A new box blade can run $550-$650, depending on the size. Used ones can sometimes be bought for around $300-$400. Your box blade can also be put to good use keeping your dirt driveway and back lanes smooth and level.
For simply smoothing the surface of a riding ring, many people make a homemade drag from a piece of chain-link fence, a pipe and a length of chain. These simple devices are easy enough for almost anyone to handle, and one can be kept at ringside and brought out in a hurry to smooth out hoofprints.
In the case of an outside ring, this is a particularly good practice to get in the habit of doing before a rainstorm, so the indentations from hooves don't hold water. If you live where it freezes, this is even more important.
Many innovative devices out there today are designed strictly for working and grooming riding arenas. One, the Arena Rascal, is small enough to be pulled by a 4-wheeler or garden tractor if you don't have (or need) a full-size tractor on your place. Another, the TR3 Rake, goes on a tractor with a three-point hitch. It's more expensive, but is designed for larger arenas and can be used for other jobs, like driveway and pasture maintenance. You can even mount an optional water tank on top and water down the arena as you drag it. Both are available from Absolute Innovations (www.absoluteinnovations.net).
Whatadrag Co., Riata Ranch, and Parma Co. make long, trailing grooming drags that have multiple rows of teeth, followed by a clod buster, followed by a leveler or roller ( www.parmaco.com, www.riataranch.com). There are also circular drags that turn and churn the arena surface layer, either with one, huge circular rake or three small ones. (Check www.countrymfg.com, www.snodgressequipment.com.) Special, single-use equipment can be an expensive investment, but can be worth it if you work your ring several times a day.
If you are on a tight budget and have a small arena at home or even just a round pen, there is even a hand-held arena rake that can do a reasonable job of leveling the surface. The Arena Rake is a 36-inch-wide rake that operates on one human power. It sells for around $60, and while it can't do the job a heavy implement will, it can be very useful for touching up arenas between riders or between jumps.
