Outdoor Riding Arena or Indoor? How Much Space Do You Need?
Key Takeaways How Much Space Does a Riding Arena Need? I’m Steve Glick, owner of Double S Construction, and many property owners approach the arena sizing question backward. They pick a riding surface size first, then get surprised by how much additional land the full site footprint requires. An 80×200 ft indoor arena—the size we build most often—provides 16,000 sq ft of interior riding space, but it typically disturbs 20,000 to 25,000 sq ft of total land. That is roughly half an acre. The additional space is consumed by necessary supporting infrastructure: roof runoff management, driveways, parking, and turnaround space for horse trailers and dragging equipment. A common misconception is that an outdoor arena saves significant land compared to an indoor structure. For equivalent riding
