Specialist Horse Arena Construction in West Cornwall
Ménages, riding arenas and sand schools built from the ground up: the dig-out, the drainage, the stone base and the edging that every arena surface depends on. For private yards, livery and equestrian centres across West Cornwall.
CHAS Accredited Contractor
Constructionline Gold MemberCPCS-Carded OperatorsOur Own Plant FleetFully Insured Expert Ménage and Riding Arena Construction
Horse arena construction is the excavation, drainage and sub-base work that creates a level, free-draining area for riding and schooling, whether you call it a ménage, a manege, a sand school or a riding arena. The surface is what your horse feels, but the arena is decided underneath it.
A ménage lives or dies on what is underneath it: the drainage layer and the sub-base. Get the levels, the falls and the stone right, and the surface stays even and rideable through a wet Cornish winter, year after year.
Luna Maintenance Ltd carries out equestrian arena construction for private owners, livery yards and equestrian centres across West Cornwall. Because we are a groundworks contractor first, the drainage, the base and the heavy machine work are our own specialism, with stable bases and yards built alongside.
The Arena and Equestrian Work We Build
Outdoor ménages and sand schools
New arenas built to the size your riding needs, from a 20 by 40 for schooling to a full 20 by 60 for dressage. Size is the biggest single factor in what an arena takes to build, and our guide to ménage costs in Cornwall explains the others.
Arena drainage
Perimeter and herringbone drains, a free-draining stone layer and a planned outfall to a ditch or soakaway, so water leaves the arena instead of sitting under the surface.
Sub-base and separating membrane
A compacted stone base laid to consistent falls, with a geotextile membrane between the layers to stop the surface and the stone mixing over time.
Edging and perimeter
Timber edging that holds the surface in place and defines the riding area. We can fence the arena too, from post and rail to a full timber surround.
Ready for your chosen surface
We build the base, drainage and edging that any arena surface depends on. Whichever surface you choose, it performs only as well as the ground beneath it.
Stable bases and stable yards
Concrete bases for stable blocks, yard concrete between the stables and the arena, and the drainage that keeps the whole stable yard clean and dry. We deliver the groundworks; the stable building itself sits on a base made for it.
Our Horse Arena Builds
Our arena work includes horse schools built from bare field to finished base, with drainage channels cut and stoned across the arena and timber fencing around the perimeter. Every photograph here is a ménage our own team has built in West Cornwall.
See more on our work page.
Trusted With Repeat Farm and Equestrian Work
Our farm and equestrian customers come back to us, project after project:
"Their time management, cost structure and quality of work has been excellent and I would be delighted to recommend them."
"They did the project promptly and charged exactly what they quoted, even doing a few extra bits for me whilst they were on site."
"I was very happy with the work carried and I would certainly use him again. He is a consummate professional at what he does."
What a Well-Built Arena Gives You
A surface that rides the same every dayA level, compacted base gives the surface an even depth from track to centre, so your horse meets consistent going in every corner, on every circle and down every long side.
Riding through the wet monthsDrainage designed into the base carries rainwater away fast, so the arena stays usable through a Cornish winter, long after the fields have become too wet to work on.
Less surface lost and topped upA separating membrane and firm edging keep the surface in the arena and out of the stone, so it holds its depth, stays clean for longer and needs less work to keep it riding well.
Planning conditions met from the startDrainage, edging and fencing designed together make it straightforward to meet the conditions a council places on a new ménage.
How We Build Your Horse Arena
Survey the site.
We visit free of charge to look at the ground, the natural fall, access for machinery and where the drainage can discharge.
Agree the plan in writing.
Your written quote sets out the size, the drainage design, the base build-up and the edging, and we talk through the planning position before any work begins.
Excavate and level.
We strip the topsoil and dig to formation, with machine control on the excavator holding the levels and falls across the whole arena.
Lay the drainage and the base.
The drains go in, the membrane is laid and the stone base is spread and compacted in layers to its finished level.
Edge, check and hand over.
The edging goes in, the levels are checked across the arena, and we walk the finished base with you, ready for the surface.
Why Riders and Yards Choose Luna Maintenance
A new arena is a planning matter as well as a building job. A ménage on land not already in equestrian use usually needs planning permission, and councils commonly attach conditions to the surface, the drainage, the fencing and any lighting. We design the drainage and the edging with those conditions in mind from the first visit.
Groundworks specialists first. Drainage, sub-base and heavy machine work are the core of what we do, which is exactly the work an arena relies on.
The right machine for every stage. Our own 14-tonne excavator, with a rotating head and iDig machine control, digs to accurate levels, and our dumper and tractor move the stone.
We know the ground out west. Penwith granite, Lizard serpentine and the sandy ground around Hayle each drain differently, and we plan each arena for the ground it sits on.
Your Contractor: Ross Kitto
Ross Kitto leads our horse arena construction work. He brings 29 years in the trade and formed Luna Maintenance Ltd in 2023, and today he leads a close team of five based in Hayle. Arenas and stable yards are a core part of his farm and equestrian work, and he sees each one through from the site visit to the finished base.
Ross and the team are CPCS-carded on the plant and fully insured.
“Every detail of an arena matters, down to the smallest, and we deliver on every one of them,”
says Ross Kitto, director of Luna Maintenance Ltd.
Horse Arena Construction Across West Cornwall
What Your Arena Quote Covers
No two arenas cost the same, because the ground and the size change everything underneath. Your written quote sets out:
The surface you choose is a separate decision we can talk through with you. For a fuller picture of the drivers, read our guide on how much a ménage costs in Cornwall.
Horse Arena Questions
Do you build horse arenas and ménages?
How is a ménage drained?
Do I need planning permission to build a horse arena?
What surface should go on my arena?
Do you build stable bases and yards?
How long does it take to build a ménage?
Talk Through Your Arena Project
Planning a new ménage or a stable yard? We will walk the site with you, look at the ground and the fall, and set out how your arena would be built. The site visit and the written quote are free.
Call Ross on 07460 077745·Book a free site visit online
Based in Hayle, working across West Cornwall
Phone: 07460 077745
Email: office@lunamaintenanceltd.com
Hours: 7am to 7pm, 7 days a week
Last updated: 20 October 2026