1.
A
discussion on portable round yard options
2.
Recommended size of a
round yard
3.
Other things to
consider when choosing
a round yard or horse yard panels
View HORSE PRODUCTS page
" The tighter the circle
the harder the horse has to work ..."
A
Discussion on Portable Round Yard Options
Portable round yards are obviously more flexible than a permanent round
yard. Not only can the size be reduced if needed, but considering that
a round yard may not be used frequently, portable yard panels
can be used
for a multitude of other uses. Portable paels are also more forgiving
than a fixed round yard in the horse panels will move and give slightly
if hit
with any force.
Barriers:
Our clients have used the portable round yard panels as barriers, for
example to assist in loading a mare and her foal into a float. A
temporary yard was made with a couple of panels flagging either side of
the horse float, the mare had no hesitation in moving onto the float
and the foal followed on, calm and collected. There was no stress or
confusion as the panels were slowly closed around them.
Temporary
holding yards. Depending on the number of panels in the
roundyard more than one temporary yard can be built from them.
Sick bay:
When a horse is sick or injured and needs to be contained or movement
restricted, it will usually remain calmer if left with its paddock
mates. A temporary yard can be set up as a stable sized yard, in or
near the paddock so it can be outdoors with it’s equine
friends. They can be used to turn a simple horse shelter into a stable
as well.
Recommended
Size of a Round Yard
The recommended size of a round yard is ultimately dictated by its
purpose. The tighter the circle the harder a horse has to work and bend
– so for a larger or unfit horse a tight circle may cause or
exacerbate an injury.
Recommended
round yard diameter: Smaller round yards 12m to 15m are
fine for ponies, but larger horses are better worked in a round yard of
18m-20m. If you consider that a standard dressage arena is 20m wide an
18m round yard will give riders a reasonable sized area to work in and
not cause unnecessary physical stress on the horse.
Recommended
round yard height: If the round yard is only being used to
warm up or lunge a horse, or to provide a small arena for children,
then there is really no reason for the height to be more than 1300mm
high with two or three bars. This enables kids to
‘escape’ quickly if they need to but is
sufficiently high enough to keep in a horse that respects boundaries.
1200mm is the height of a standard field gate.
Many mass produced round yard panels are made to 1800mm high. These are
usually cattle panels being sold as round yard panels and not what we
would
recommend using with horses. More often than not, a height of 1600
(5’) is more than adequate.
Number of
round yard rails: The number of bars should also be
considered. There is a likelihood that a horse could get a leg between
bars if there is no solid barrier such as timber, mesh, poly or rubber
lining. Consequently the further apart the bars, the easier it is for
the horse to release itself without injury. Cattle panels have closely
spaced bars for a reason – cattle are heavy and rough on
equipment and are always look for a way out. Horses on the other hand
are
more likely to respect a visual or physical boundary. Yes, there are
always some exceptions, however generally speaking 4 bars on a panel
1600 high are more than adequate.
Other
Considerations when choosing a round yard
Panel length:
Although longer steel panels make purchasing a
roundyard cheaper they might not be that good a value. Longer panels
need to have a centre brace inserted to support the bars and stop them
from drooping and warping the horse yard panel. Generally
flat steel is used as a brace, however if a horse gets a leg or head
between the bars and hits
against the steel which is only 5mm thick with enough force,
it’s likely that stitches will be required.
Longer roundyard panels are also more difficult to move around
– even if they do have a skid at one end as ours do. How
easily can you support the weight of one panel on it’s own?
Can you move them about by yourself?
How strong is
the steel used? A rail might look like it’s
strong because it’s wider than others you’ve seen,
however it’s the thickness of the pipe wall that needs to be
considered. Thin walled materials like tubing and some cheaper pipe can
bend and break if hit with reasonable force.
If using the panels for a sick or sedated horse, the last thing you
want is a rail to break if your horse falls against
it.
The old rule of “you get what you pay for” stands
true.
At the other extreme thick walled pipe (water pipe) makes the
panels so heavy they are almost impossible to move around and they will
not bend or flex at all.
Cuts:Sharp
protrusions such as poor slaggy welds can cause cuts to you and
your horse, as can bracing and even some of the joining systems used on
panels. Any bolts or other fasteners should sit flush or be
rounded. Even something as innocent as a horse rubbing
it’s head on a rail may be enough to cause some nasty
cuts.
Gaps between
panels: Do the panels have squared or rounded corners?
Rounded top corners on panels form a ‘V’ shaped gap
– a potential trap for human and equine limbs.
Quick escape:
Do you need a quick release gate? If you think you might need to get
out of a round yard quickly it might be worthwhile considering the
option of a slam
catch which will open quickly when pressure is applied to the handle.
The slam catch sits within the gate frame so it won’t open if
a horse
leans on or hits the gate. It might
be worthwhile considering two gates to provide an additional escape
route as well.
