When it comes to designing, building and improving horse facilities, and equestrian spaces, flexibility is key. From round pens and arenas to barns and storage sheds, choosing products and designing their horse facilities and equestrian spaces to be safe, effective and flexible may create fewer headaches and protect your investment in the long run.
Moveable Panels
When setting up round pens, arenas or turnout pens, it is hard to beat metal panels. Their flexibility and ease of assembly have made them understandably popular.
Typically, panels are available in 6' to 14' sections and in heights from 62" to 74". Color, weight, finish and connection systems are just a few of the additional choices you have.
"I think that it is important to choose the right tool for the job," says David Fillebrown of Priefert Ranch Equipment. Panels that are going to be used in a close confinement area, such as a 24' x 48' run connected to a stall, for example, are going to get more horse contact than panels used in a 150'x 300' arena. That should give you pause for thought as you make your purchasing decisions.
Round pens also see a lot of use, and the ideal panel for your setup will depend on your stock and how you use your enclosure. If you are working with a recently adopted BLM mustang, for instance, it is probably money well spent to invest in heavier and taller panels.
"The more trained your horse is, the lighter the panel you can probably get by with," Fillebrown points out. However, he emphasizes the need for safety wherever horses are concerned. "You want to make sure there are not any sharp edges or places a horse could get caught in," he advises.
"The first and foremost thing you need to evaluate when you are purchasing a round pen is the safety issue," agrees John Andrews, wholesale manager of John Lyons Round Pens. For the horse and rider's safety, he says it is important to look at the metal on the horizontal bars, as well as the intermediate vertical supports. Andrews notes that many horses have gotten hurt on panels that use flat stock and have square edges.
Fillebrown says that drilling intermediate vertical stays through the horizontal members also helps. "It makes it a little safer as you are riding around closer to the panels," he says. "That horse isn't going to be as likely to hang your knee on a panel."
Panel height is also critical in a round pen to discourage a horse from jumping over or onto the panels. The height of the bottom rail is important as well, along with the leg configuration of the panel where it meets the ground.
