Is Your Arena Depth Consistent — Or Are You Riding a Rollercoaster?

Even the best arena surface won’t stay perfectly level forever. Over time, stormwater runoff, wind, daily riding, and even routine harrowing can shift sand and create uneven depths. That’s why regularly checking your arena surface is crucial to keep it safe and performing at its best.

Here’s a simple, practical way to find out if your arena has developed deeper or shallower spots — and when you should be concerned.

An Arena showing puddling due to sand and or base inconsistency.

Step 1: Map Your Arena

Draw a simple outline of your arena and divide it into 5 m x 5 m squares (for example or whatever increment suits best) on paper. Number or label each grid point — this will be your plotting sheet for the measurements.

Step 2: Gather Your Tools

You’ll need:

• A screwdriver or probe with at least a 20 cm shaft

• A 30 cm ruler or tape measure

• Your grid plot and a pen/pencil

Screwdriver with a atleast 20 cm shaft

Step 3: Measure the Depth

At each grid point:

1. Push the screwdriver straight down until you feel refusal — where it hits the compacted base layer or geotextile membrane.

2. Measure from the tip of the screwdriver to the point where the sand reaches on the shaft using your ruler.

3. Record that number on your grid plot.

4. Move 5 m to the next grid point and repeat until the entire arena is measured.

   
   
   
   

   

   Example depth reading of 5cm respectively.

   
   
   
   

Step 4: Identify Problem Areas

Once you’ve measured your arena, compare your readings to the ideal thickness of 120 mm. Allow for a tolerance of ± 20 mm — this means anything between 100 mm and 140 mm is generally acceptable.

• Too Shallow (≤ 100 mm): Mark these grid points in one colour (e.g., red).

• Too Deep (≥ 140 mm): Mark these grid points in a different colour (e.g., blue).

• Within Range: Leave unmarked or note as okay.

This creates a visual map that makes it easy to see where your arena is uneven.

Redistributing Your Footing

• Small Adjustments: For minor depth variations, sand can be moved by wheelbarrow, taking material from deep zones and spreading it into shallow ones.

• Major Adjustments: If there are large areas consistently too deep or too shallow, it’s best to bring in a machine (TLB, bobcat, or grader) to redistribute the footing efficiently and evenly.

💡 Pro Tip: Always level after redistributing to avoid creating new high/low spots.

A newly renovated fibre arena in Kyalami.

Need Professional Help?

If your arena is significantly out of level or you need a full redistribution, Harrogate Equestrian and Harrogate Construction Services can help.

Serving: Gauteng and neighbouring provinces Contact: Sean – 068 211 0412

Email: sean@harrogateequestrian.co.za Website: www.harrogateequestrian.co.za

Let the experts restore your arena to competition-ready condition — safely, efficiently, and professionally.