Equestrian services
Equestrian work, built around horses.
Paddock fencing and gates, hedges and ditches, stables and field shelters, and arenas, manèges and round pens. Safe for horses and solid enough for East Anglian winters.
Equestrian Services
Boundaries and groundwork for paddocks and yards.
Horses are hard on everything around them. They lean on rails, chew timber, churn up gateways and find any weak spot in a boundary. Equestrian work has to be built with that in mind, and it suits the groundwork-first way we already work.
Whether it is a single paddock behind the house or a whole yard, we plan the job around your horses so they are moved as little as possible.
- Post and rail paddock fencing and field gates
- Hedge planting, cutting back and ditch clearing
- Bases and hardstanding for stables and field shelters
- Arenas, manèges and round pens, from dig-out to surface
- Old fencing, spoil and arisings taken away
The detail
How we do it.
The parts of the job that don’t show in the photos, but make all the difference over time.
Horse-safe details
Rails on the field side, no sharp edges and no protruding fixings. Small things that prevent injuries.
Planned around your horses
We work in sections and agree with you which areas need to be clear and when, so horses can stay turned out where possible.
Drainage first
Mud is the enemy in an East Anglian winter. Gateways, bases and arenas are all built to shed water.
Posts that stay put
Rails and gates are only as strong as the posts holding them. Ours go in deep and solid.
Ground left tidy
Old fencing, spoil and cuttings are taken away, and any ground we have crossed is made good.
Permissions flagged early
Arenas, stables and many field shelters need planning permission. We raise it at the start so it doesn’t hold up the job.
01 / Equestrian
Equestrian fencing & gates
Post and rail is the standard for paddocks for good reason: it is strong, easy for horses to see and kind to them when it is built properly. We fix the rails on the field side of the posts, so a horse leaning on the fence pushes against the post rather than the nails, and we keep everything free of sharp edges and protruding fixings.
Gates get heavier posts, set deeper, so they hang true and keep closing cleanly year after year, even with horses leaning on them.
- Two, three and four rail post and rail
- Post and rail with horse-safe mesh where needed
- Timber field gates, yard gates and pedestrian gates
- Replacement rails, posts and gate repairs
- Old fencing and wire taken out and removed
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Hedges & ditches
Hedges make great shelter and boundaries for horses, as long as they are kept in check and free of anything poisonous. We cut back overgrown hedges, plant new native hedging and gap up thin ones, steering clear of plants such as yew.
Blocked ditches are one of the main reasons fields and gateways turn to mud. We clear the silt and growth so water can drain away again, and take all the arisings with us.
- Hedge cutting and reshaping
- New native hedge planting and gapping up
- Ditch clearing and re-profiling
- All cuttings and spoil removed
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Stables & field shelters
A stable block or field shelter is only as good as the ground it stands on. We build level concrete bases with a slight fall so water and wash-down run away from the building, plus aprons in front of the doors so the entrance doesn’t turn into a bog.
We can also put down hardstanding for gateways, tracks and feed areas, build brick plinths, and clear away old buildings and bases before the new one goes up.
- Concrete bases for stable blocks and field shelters
- Concrete aprons and yard areas
- Hardstanding for gateways, tracks and feed areas
- Brick plinths and dwarf walls
- Removal of old buildings and bases
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Arenas, manèges & round pens
A good manège rides well in all weathers because of what is underneath it. We dig out and level the area, put in drainage and a membrane, build up a compacted stone base, then fit kickboards and lay the riding surface you choose.
The most common size is 20 x 40 metres, which suits most flatwork and schooling. Dressage needs 20 x 60 metres, and round pens are usually 15 to 20 metres across. We will help you pick the right size for your land and the work you do.
- Excavation, levelling and spoil removal
- Drainage, membrane and stone base
- Kickboards and post and rail perimeter fencing
- Sand, sand and fibre or rubber surfaces
- Round pens and lunge pens
- Resurfacing and repairs to existing arenas
Usually, yes. Arenas and permanent stables normally need planning permission, and so do many field shelters. Mobile field shelters on skids often don’t, but it depends on how they are used. Check with your local council before work starts. We can give you the sizes and construction details you need for an application.
A 20 x 40 metre arena is the most common and suits most flatwork and schooling. Dressage needs 20 x 60 metres. If space is tight, a smaller arena or a round pen can still be very useful. We will look at your ground and talk it through.
Yes. We plan the work in sections and agree with you which areas need to be clear and when, so your horses are disturbed as little as possible.
Birds nest in hedges from roughly March to August, and it is an offence to damage an active nest. We plan major hedge cutting for autumn and winter, and check carefully before doing any work during the nesting season.
Many ditches in Norfolk and Suffolk are looked after by an internal drainage board or the Environment Agency, and some work on them needs consent. We will help you check before we start.
Also from C.H.L
Other services
Fencing & Garden Walls
Panel and closeboard fencing on concrete or timber posts, gates, and brick garden walls built to stand up to the weather.
Find out morePatios & Decorative Paving
Porcelain, sandstone and slate patios, paths and edging, laid on a proper sub-base with the right fall for drainage.
Find out moreBrickwork & Concrete Bases
Solid, level bases for sheds, garden rooms, oil tanks and hot tubs, plus piers, steps and general brickwork.
Find out moreWaste Removal & General Maintenance
Site clearance, old fence and shed removal, cutting back and tidy-ups. We take it all away.
Find out moreTell us what you have in mind.
Call, text or WhatsApp with a rough idea of the job, and a couple of photos if you have them. We will come back to you to arrange a visit and a free, written quote.