Dressage arena: what to consider when building one

Building a dressage arena is a trickier project than a standard building job. It requires the prospective owner to get a number of details right. You need to meet the applicable standards while also satisfying everything that prompted you to build in the first place.

Knowing what you need

What the arena will be used for is a key point the future owner must focus on during construction. To start with, dressage is a given. That first step should prompt some sensible questions about who will be using the arena and what sort of horses they will bring with them. It is also the right moment to settle your ambitions for the space. You need to check whether the ground will suit future competitions for riders of every level, whether they use a snaffle bridle or a quality halter from La Sellerie Française.

The owner should also set aside space from the outset for fences or ditches for show jumping classes or jumping assessments.

Surface quality

The people who will use a dressage arena is a particular factor to take into account when choosing the surface. The going needs to be neither too hard nor too soft, so that the freshly picked-out hooves of every user, whatever their level, can settle into it easily.

At the same time, you should invest in the quality sand used in competition arenas. If there are lessons taking place between competitions, you will need to roll the surface more often. This makes it easier to keep the ground consistently firm yet forgiving.

The ideal dimensions

A private dressage arena does not have to comply with the official standards. You can therefore lay it out without worrying about standard dimensions. That said, if your long-term aim is to hold competitions there, it is better to allow the space needed for the arena and its results to be officially approved. For a small arena, 20 by 40 is ample. You can go up to 20 by 60 if your ambition is a surface that meets Olympic standards.

Additional space

Your dressage arena needs to accommodate a sizeable audience. They need space too, along with the basic arrangements, in particular the boards. Spectators should in principle be placed 6 metres from the fencing. You therefore need to add at least 10 metres to the basic footprint of the dressage arena.

Between the horses in competition or in work and the spectators, rounded wooden boards are recommended. Nor should they be so high that they stop the judges and the public from seeing the performances.

You also need space for the fencing around the arena to mark it out as a separate area. Above all, the various letters must be perfectly positioned in an additional strip all the way around the arena.