can account for more room. Anything larger than that can be considered a commercial or professional riding arena. Doorways are usually 13 to 15 feet high to allow an entrance with a rider on top of a horse. Space should also be at least 16 feet wide. If you consider a steel building for your arena, be advised that with larger ones there could be several costs that you might not think of beforehand. Understand what you need to know before you buy to make sure you are not biting off more than you can financially chew. ! Important Things You Should Know Before Adding a Steel Riding Arena to Your Property

Get the Right Paperwork

Long before your steel building arena can become a reality, you will need to figure out what building permits are allowed through your local municipality. Furthermore, those installation plans should be approved by an engineer. Before a building grant is awarded, there are several factors at play, including the land’s zoning and environmental sensitivity in question. You may also need to provide additional reports for water management in inclement weather and soil testing. Most approval processes are between one and three months, and many concerns are based on restrictions on specific requirements of the project, environmental issues, and zoning. Your town may allow you to skip the permit process if your metal arena is only going to be used for personal purposes, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Make sure your plans are engineer-approved and explicitly designed within the scope of local building codes. The top priority should be your horses’ health and safety as well as that of the people who will use your prefab arena. You should find quality insurance to protect yourself and your metal building.

Covering the Arena Base and Flooring

Experts recommend that you include four inches of limestone screenings over either sand, clay, or aggregate mix for the arena’s base. You can source these materials either locally or buy from an outside business. Your footing should provide enough traction, shock absorption, and stability for your riders and horses to enjoy their time together in the arena safely. Another great option is using locally sourced sand.

Special Features for the Prefab Riding Arena

Your steel indoor riding arena has the option to come with several amenities so that it can be both professional looking and functional. What you include depends on your budget, so pick a metal building kit that suits your needs and does not break the bank. Some of the unique features include:

• Doors: Your steel arena should include big doors that provide enough room for mounted riders as well as large equipment. Ideally, it would be best if you made it large enough to enter and leave the arena as smoothly as possible.
• Rider Guard: These guards provide the interiors with a finished look and a safety measure for riders entering the arena. The rider guards offer space between the hooves and the vertical framing of the walls. You will be able to do more with this extra distance because it creates more space between a moving horse and the wall, as well as the rider’s knees and the stirrups.
• Sidelights: Sidelights make economic sense because it brings in more natural light to your steel riding arena. These are easy to install and cost less than skylights. The lights can be designed to accommodate up to twice the size of a standard skylight and bring in double the amount of natural light. Talk about a bright idea!
• Insulation: Proper insulation helps keep the roof insulated and minimizes noise. The border can also assist with the aesthetics while preventing condensation and the aftermath of the hothouse effect.
• Wainscotting: A special feature that may not seem as important as the others is wainscotting. It can enhance your steel arena’s aesthetics when it is added halfway up the structure. You can cover the rest of the wall with paint in any color.

Choose the Right Location

It is critical to determine the right location for your steel arena building. You will want a site with the smoothest level throughout the property because it will minimize the amount of prep work needed to complete the process. If you have a level place with trees, you can see significant savings in the long run. The naturally leveled spot eliminates the risk of water runoff from hills surrounding the area. You may also want to consider any sites with water accumulating that will have the same problem after your prefab building is installed. If you have an area in mind that may need some work, you can elevate the land on which you plan to install the steel indoor riding area. You will want to make sure that it successfully diverts water away from the site instead of creating more significant water problems. You can remove moisture through percolation underneath the arena footing and into the ground below. One inch of rain inside the arena takes at least 24 hours to filter the water through the ground to make riding safe again. Preparation is key. You will want to conduct the proper research to accommodate any problems that may arise.

Other Things to Keep In Mind

Know the building laws that are associated with your town. Every place is different, and what may be needed in one place might not be necessary for another. Some municipalities require strict agriculturally friendly codes with additional hoops to jump through. While there are differences, many need to know how much land will be devoted per horse, what services will be involved in the installation, and how far buildings will be from the property boundaries. Put together a plan with a local contractor to provide a rough estimate regarding the site work and cost. Pick a good location that details exactly where you want the steel indoor riding area to be. Be as detailed as possible in your building plan. Things to include are where the sun shines, the presence of any humid regions, where the water runoff direction is, what way the wind blows, and how much dirt needs to be moved. You may need an excavator to finish the work of your project. Leave enough room around the arena for additional parking, horse turn out, ground for riding, and a trailer. Provide a sketch that lays out all the assets on a map. Your town may have plot maps. You could also purchase orange flags and place them on the map to estimate how much space is needed.

Are You Sold On A Steel Riding Arena?

Once you have decided to create your own riding area, you can put your plans in motion. You can trust Coast to Coast Carports to provide quality metal buildings and guaranteed satisfaction. For decades, Coast to Coast Carports has manufactured top-quality steel building kits. Don’t forget about free and fast delivery as well as an exclusive 20-year rust-through warranty! Through superb customer service and product know-how, the company has the expertise to make this long-lasting dream come true. You can finally have your own metal riding arena! Call one of its qualified professionals today at (866) 681-7846 to find out more about how they can improve your riding experience with a prefab riding arena.