Riding Arena Construction in Ocala, FL

If you are planning riding arena construction in Ocala, FL, you are really planning four things: the size, the base underneath, the drainage that keeps the base working, and the footing on top. A cover is a fifth decision with its own engineering. This guide explains each so you can compare quotes, which are priced very differently from builder to builder. For prices, see our horse barn cost guide, which includes planning ranges for open arenas, covered arenas, and resurfacing.

We are a referral service, not an arena builder. Nothing here is engineering advice. Where we cite a source, we say so; anything else is general practice to confirm with your builder and engineer.

Start with sizing

Match the arena to the work, not to what the lot happens to allow. The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension publication Suitable Spaces for Indoor Horse Activities (ID-259, revised 2024) gives these suggested sizes, based on the Horse Facilities Handbook:

Those are indoor-arena suggestions, and an open arena has the same needs. Sources disagree on jumping and reining sizes, so ask your trainer, and check the current rulebook if you plan to compete. Larger is not always better: more area means more base, footing, drainage, and fencing to pay for and maintain. A round pen is a separate, smaller structure.

Site and layout

• Put it on well-drained ground. Water sitting under or beside an arena is the main thing that ruins one. Ask how the builder will carry water off the site.
• Think about access. Trailers, tractors, and the drag need to get in, and footing deliveries need a truck path.
• Keep it clear of the barn's manure and runoff. And away from low spots near the barn.
• Check the rules. Setbacks, floodplain, and wetlands can limit placement. Floodplain rules still apply to farm buildings in Florida; see below.
• Leave room for a cover or lights later if you cannot afford them now.

Base: the part you cannot see

Penn State Extension says a footing "is no better than the underlying foundation of base and sub-base it rests upon." The base is a hard-packed layer, similar to the base under a road, and the footing has to "knit" to it so it does not slide around as horses work. For a compactable base, Penn State describes a widely graded, angular material with particles usually no larger than a quarter inch. The Kentucky publication says the base should be well compacted, stable, and leveled, and that if the existing subsoil cannot serve as the base, added material should be at least six inches thick; it describes the surface layer as at least four inches thick.

Ask a builder:

• What are you excavating, and what goes back in, and how thick is each layer?
• How will the base be compacted and checked for level?
• What happens if we find soft spots or standing water when we dig?
• Is a separating fabric (geotextile) proposed between layers? Opinions differ among arena builders. Some say it keeps layers from mixing; others warn it can come up into the footing if it is damaged. Ask why they use it or leave it out.

Drainage

An arena is a surface that has to shed water and not hold it. The French horse institute IFCE's Equipedia guide recommends gentle slopes that move water toward drains. Builders commonly slope the finished surface slightly and use ditches, swales, or buried drains at the edges, and the right design depends on your soil, your water table, and where the water can go. We do not give slope numbers because they vary by design; ask the builder to show them on a plan, and ask where the water ends up. In Florida's summer rain, the question to press is: what does this arena look like after a long downpour, and how fast does it recover?

Footing: types and tradeoffs

Penn State Extension summarizes common footing options:

• Sand. Clean, screened, medium-to-coarse, hard, sharp sand with a small share of fines is the usual recommendation. Sand deeper than about six inches is described as stressful to horse tendons, and it is often combined with other materials.
• Wood products. Cushioning and moisture retention, but they decompose and need topping up about every couple of years. Avoid walnut and black cherry, which are toxic to horses.
• Rubber. Added to sand or stonedust at roughly one to two pounds per square foot; it can float after heavy rain and have to be mixed back in.
• Stonedust. Stable and well draining, but very dusty unless kept moist.
• Not recommended long term: topsoil and stall waste.

Quantities. Penn State's rule of thumb is about 12 tons of sand per 1,000 square feet for three inches deep, or 8 tons for two inches (assuming a sand density of 100 pounds per cubic foot). For a 60 by 120 foot arena (7,200 square feet), that is roughly 58 tons for two inches or 86 tons for three. Use this to sanity-check a quote's footing quantity.

Dust and moisture. Penn State says if more than 5 percent of the material passes a 200-sieve screen, the footing tends to be too dusty, and recommends keeping footing evenly moist to about three inches deep. In Florida, that means planning for irrigation or watering equipment, not just the footing material. Ask who is responsible for it.

Maintenance. Penn State says most surfaces should be amended at least every couple of years, with a complete replacement or overhaul planned every 5 to 10 years. Ask the builder what regular maintenance equipment you will need, such as a drag, and what it costs.

Covered arenas

A roof changes the project from site work to a building, with its own cost, engineering, and permitting question.

• Structure. Kentucky Extension notes narrower arenas (60 feet or less) are usually wood framed, while wider ones (over 80 feet) tend to be metal framed. Steel kits are advertised as clear span up to about 200 feet wide, per BuildingsGuide; they price the structure and exclude the foundation and footing.
• Height. Kentucky Extension's table suggests 14 feet of clear height for general riding and 16 feet for jumping, and its summary lists a 16-foot minimum to the lowest part of the ceiling or anything hanging from the trusses.
• Lighting. The same publication suggests 30 to 40 foot-candles at five feet above the floor, uniform with no shadows.
• Ventilation. Openings along the roof peak let stale air out and sidewall openings let it in; fans help only if they move air through a wall or roofline. This matters a lot in Florida.
• Wind. A large open-sided roof catches wind. Ask for engineered, stamped plans and what wind speed they are designed for; see our builder checklist and climate guide.
• Dust. A roof keeps rain out and can make dust worse. Plan the watering.
• Use. If you will teach lessons, board, or host events, tell the county when you ask about permitting; use can affect how a building is treated.

Permits and the agricultural exemption

An open arena is mostly grading and surfacing, and a covered arena is a building. Florida Statute 604.50 exempts nonresidential farm buildings on land used for bona fide agricultural purposes from the Florida Building Code and county or municipal codes and fees, except for code provisions implementing floodplain management regulations. Not every horse property qualifies: a Florida Bar Journal article notes some counties have resisted treating equestrian use as agricultural. Ask Marion County Building Safety (or your city) how it treats your property and your arena before you sign, and see our builder checklist.

What a good arena quote includes

• Dimensions, excavation depth, and the thickness and material of each layer
• Drainage design and where the water goes
• Footing type, depth, and quantity in tons or cubic yards
• Fencing or kickboards, gates, and any cover or lights, priced separately
• Watering or irrigation plan
• Permits, surveys, and engineering, and who pays
• Warranty terms in writing, including what happens if drainage fails

Ready to compare? Request quotes here, and read our guide to choosing a builder first.