Round Pen Size?

No_Angel

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2003
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Ireland
My mum and I have been talking this morning and we are thinking about having a round pen built in one of the front paddocks. We will be looking at local planning to see if it's possible, but what size do people find most useful? We were thinking about 60ft diameter, is that big enough to ride in?

Also, what surface do people use? I'm thinking sand, but does that hold up well and how often do you need to top it up?
 
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Normally you get 50ft or 60ft, definatly go for 60ft. Much bigger than that and it becomes less useful as a round pen as on foot you are too far away.

Most of the ones I have used have been solid sides with sand. I don't think they topped up too often, every few years, but levelling it was important and not entirely easy (unless you get one with a bigger gate to get a truck/leveler in there) as they quickly end up built up in the middle and low on the track.
 
I have a couple different sizes

Cause the paddocks off the stalls were made as round pens too.

About 60 ft is good to ride.
My 2 100ft ones on the hill are really too big for easy on foot play like Jessey said
My little cavaletti pen which is my best for liberty is probably about 50ish im not totally sure ill need to measure it
but it was what it was to fit the space.
And the same with the paddocks they were built to fit space as well but I want to say they are pushing 70 ft

The two on the hill are in the grassy field to double as paddocks and are just the grassy footing.
My little cavaletti pen has a wood chip perimeter and grass in the center.
That has worked out good but I will have to top it up a bit more In the spring.

My 2 paddocks have wood chip perimeter as well but the paddocks are more bare ground sandy gravely.
Those need to be topped up again to with wood chips.
Both horses came over here last spring so you really don't get a year on the chips.


For really good liberty My little cavaletti pen is the best but I think to ride in it … would be too small.
I have never really ridden in the others except to play with the ball-- if I did not play in contained area I'd be chasing it cause I'm not totally flat.
Both paddocks have a slight slope as do the ones on the grassy hill.
My little cavaletti pen is flat.

Not being totally flat is NOT a bad thing.
You can get some benefit of hill work and drainage is good.
These are the 2 paddock ones.
IMG_7954.JPGIMG_7985.JPG
This is my little cavaletti pen

IMG_7709.JPGIMG_7720.JPG
That's one of the ones on the hill.
IMG_7617.JPG
Gate wise GO WITH 6 FOOT GATES so you can ride thru them.
and more easily get an atv with a cart in etc.
I saw at a clinic someone catch a saddle on a 4 foot gate and they were walking ght right in not
EVEN mounted..OMG it was a HORROR SHOW.

the SADDLE GOT CAUGHT AND DRAGGED THE PEN IN ON ITSELF
THE HORSE FREAKED as omg did everyone else.

The horse was ok but it was TERRIFYNG..

Think about how you want to use it if you also want to incorporate riding thru it etc.
The ones up top in the field have 3 gates so that they could be ridden thru and keep on going.

My husband does not know this yet :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: but I would like another smaller
cavaletti pen size nestled up there right in under the trees for summer play.;);)
The one out here behind the house is full sun.

LOL isn't that what birthdays and anniversary are for. I don't ask for fancy jewels or
expensive pocket books etc lol Just get me a round pen.:p:p:po_Oo_Oo_O

And no expensive restraunts for me …. I'm like that POPEYE character Whimpy???
buy me a good HAMBURER AND FRIES AND IM HAPPY. yum.:):););)
 
I've got a feeling it's still classed as a change of surface and still needs planning like a menage. I had a cursory look the other day as 2 minds think a like for wanting a round pen. I guess it would be cheaper than a menage. Although metal panels would probably cost more than the post and rail and base boards. I couldn't afford a menage and for me, I doubt we would be granted permission for a menage because of location and also it would mean losing a large area of our grazing field. I think you still need proper drainage like a menage so ground preparation is still key and an expense.
I've seen some companies advertising through Facebook.
I would love to be able to have a round pen so if you find out an economical way of doing it let me know.
 
If you can go with panels then you can expand if you need to and reposition it.

We put Sonnys paddock up before the laneway to the stall and we had to shift it due to panel sizes available .
We learned when we did Andi we put the laneway in first.
 
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Thanks everyone, sounds like 60ft might be the way to go, it's about 20m I think, so about half a standard school should be fine for us. I think we will be going for a wood fence, as my mum is quite keen on it looking quite 'rustic'.
I'm not sure what planning is like in the UK but I found something whilst googling and here in Ireland it says lunging areas, exercise areas and gallops are free from planning as long as they are not within 10 meters of a public road or over 2 meters high, so I am hoping I should be fine.
 
Yeah 60ft is just shy of 20m. If you're using it to round pen (free school using the walls to aid turns) I would definitely go for solid panels, seen several incidences of legs through rails with less experienced whizzy horses.
 
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