Arena Project

[Casimir]

Once the sub-base was close to where I wanted it, we outlined the arena (120 Meters X 20 Meters) with a string line. The previous owner had lined the driveway with railroad ties -- we didn't like them there, but they came in handy to define the arena boundaries. The 4-in-1 Bucket was a real handy tool (as you can see, I sit too close to the dinner table to lift railroad ties by hand /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif)

 

[Casimir]

Placing the ties was easy, with the 4n1 /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Casimir]

A little backfill behind the ties to hold them in place --

 

[Casimir]

Then came about 10 twenty-ton loads of crusher run for a base (that's a lot of rock to spread and level with a box blade /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif)

 

[Casimir]

Another use for a railroad tie -- just suspend it from a boom pole, chain both ends to the lower links of the 3-pt hitch, and you can really smooth things out /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Casimir]

I was on a roll, and didn't want to wait for another couple of rains to compact the crusher run, so I rented a small roller and let my wife's visiting nephew play with it --

 

[Casimir]

No sign of rain, so we rolled it some more --

 

[Casimir]

Next came about 6 twenty-ton loads of granulated sand for footing. Looking back (hindsight is always 20-20 /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif), I wish I had added a couple inches of stone dust between the crusher run and sand and then compacted it before adding the sand. Oh, well, if I ever do a second one, I will remember that (I hope /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif)

 

[Casimir]

You know, it's really hard to get sand spread to an even depth. I still have deep spots and shallow spots that I am trying to even out. In the shallow spots, the horse's hoofs tend to pull gravel up from the base, especially if the horse is movin' out---

 

[Casimir]

We had a pasture project going at the same time, and hired a fencing contractor, so we had them fence off the end of the arena near the road, just in case Mama falls off, or a horse gets loose /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif. They brought this handy little Dingo along to dig post holes--