INDOOR SCHOOL
Having an indoor school is a real luxury and will allow any serious rider to exercise there horse no matter the weather. When looking at building an indoor riding school, you will obviously need a building, often agricultural framed buildings can be used and constructed making an ideal riding arena. The size will depend on your budget and what you are looking at doing in the arena with some equestrian disciplines such as show jumping requiring more room than others such as dressage.
The choice of surface is also of paramount important with a number of options to choose from, for more information on choosing a surface please click here. You will also have to insure you have electricity for lighting, also consider how natural light may be used to help keep your electricity bills down, (but remember how light and shadows may spook your horses when you are working them). Another important factor when building an indoor school is planning permission, if you are building a new building you will need planning permission, if you are converting an existing outbuilding you may need to get change of use. It is also important to find out how an indoor school will often result in an increase in the cost of your council rates.
OUTDOOR MENAGE
If an indoor riding arena is out of reach because of budget, planning permission or room and outdoor ménage is the next best thing. Again an outdoor arena will give you the ability to ride in adverse riding conditions, with a surface that will hold up to rain (something we get a lot of in the UK), when constructing an outdoor ménage it is important to choose your surface carefully and ensure you put in adequate drainage, also consider the placement of your menage on your equestrian property, you can use natural element of the property such as existing buildings, trees and banks and hills to create natural defences against the elements of wind and rain.
HORSE WALKER
A horse walker can be a valued addition to any professional competition yard, allowing you to exercise multiple horses helping them get fit, they can often prove very useful in the morning as many competition yards will put the horses on the walker in groups while mucking out the yard making it easier.
As well as horse walkers you are also able to get water horse walkers as well as treadmills but these are much more specialised and more expensive
SHOWER ROOM / WET ROOM
Many horse owners take their horses out for competitions and as such ensuring their horse is presentable is important, a wash room with a shower can be a great addition to an equine property, allowing you to wash your horse with nice warm water, while ensuring it is properly drained away stopping flooding.
HORSE SOLARIUM
After you have given your horse a nice wash most of us will ensure they are properly rugged up making sure they do not get a chill. A horse solarium gives your horse the luxury of drying off while under the heating lamps of a horse solarium. The cost of a horse solarium can be pretty reasonable but you will need to be fitted where there is access to electricity.