£ involved for cheap arena?!

[WheresSpring]

Ok, after slightly depressing thread just now my partner has just pointed out that we have enough space to put our own arena in. On a budget. I (& he!) can operate a digger. Basic raw materials - how much are we talking?!

Honestly… all the budget ones I know are a disaster. You need drainage, a good membrane, and a really quality surface. Otherwise you’ll just have a horrendous muddy mess every year that has shit growing out of it in summer

To be fair I only need it workable 2nights a week Nov -Feb…..if I, dp & v capable kids help and do all ground works I’d just like to know a basic cost on top of that. Though it may be more cost efficient to offer to pay for lights in friends’ arenas instead 🤣

You don't want a budget arena in winter or it'll be practically unusable due to mud or being totally frozen solid.

I say that from experience

Areanas are definitely buy cheap, buy twice. You can save money doing the ground work yourself but not the materials. Even fir a small arena, doing all the work yourself, you are going to be looking £20k+. If the materials aren't right it could easily be unusable most of the winter and too deep in the summer. I know who few people who've built cheap arenas ad regret it.

And that £20k is without the planning permission costs.

Have to agree about the quality of the surface. If you can do the ground work yourself and know enough about drainage to do that too you can make savings there but a cheap surface is simply not worth it. I've ridden on too many - a poor surface even if you only used twice a week will ruin your horse's legs.

We did ours for £11,000 but that was 6 years ago. Did all the work ourselves. Still looks great.