We plan to build a round pen in the spring-didn't quite get to that part of the list this summer. I'm thinking in the 45 foot range. 40 seems to be a minimum, while I'v seen 60' and think that's WAY to big. Wachyall think?

Thanks,

--Mike

For starting colts I prefer a 30' with about 35'max. When things go wrong, and they will sooner or later if you get on enough colts, that 35' that seemed so small earlier will seem plenty big now. A person really needs 2 one in the 30' range and another as big as you have room for. Thats my perfect world though. I'm sure others will have different ideas and theirs are just as valid as mine, thats just the way I like to do things.

I never thought about that. How are they made?

Us English riders like 20 meter circles.

I would agree with Hold'Em. 35 to 40' is plenty big. By the way, some of the best round pens I've seen are built with old tires.

Round pens using tires can be made in a variety of ways. I have seen one that was merely stacked tires with no means of support. It did collapse after a few years. Some are supporedt by cables others are stacked on poles. The key is to keep all means of support away from the inside surface. My round pen is quite small, probably 22', but it has worked okay for me. I used some salvaged planks and built it almost water-tight because I did not want the colt to be able to see through a gap in the planks and be distracted by other horses. The crowding alley that leads to my cattle squeeze chute makes up one third of the wall and there is a small man-sized escape door that takes me into the area of the squeeze chute. I have never had to escape from a horse (but you never know), however, I also use the round pen to mother-up two-year-old heifers after they've calved and you sometimes have to get away from them in a hurry.