help turning wet field into horse arena

[smiley]

A lot of good suggestions above but your project depends mostly on the lay of the land. If it's a sloping site or has an area 2 or 3 ft lower close by such as a stream, gully or highway ditch, it's pretty easy. Strip the topsoil/sod then dig parallel ditches from low to high end, with as narrow bucket as possible to minimize fill required, 12-14 ft apart. About 16-18" deep will suffice in most any climate. If necessary the ditch can start out deeper and decrease in depth if more fall is needed for drainage. As the ditch is dug place the excavated material 1/2 way between the ditches and grade it so it slopes toward the ditches, Roll between the ditches even if it's only done with the tractor/excavator/? then lay perforated 4" plastic or corrugated pipe with filter sock and "daylight" (run out the side of the slope) into the lower area/ditch or into a collector pipe that runs to the lower area. If you have a level site, you can do as Leonz suggested and put a tank in the center then grade so water runs to the tank, then pump it to a ditch where it can run off. Whatever method you have to use, unless it's very sandy or gravely, fill the ditches with and spread a few inches of locally obtainable suitable drainage material and top it with whatever your use requires. My neighbor built one a couple years ago and used run of bank in the ditches and screened gravel for the top.
Get at least 3 estimates and unless there's real extenuating circumstances, this is quite a simple job so don't let them talk you into fancy engineering drawings etc. With 40+ years of building of highways, parking lots, ball fields, tennis courts, running tracks etc and etc., I would guesstimate your contractor with proper equipment and trucking, should be able to lay it out and complete it in about 3 days .

 

[Shield Arc]

Don't know about using it for a horse arena, but I guess you could place sand on top of it. Do you have any Hog Fuel suppliers in you area? I've walked crawler cranes through swamps with a road built out of Hog Fuel.

 

[expedoman55]

I cannot speak to the horse arena however, I had the same problem with our shooting range and lanes. My field next door had a spring that was leaching into the range. I hoe'd out ( usingNH tc34da ) a drain matrix wand dropped in shallow buried 4 inch perforated pipe with fabric sock. they were all tied together into a common drain running right through the range. Backfilled with gravel covered with top soil and gravel appropriately for planting and walking in the range and now the water just drains out underneath and down to the creek ( or crick, LOL depending where your from) and is all good.. Best thing I did.. I suffered with the dang mud for years. now no longer. Cheap and easy fix.

 

[Soundguy]

if he has an ongoing supply of water.. like aspring, etc.. he'll for sure have to figure out drainage.. and perhaps an aquaclude...

soundguy

 

[tcreeley]

I'd markout where you want the ring. Around it I'd dig a shallow broad ditch that the horses can easily walk across without a slip. I'd put in some outlets on the ditch for the water that accumulates- it has to go somewhere. I'd level and slope the ring with a slight rise running down the centerline from end to end and sloping to the two sides. Then I'd add gravel 3-4 inches. Slope it to match the base dirt. On top of that I'd add your riding surface. Water runs downhill and always needs a place to run to. When it doesn't flow it backs up and makes an area wet. You are providing the place to run to with the shallow ditch. You are also raising it above the surrounding area. You are sloping it to provide runoff to the ditch for when it rains so that it can dry quickly.
You can do this all with a tractor and FEL, rent a skid steer etc. and have the fill delivered and then you spread it. You can dig your drainage ditch with the FEL or skidsteer. The width of the bucket is a good size. Dig it down 4-5 inches.
I always do things myself, and always on the cheap. This is the cheap way! :laughing: In my area the 2" gravel fill will cost 169/load- You probably will need 10-14 loads and then the final fill on top of that. You can do it in stages and ride on it in between
Good luck.