A riding hall, indoor arena, indoor school (UK English), or indoor ring (US English) is a building (part of an
equestrian facility An equestrian facility is created and maintained for the purpose of accommodating, training or competing equids, especially horses. Based on their use, they may be known as a barn, stables, or riding hall and may include commercial operations descr ...
) that is specially designed for indoor
horse riding
Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...
. Smaller, private buildings contain only space for riding, while larger commercial facilities contain a "ring" or "arena" within a larger building as exclusively for equestrian use, but may also incorporate additional facilities for spectators or stabling of horses.
An outdoor enclosure for riding horses is called a ''riding arena'', ''(training) ring'' (US English), or ''(outdoor) school'' (British English) or, sometimes, a ''manège'' (British English). In other languages, the French word ''
manège'', or a derivative, means "riding hall" since, in French, the word refers to an indoor hall, while an outdoor arena is called a ''
carrière''.
Building design
Riding halls enable horses and riders to train or compete in dry conditions regardless of the weather. There are various designs. The most popular are either steel-girder or timber-framed buildings, with wood, brick or sheet-metal panels.
Roofs can be made of various materials including
sandwich panels, corrugated steel, or in smaller buildings, wood. In some cases,
stables are built either nearby or attached to a riding hall, sometimes under the same roof. In addition,
tension fabric building
Tension fabric buildings are constructed using a rigid frame—which can consist of timber, steel, rigid plastic, or aluminum—and a sturdy fabric outer membrane. Once the frame is erected, the fabric cover is stretched over the frame. The fabri ...
s are also used as arenas. These textile buildings usually consist of an aluminium frame and a high-strength PVC-covered sheet roof as well as wind protection or windbreak(er) netting in the walls.
Construction
Riding halls are built with the following criteria in mind:
* The arena must be as large as possible for the purposes intended. Commercial arenas may be smaller than private facilities. Smaller halls may provide an advantage for certain disciplines.
* There should be no support columns in the arena; obstacles such as jumps are generally moveable,
dressage pillars may be an exception
* The hall must have high, wide doors that are easy to open.
* The hall should be illuminated as much as possible by daylight, preferably from above via
skylights or similar design elements.
Government approval, building permits, or other official permissions are often required to build riding halls. Buildings intended for commercial or public uses may also have
stands or other seating included with the structure. Facilities such as
toilets
A toilet is a piece of sanitary hardware that collects human urine and feces, and sometimes toilet paper, usually for disposal. Flush toilets use water, while dry or non-flush toilets do not. They can be designed for a sitting position popul ...
or
concession
Concession may refer to:
General
* Concession (contract) (sometimes called a concession agreement), a contractual right to carry on a certain kind of business or activity in an area, such as to explore or develop its natural resources or to opera ...
s may be included in a commercial facility.
Functional design
Riding halls are usually not heated because this is healthier for the horses. There is no set standard, but many arenas have
dressage standard dimensions of or the small arena standard of . Commercial arenas may be significant larger. In the United States, a clear span of at least is a common minimum width, with and up seen in structures open to the public for competitive events. While length varies significantly, lengths from are common for private arenas.
Of great importance is the footing quality. Floors often consist of a top layer of 100mm of silica sand over a complex aggregate substrate designed to ensure proper drainage.
[''Riding Arena Construction'']
at www.mainlandaggregates.co.uk. Retrieved 15 Jan 2015 A good riding surface needs to have the right level of moisture content to reduce the amount of dust, aid maintenance and ensure good rideability. This may be achieved by an automatic floor watering facility – whereby the floor is watered from sprinklers above it, by regular watering with hoses and ground-based sprinklers or by underground irrigation using e.g. ebb and flow riding surface systems.
[Examples of the latter include systems b]
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Lighting is also particularly important. The sensitivity of horses to dark and light makes it essential to have consistent lighting.
Skylights are common. Artificial light need to be diffused and non-dazzling and brightness needs to be adjustable depending on the riding discipline being performed.
Special purpose halls
A lungeing hall is a smaller hall for
lungeing
Longeing (US English, classical spelling) or lungeing (UK English, informal US) is a technique for training and exercising horses. It is also a critical component of the sport of equestrian vaulting.
The horse is asked to work at the end of a ...
horses. Most lungeing halls are circular and have a diameter of 16–24 metres. Rectangular designs may be cheaper to build and give horses a better spatial orientation. Lungeing halls also generally needs building permission.
Famous riding halls
*
Spanish Riding School
The Spanish Riding School (german: Spanische Hofreitschule) is an Austrian institution dedicated to the preservation of classical dressage and the training of Lipizzaner horses, based in Vienna, Austria, whose performances in the Hofburg are also ...
, Vienna
*
Salle du Manège
The indoor riding academy called the ''Salle du Manège'' () was the seat of deliberations during most of the French Revolution, from 1789 to 1798. It was demolished in 1804 to make way for the rue de Rivoli.
History
Before the Revolution
...
, Paris
*
Moscow Manege
The Moscow Manege ( rus, Мане́ж, p=mɐˈnʲeʂ, a=Ru-манеж.ogg) is an oblong building along the west side of Manege Square, which was cleared in the 1930s and lies adjacent to Red Square. It is the site of Moscow Design Museum sinc ...
and
Saint Petersburg Manege
The Manege is a former riding hall for the Imperial Horse Guards fronting on Saint Isaac's Square in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was built in 1804–07 to Quarenghi's austere Greek Revival design, one of his last commissions. It replaced a dis ...
in Russia
*
Belém Riding Hall, Lisbon
See also
*
Arena
An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...
*
Hall
*
Round pen
The round pen, sometimes called a bullpen, is a round enclosure used for horse training. They range in diameter from a minimum of to a maximum of , with most designs in diameter. Footing is usually sand[Deutsche Reiterliche Vereinigung
The German Equestrian Federation () is an umbrella organization in Germany for equestrian sports and breeding. It is the governing body for the majority of equestrian sports and their organization in Germany, including FEI-recognized disciplines ...]
(FN): Orientierungshilfen zum Reitanlagen- und Stallbau, (p. 116 Longierhalle), Warendorf, 2009,
* Helmbrecht Boege: Konstruktion von Gebäudehüllen für die Pferdehaltung, in Baubriefe Landwirtschaft Nr. 49 - Pferdehaltung, Deutsche Landwirtschaftsverlag, Hanover, pp. 88ff
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