How to Build a Round Pen With Slab Wood or Sticks

Round pens are extremely useful for training purposes, especially when working with young horses. They provide a safe place to work for both the horse and trainer. There are many ways to construct a round pen: steel-tubed gate panels, PVC panels, solid panels,or wood slab walls. If you have access to used wood, a wood slab fence is inexpensive to build.

Things You'll Need

  • Graduated stone
  • Sand
  • Stake
  • Rope
  • Tape measure
  • Saw
  • Drill
  • Screws
  • Wood slabs
  • 4-by-4 posts
  • 8 foot 2-by-6 boards
  • 2-by-4 boards
  • Two hinges
  • Gate latch
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Instructions

  1. Preparation

    • 1

      Clear and level the area where the round pen will be built.

    • 2

      Fill the area with 3 inches of small graduated stone for good drainage. Top the stone with fine dirt or sand.

    • 3

      Cut the wood slabs into 5-foot sections. These slabs will make the walls. Take the diameter of the pen times 3.14 to determine the circumference of your round pen. Divide that number by the width of your wood slabs to determine the number you will need to cut.

    • 4

      Find the center of your round pen. Mark it with a stake. Cut a piece of string half the length of the width of the circle. Attach it to the stake. This will guide you to mark the outside perimeter of the round pen--just like making a circle on paper with a compass.

    • 5

      Build a gate that will fit into the 6-foot opening you will create in the round pen. Use a 2-by-4 frame for the gate with wood slabs running vertical across the frame. (You can purchase the gate if you prefer.)

    Construction

    • 6

      Dig holes for the posts every 8 feet along the perimeter of the round pen (following the line you marked in the step above). Decide where the gate will be and place a post 6 feet from one of the other posts. This will leave a 2-foot space between two other posts. The 2-foot space will be filled with wood slabs. Place the 4-by-4 posts in the holes 3 feet deep. Back fill and tamp the dirt around the posts.

    • 7

      Screw a 2-by-6 between two of the 4-by-4 posts. This board should be level with the top of the posts and on the inside of the posts. Repeat this procedure all the way around the perimeter, leaving one section open for a gate. This will be your top header. Placing the header on the inside of the posts will add strength to the round pen in case a horse pushes on the wall.

    • 8

      Screw a 2 by 6 between two of the 4-by-4 post. This board should be level with the bottom of the posts and on the inside of the posts. Repeat this procedure all the way around the perimeter, again leaving the same section open for a gate. This will be your footer.

    • 9

      Screw a 5-foot wood slab parallel to the post into the 2-by-6 top header and bottom footers. The wood slab should be screwed into the header and footer on the inside. Place a second 5-foot wood slab next to the first and attach it to the header and footer. Repeat this procedure all the way around the perimeter of the round pen, except for the gate opening.

    • 10

      Attach the the gate using the two hinges to one side of the section that does not have a footer and header board. Use the gate latch to attach it at the other side.