Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
A 200′ diameter round pen such as this is used as a general-purpose riding pen and
for working cattle.
Larger round pens—those more than 200 feet in diameter—are useful for training horses
to work cattle and can double as an arena for general riding and conditioning.
On most horse farms, the training pen gets many more hours of use than does the starting
pen, so if you have to choose, it's probably better to opt for the larger pen.
CONSTRUCTION
Once the site for the round pen has been selected, the footing needs to be examined. If ne-
cessary, the ground should be graded to ensure a level training surface and proper drainage.
Then proceed to dig your postholes. To measure for the postholes, affix one end of a
33-foot rope to the ground at the center of the pen. Walk the rope in a complete circle as a
final position check. Decide where the gate will be and mark holes for the gate posts about
5½ feet apart. (If you plan to use a small tractor to work the footing in the pen, make the
gate 8 feet or wide enough for the tractor.) Then mark twenty-eight spots at about 7-foot
intervals along the circumference of the circle for the rest of the postholes. Posts that are
set approximately 7 feet apart, center to center, can use 8-foot boards and railroad ties with
the ends trimmed.
