Getting a Riding Arena Ready for Spring

Oh yeah, it seems like spring is really here! Well, it is for the weekend anyway. And I’ll take it! And my riding arena is in some serious need of attention. Getting a riding arena ready for spring isn’t hard if you have the right tools. And that is what I wanted to share with you.

This is what my riding arena looked like before I started working the dirt. With multiple weekly heavy snows, repeated melting, and my horses having free availability to the riding arena, it was bad. Not that I can ride right now, but when I can, I don’t want to think about making sure the arena is ready for me.

Just a heads up, there are affiliate links within the article.

I had been thinking about adding new sand, or an arena mix, to the arena. But for whatever reason, buying dirt in Colorado is expensive. Who would have thought dirt would be expensive? But it is.

If I wanted to add an arena mix to my arena, I am looking at around That is a lot of money.$3000. Ouch. Maybe I will be able to stomach that later in the spring. But for now I just want to work the dirt before the clumps turn into concrete.

Even the turnout area is a muddy mess.

And I don’t want my horses tripping on a raised ground area. So I decided it was time to bring out the EZ Groomer. I love this thing.

Arena Groomer for the Backyard Horse Owner

I can’t remember the exact date when I bought my arena groomer. I know I have had it for at least 3 seasons. But this was the best investment I can remember making regarding something to use for our property. With shipping I think I spent around $2200 total. I do remember it took a while for me to get my EZ Groomer after I had ordered it. But it was definitely worth the wait.

I opted for the most affordable option, which is a 4-foot-wide groomer. But it works well for the relatively small arena that I have. The one thing that was a bit of a learning curve for me was adjusting the depth at which the tines would dig into the existing ground.

Last year I wrote about a garden tiller I bought, because I didn’t know that I could adjust the depth of my groomer. This is a very affordable option if you can’t afford the investment of a groomer, or you don’t have a way to drag your arena. And if you are just getting started with crafting your own arena, this article might be helpful.

But after a little bit of research on my part, I found out that by moving the attachment bar of where my groomer attaches to my tractor, I can determine how deep the s-times will dig into the dirt.

Ok, rookie mistake on my part, I guess, but I had no idea of how to adjust the groomer so that it would ‘dig’ deeper into the ground. I was so frustrated that I seriously considered selling my EZ Groomer because I didn’t think it was working. That is the only thing I would suggest the company make sure people know about. Maybe even a video on their website about how to do something like this.

Hmmmm…..maybe I will make a video to show people how to do it. Because once I figured that little tip out, there is nothing short of adding in new dirt that has made such a quick difference to my arena.

Getting a Riding Arena Ready for Spring

I showed you what my arena looked like when I got started. The dirt was caked, with little mud peaks. And the mud was dried and hard. But after about 40 minutes or so of grooming the arena, this was the end result:

What a difference the arena groomer makes! I don’t think you can really ‘see’ the results unless you refer back to what it looked like before. So let me show you the before, one more time…

A little bit of an improvement, right? And you can see in the far corner there is still a bit of snow around the edges where the shade hits. But what a difference the groomer makes.

This is one of the reasons I’m not too worried about the ground and adding additional arena mix. Just by having and using my EZ Groomer correctly, I can work with what I have. Sure, I will have to work the ground more frequently than I would if I had more and better dirt. But the arena groomer makes me able to use what I have.

It is also great for the turnout area as well.

Again, so much better. And I don’t have to worry about the horses fiddle farting around and hurting themselves if they trip on the uneven ground.

It may not be perfect, but it is a lot better.

Getting a Riding Arena Ready for Spring

The biggest takeaway I want you to get from reading this is that if you need to add a lot of new ground to your riding arena or riding area, maybe consider investing in an arena groomer. Not just a drag because a drag will only smooth out the ground’s surface layer.

Before you spend thousands of dollars to bring in dirt, maybe check out EZ Groomer for yourself. Especially if you have a tractor. The 3-point hitch on a tractor makes it easy to keep the groomer on your tractor all the time. That’s what we do.

Then I don’t have to attach something first and then go groom the arena. This little Kubota tractor has been another investment that has paid for itself. We are able to do so much with this machine. From grooming the arena to moving poop to improving the pens.

So if you are considering having horses at home, and want to have all of the amenities you would have at a boarding facility, think about the implements you will need to make backyard horsekeeping easier. It is work for sure, but from my point of view, it is so worth it to have my horses at home.

Even with the extra chores! Happy Horsekeeping!