Designing working areas: walker, lunging ring, parade ring
Special facilities are sometimes necessary to exercise horses when they are not ridden, to lunge them, to make them free jump, to warm them up, etc. So the walker, the lunging ring and the parade ring are very useful for everyday training.
Lunging rings
A lunging ring must have a minimum diameter of 15 metres.
It is preferable to equip it with an outer barrier.
This type of installation places heavy demands on the footing. A good design is necessary to maintain the footing quality:
- A stabilised base will be well compacted to prevent the rise of coarse, inwardly sloping elements. The top layer should be 15 to 18 cm of sand.
- As working in a circle pushes the sand from the top layer outwards, it is desirable to create slopes of as much as 2%.
- A perimeter embankment will prevent run-off water from entering from outside and prevent sand from escaping.
- Rainwater is drained through a trap in the centre of the ring.
Parade rings
A parade ring should form an oval of 18 m x 36 m. This dimension is the most appropriate for allowing a horse to turn and jump freely and allows ground poles to be used. If it gets any bigger, the horse is too far away from the trainers.
Footing
The footing in a parade ring is heavily used, always in the same places, especially in the bends and on the take-off and landing areas before and after the jumps.
It is therefore very difficult to build the footing, and it is strongly recommended to contact a specialised company with good references.
Evacuating rainwater
The evacuation of rainwater must be carefully planned.
On an open-type riding surface, the excess rain or irrigation water is drained off by percolation through the soil, which must therefore be drained. The installation of a drainage system is necessary unless the subsoil provides sufficient natural drainage.
On a closed type surface the excess water is evacuated by surface runoff, which must therefore be slightly sloping. For a parade ring, this slope can be directed towards the centre of the ring where a trap connected to an outlet pipe will be installed.
Watering
Watering is necessary to avoid dust and, above all, to give the lift, cohesion and grip necessary for free working. Integrated watering solutions, or hose reels, are the most commonly used.
Fences
An impassable peripheral fence is required. However, the use of an internal fence to form a corridor is no longer used at all today because it can lead to accidents.
Maintenance
Because the surface of a parade ring is highly used, always in the same places, maintenance is of particular importance and must therefore be regular, rigorous and adapted to the type of surface.
Systematically collecting dung is one guarantee of the durability of the top layer.
Walkers
Walkers, which are sometimes known as “automatic lunges”, have been developed. They have a circular or oval shape and can accommodate three to ten horses separated by mobile wire-mesh divider pusher gates. Their speed is adjustable (from 0 to 25 km/hour without jerking)
The walker can be covered, which prevents rapid deterioration of the footing due to bad weather.
- Site preparation (excavation, concrete slab, water and electricity supply),
- The footing,
- Inner and outer fences,
- Woodwork and roofing,
- Transport, assembly and travel expenses, etc.
Have quotes drawn up and make sure that all these items are clearly specified.
Know more about our authors
- Arnaud LALLEMAND Service Innovation Des Équipements Équestres (IDEE) de l'IFCE
- Thierry LEBORGNE Architecte, responsable du service Innovation Des Équipements Équestres (IDEE) de l'IFCE
- Translated from french by : Alison DRUMMOND Translator
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