Projects

There is no end to projects on a farm. Our projects started when we bought the place and knew some major construction was in order to make of it what we wanted. I started talking to builders in January. Three were in the running, but I narrowed it down to Bud Carpenter Inc. Bud and Ernie were friendly, local and very helpful throughout the process.

Bud put me in touch with an excavator, Moe Dubois at Redline Unlimited. He came over in freezing temperatures and lots of snow to take measurements and make a plan for the spring. The original plan was to attach the indoor to the barn, but there was really only one side it could go on because of setbacks and spacing. After determining that it would require over ten feet of fill, which would be prohibitively expensive not to mention look ridiculous next to the house, we scrapped that idea.

Plans were changed and we looked into putting the building on the other side of the property near where the original outdoor was. We have a lot of open space, but unfortunately most of it is sloped and every spot we looked at would require large amounts of fill and a lot of work to make level. We wanted to try to fit it in so that at least part of the original outdoor would be preserved so we would have a place to ride during construction and leave room for a regulation size dressage arena to be finished at a later date. Well, we also have an oddly shaped lot and had to work around setbacks, a power pole and lines both above and below ground.

Plans changed again and we decided to take up a good portion of the original outdoor and put in the new outdoor at the same time. That way we would have a real arena to ride in during construction. Now it was just time to wait for spring.

Before

The new outdoor went in without a hitch and was great to ride in. However, when they started digging for the indoor they hit ledge. Our choices were to blast through it or change the location of the indoor yet again. There was no saving the old outdoor at this point so we just planned to put the indoor right over it. Which also meant putting it over the underground power line running diagonally beneath the outdoor to our house. Emergency meetings were set up with an electrician to find out if we could even do that. Turns out that as long as we moved out meter to the new building it wasn’t a problem.

Time to start construction. When the builders came the first day they quickly realized that the way the site work was laid out meant that one of the vertical posts of the building would go right through that underground power line, so we moved the building back another two feet. Drilling commenced for the posts, and when they got to the far short side drilled a hole right through the neighbors’ water line which runs through our property! There was nothing to do but move the building forward the distance between the holes, eight feet. Fortunately that was the last time we had to move it!

At that point, with a big sigh of relief, things went along pretty smoothly and I had to coordinate lighting and footing. The footing was another adventure. I had originally thought to put in a sand and rubber mix, but ultimately decided that I didn’t want to fight with dust all the time. Fast forward after getting a couple of quotes, multiple samples, dealing with trucking issues after a major hurricane, and coordinating delivery with Moe’s schedule I ended up with Litestride by IGK Equestrian, a wax coated sand mixed with fibers. Completely dust free and low maintenance, it is wonderful to ride on.

After

In the end, I went over budget and was a couple of months behind, but it worked out. I learned a lot in the process. Mostly that I don’t like general contracting and that you get what you pay for. My contractors were all wonderful. Nothing was done inexpensively, but my arenas are level, will never have drainage issues, and it all looks like it has been here forever. I also haven’t had to lift a finger on my footing that has been ridden on for a month and a half. I am glad that it is all done. Now it’s time to enjoy it!