How to Set up a 20 x 60 Dressage Arena

This is for those who want to get it right.  Follow these directions, and your arena should be less than one inch from a perfect rectangle!  Trust me I'm an engineer!!  

It is critical to have a 60m measuring tape.  Working with feet and trying to make the conversions takes a whole bunch more time, and quite a few punches on a calculator.  You may want to check out a local sporting goods store or look online at places such as www.silktree.com for the measuring tape.

 Materials Needed  

Note:  All measurements will be made to the outside of the stakes as illustrated in the diagram.  The string used in the measurements will be positioned on the outside of the stakes.  Since the 60m x 20m measurement is the riding area, all equipment will have to be placed just on the outside of the measurements.   

In the diagram to the right, pretend you are standing at the lower left corner of the arena facing down the long end.  The center of the arena is to your right.  The diagram shows the measurements are taken to the outside of the stakes.  When in position the string will be on the outside of the stakes. 

To begin setting up our arena we need to determine the anchor point.  Lets start by pretending were standing at A as illustrated to the right.  Look around and try to determine the best place for our first corner, making sure there will be enough room for horses to pass on the outside of the arena.  Drive a temporary stake in the ground at this point. 

Have someone hold the end of the tape measure on the stake and walk out 60m on the long side to B.  Will the arena fit?  Is there enough room for horses to pass on the outside?  If not, move the temporary stake until it fits.  Do the same to measure out from A to C.  Will it fit?  Once you are sure there is enough room for the arena to fit, drive stake A into the ground further.  Congratulations, you now have your anchor point A. 

For the remainder of this process, use the illustration with ABCD above. 

Look around where you want to put the arena.  Are there any fences or walls that you want to line up the arena with?  If there are, follow one of these methods closely, if you do not need to line up your arena with anything, follow method A except ignore steps 1, 7 & 8. 

A.  LINE UP SIDE AB WITH FENCE 

1. Measure the distance from point A to the fence. 
2. Wrap the string or rope around stake A clockwise. 
3. Have someone hold the end of the tape measure on A.  Walk down towards point B with the tape and the string.  Stop at 60m. 
4. Put your fingers on the 60m mark on the tape.
5. Have someone help you measure the distance from where you are standing to the wall until you have the same distance as in #1 from above.  For instance if in #1 the distance from A to the wall was 5 meters, the assistant should roll the tape out to 65m and hold at the wall while you make sure the tape is taunt between both A and the wall.
6. Once everything looks square, drive in stake B.
7. Pull the string tight and wrap around stake B clockwise.
8. Whatever you are using for the boarder of your arena, set it up now while the string is in place.  Your boarder material goes on the outside of the string (the fence side).  Once your border is down, you may remove the string from both of the stakes.  Leave the stakes in the ground.
   
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9. Now that side AB is set up we will set up side BC.
10. Have someone hold the tape at B.  Walk down along line AB towards A.  Stop at 15m.  Place a temporary stake at 15m along line AB.
11. You will most likely need two assistants for this next step.  With the end of the tape measurer still on B, walk out 20 meters towards C.  Stop and hold the tape at 20m.
12. Have someone else continue measuring back to the temporary stake you placed 15m from B on line AB.  They must measure out to 45m.  Whoever is holding the tape at 20m may have to move around to allow the measurement of 45m at the temporary stake.
13. With the ends of the tape 0 on B and 45 on the temporary stake, the person at 20m should make sure the tape is tight in both directions.
14. Place stake C in the ground.  
15. Wrap the string around stake B clockwise.
16. Walk down to stake C and wrap the string clockwise to hold in place. 
17. Pull up the temporary stake you put on line AB.
18. Whatever you are using for the boarder of your arena, set it up now while the string is in place.  Your boarder material goes on the outside of the string.  Once your border is down, you may remove the string from both of the stakes.
    
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19. Now that sides AB and BC are set up we will set up side AD.
20. Have someone hold the tape at A.  Walk down along line AB towards B.  Stop at 15m.  Place a temporary stake at 15m along line AB.
21. You will most likely need two assistants for this next step.  With the end of the tape measurer still on A, walk out 20 meters towards D.  Stop and hold the tape at 20m.
22. Have someone else continue measuring back to the temporary stake you placed 15m from A on line AB.  They must measure out to 45m.  Whoever is holding the tape at 20m may have to move around to allow the measurement of 45m at the temporary stake.
23. With the ends of the tape 0 on A and 45 on the temporary stake, the person at 20m should make sure the tape is tight in both directions.
24. Place stake D in the ground.  
25. Wrap the string around stake D clockwise.
26. Walk down to stake A and wrap the string clockwise to hold in place. 
27. Pull up the temporary stake you put on line AB.
28. Whatever you are using for the boarder of your arena, set it up now while the string is in place.  Your boarder material goes on the outside of the string.  Once your border is down, you may remove the string from both of the stakes.
    
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29. For line CD simply wrap the string around ends C and D and set up the boarder material.  Pull up all stakes when done.

B.  LINE UP SIDE AD WITH FENCE  

1. Measure the distance from point A to the fence. 
2. Wrap the string or rope around stake A counter clockwise. 
3. Have someone hold the end of the tape measure on A.  Walk down towards point D with the tape and the string.  Stop at 20m. 
4. Put your fingers on the 20m mark on the tape.
5. Have someone help you measure the distance from where you are standing to the wall until you have the same distance as in #1 from above.  For instance if in #1 the distance from A to the wall was 5 meters, the assistant should roll the tape out to 25m and hold at the wall while you make sure the tape is taunt between both A and the wall.
6. Once everything looks square, drive in stake D.
7. Pull the string tight and wrap around stake D counter clockwise.
8. Whatever you are using for the boarder of your arena, set it up now while the string is in place.  Your boarder material goes on the outside of the string (the fence side).  Once your border is down, you may remove the string from both of the stakes.  Leave the stakes in the ground.
   
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9. Now that side AD is set up we will set up side AB.
10. You will need two assistants for this next step.  With the end of the tape measurer on D measure out 25m and have someone hold that point.
11. Measure out to 40m.  Place the 40m point on stake A.
12. Whoever is holding the tape at the 25m should walk out towards point B.
13. With the ends of the tape 0 on D and 40 on A, the person at 25m should make sure the tape is tight in both directions. 
14. Place a temporary stake in the ground.  
15. Wrap a string around stake A clockwise.
16. With the tape and string in your hand measure 60m out towards B.  Pull the string and tape tight and line up right next to the temporary stake you drove in along line AB. 
17. Drive in stake B at the 60m point.
18. Pull up the temporary stake you put on line AB.
19. Whatever you are using for the boarder of your arena, set it up now while the string is in place.  Your boarder material goes on the outside of the string.  Once your border is down, you may remove the string from both of the stakes.
    
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20. Now that side AB is set up we will set up side BC.
21. Have someone hold the tape at B.  Walk down along line AB towards A.  Stop at 15m.  Place a temporary stake at 15m along line AB.
22. You will most likely need two assistants for this next step.  With the end of the tape measurer still on A, walk out 20 meters towards C.  Stop and hold the tape at 20m.
23. Have someone else continue measuring back to the temporary stake you placed 15m from B on line AB.  They must measure out to 45m.  Whoever is holding the tape at 20m may have to move around to allow the measurement of 45m at the temporary stake.
24. With the ends of the tape 0 on A and 45 on the temporary stake, the person at 20m should make sure the tape is tight in both directions.
25. Place stake C in the ground.   
26. Wrap the string around stake B clockwise.
27. Walk down to stake C and wrap the string clockwise to hold in place. 
28. Pull up the temporary stake you put on line AB.
29. Whatever you are using for the boarder of your arena, set it up now while the string is in place.  Your boarder material goes on the outside of the string.  Once your border is down, you may remove the string from both of the stakes.
    
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30. For line CD simply wrap the string around ends C and D and set up the boarder material.  Pull up all stakes when done.

Go have a well deserved Margarita!