# ideas wanted for a cheap round pen or arena



## backyardFarming (Jun 13, 2013)

Buying a true round pen or arena for horses is not in my budget this year. But I need an enclosed area to do ground work with my horse. I had seen online someone needed a round pen and made their own on a cheap budget. 
It's using steaks ( made for am electric fence) and cementing it in a 5 gallon bucket (14 of them), and using two layers of white electric fence tape. ( of course not using it as an electric fence) I thought this was a good idea. But does anyone have any more ideas on making a cheap enclosure to work with horses?


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## enchantedgoats (Jun 2, 2013)

what you are suggesting sounds good. have you checked craigslist? you might get one cheap or be able to barter for one.


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## MesquiteTreeHill (Oct 1, 2013)

I wouldn't cement the t-posts into buckets - I would just drive them into the ground. It's easy to do and WAY cheaper 

I have a friend who did this and found that the tape blows a lot in the wind - it was really hard for her to keep it tight. But there has to be a way or people wouldn't use it for fences.

I'd just make sure you cap the t-posts to prevent injury.


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## ciwheeles (Apr 5, 2013)

I agree with mesquitetreehill. I wouldn't cement them.. Takes more time and money and who knows you may want to upgrade a little later. I would definitely make sure you cap the post too. They can sometimes be pretty sharp at the top.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

I just use regular panels that we already had on hand. My round pen changes size quite often depending on where we need panels! It's not perfectly round either. One side is a 20 foot feeder panel....


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Our round pen is made of cattle panels and steel posts to provide support. Depending on the length of the steel posts, make sure you drive them deep enough that they do not extend above the panels.


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## Used2bmimi (Oct 3, 2012)

If you use cattle panels you can use willow sticks woven through to make more of a visual barrier. You could also use pallets with T posts driven down to be level inside. That would be a little short for an untrained horse, but safe enough for what you are describing.


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## LGFarm (May 30, 2013)

I have never owned a round pen, all of my horses are taught all the basics for round pen work on a lunge/long line. $25 bucks and I have been though pretty much all the big names round penning information and have easily adapted it to the lunge/long line.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Tposts are so dangerous, even capped, I would never recommend using those in a roundpen situation. Or are you talking about those plastic ground rods? If you're talking about those and you did that cemented in buckets...I think that would be a good option if you can't purchase panels right now. You would have to be careful how you work the horse, but that's not a bad idea.

Also, keep an eye on craigslist for panels...sometimes people part with those pretty cheap.


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## DDFN (Jul 31, 2011)

I wouldn't do the buckets with tpost or other rods. You could always use 4x4's if you have some on hand or if cost allows and make some horse jumping standard type jump supports and instead attached some rough cut saw mill wood to it. then if you need to move it you can unscrew it and relocate or change size. Just an idea. I love the Hiqual round pens but I am saving up to get one myself. Right now I just work the horses in the open fields on lunge lines. 

The best covers for tposts I have found are the small white sleeves full length. They are pretty strong and I have not had any break in the field but none of my horses (knock on wood) have gotten directly into one at this time. I have had them for probably 5+ years in use. roughly about $5 a cover.


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## NubianFan (Jun 3, 2013)

KW Farms said:


> Tposts are so dangerous, even capped, I would never recommend using those in a roundpen situation. Or are you talking about those plastic ground rods? If you're talking about those and you did that cemented in buckets...I think that would be a good option if you can't purchase panels right now. You would have to be careful how you work the horse, but that's not a bad idea.
> 
> Also, keep an eye on craigslist for panels...sometimes people part with those pretty cheap.


I agree
Honestly I would never use t posts for a round pen either. I have never had a round pen, I have worked my horses on a lunge or we have a small field. It is really bigger than ideal but I have learned to use what I have. T posts have killed horses. I know it may be rare that something like that would happen and I would and do use them for fencing, but not for a roundpen type situation where a horse could ever possibly feel trapped. I just wouldn't want to risk it.


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## BrokenArrowRanch (Jun 6, 2013)

Yes I see many safety issues with almost all these ideas. A horse can try to jump over the fence, landing on a fencepost. I see a horse spooking at a dog or a bird and running through the horse tape, getting tangled and breaking a leg. I see a horse atempting to kick the pallets, getting caught in the slats, pulling the pallet from the fence, and running with it on his leg. This causes major tendon injuries and if the horse lives he is only a pasture horse.

I totally understand your situation, and for many years I worked my horses in an open space. My mare would leave the others, then in a 500 acre pasure, come to me. and I would groom, then lunge her without a halter, without any ropes at all, out in the middle of a pasture. she would also walk alongside me, stop, turn back and trot when i did. all with no halter or rope of any kind. 

I now hate round pens expecially smaller than 60 foot. no horse should be in a space smaller than that. so in my personal opinion you are better off without one than with something that your horse can be injured on.


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## BarrelRacer (Jul 22, 2013)

Round pen panels are great you can have a round pen or just take them loose and have a arena they are worth the money but they aren't the cheapest things that you could make a arena with. They are also heavy duty and can take a lot.


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