Cleared and graded Ocala property with live oaks preserved, ready for pasture or arena work

Riding Arena Grading & Pasture Clearing in Ocala, FL

Arena pads laid flat and draining right, pastures reclaimed, fence lines opened back up.

Call (352) 480-6287 Get Your Estimate Today

Marion County is the horse capital of the world, and horse ground is held to a different standard than ordinary dirt work. An arena that holds water is not a cosmetic problem — it is a soundness problem, and the farm manager will know within one ride whether the base was built right.

We build arena pads, reclaim overgrown pasture, cut and clear fence lines, and grade paddocks that have gone uneven.

How an arena pad gets built

The footing gets all the attention, but the base underneath it decides whether the arena is usable after rain.

  1. Site it where water is not already going The cheapest drainage fix is not putting the arena in the low spot. Worth walking the property before the location is fixed.
  2. Strip and excavate Organics and topsoil off entirely. Anything left underneath breaks down and the surface goes uneven.
  3. Build and compact the sub-base Placed in lifts and compacted as it goes. This layer carries the load and it is the one nobody sees.
  4. Laser-grade the base Flat and true, with the slight consistent fall the surface needs to shed water.
  5. Drainage around the perimeter Water has to leave the arena and go somewhere sensible, or it comes back through the footing.
  6. Footing goes on last Placed to an even depth. Which footing material is your call and your trainer's — we build the base it sits on.

Farm and pasture work

We do
  • ✓Arena pads — base, grading and drainage
  • ✓Pasture reclamation from brush and scrub
  • ✓Fence line clearing and cross-fence paths
  • ✓Paddock levelling and filling old stump holes
  • ✓Round pen and run-in shed pads
  • ✓Farm road and gate approach work
  • ✓Removing old fencing, pens and derelict structures
Not our trade
  • ✕Supplying and installing footing material
  • ✕Fence construction — we clear the line, a fencing contractor builds it
  • ✕Barn construction
  • ✕Irrigation systems
  • ✕Agronomy, seeding and pasture management

Everything left behind matters more on horse ground. A stray piece of wire or a root left proud is a vet bill, so we clean up to a different standard on farm work.

Usually goes with

Most jobs need more than one

Freshly graded and leveled sand lot with heavy equipment track marks in Marion County, FL

Grading & Leveling

Low spots filled, high spots cut, water sent where it should go instead of toward your slab.

Grading and leveling in Ocala →
John Deere 200G excavator lifting a large root ball during land clearing in Ocala, Florida

Land Clearing

Wooded lots, overgrown acreage and homesites cleared down to workable ground — brush, palmetto, stumps and all.

Land clearing in Ocala →
Mulching head skid steer at the edge of dense overgrowth before forestry mulching in Ocala

Forestry Mulching

Underbrush ground into mulch where it stands. No burn pile, no hauling, and the ground is left protected.

Forestry mulching in Ocala →

Questions we get asked

Arenas & Pasture questions

Why does my arena hold water after rain?
Usually the base rather than the footing. If organics were not stripped, or the sub-base was not compacted in lifts, the surface settles unevenly and water collects in the dips. It can also be that the arena has no fall at all, or that water from higher ground is running into it. Adding more footing on top of a bad base is the expensive way to not fix it.
How much fall does an arena need?
A small, consistent one — enough to shed water, little enough that a horse cannot feel it. The important word is consistent: an even slight fall drains, while a dead-flat arena with dips holds water in every dip.
Can you reclaim pasture that has gone to brush?
Yes, and it is common work up around Citra, Reddick and Ocklawaha. Depending on how far gone it is, that is either mulching or full clearing, followed by grading out the stump holes and old ruts so it is safe to turn horses out on.
Do you install the footing?
No — we build and grade the base, and a footing supplier delivers and places the surface. Getting the base right is the part that determines whether the footing performs, and it is the part that is expensive to fix afterwards.
Will you clear my fence lines?
Yes, that is regular work out here. We cut and clear the line and haul off what comes out; a fencing contractor builds the fence. If you are replacing old fence we can pull the existing wire and posts out at the same time.

Where we work

Riding arena and pasture work across Marion County

Riding arena and pasture work in Silver Springs ShoresRiding arena and pasture work in Marion OaksRiding arena and pasture work in BelleviewRiding arena and pasture work in OcklawahaRiding arena and pasture work in SummerfieldRiding arena and pasture work in DunnellonRiding arena and pasture work in CitraRiding arena and pasture work in AnthonyRiding arena and pasture work in Silver SpringsRiding arena and pasture work in Fort McCoyRiding arena and pasture work in ReddickRiding arena and pasture work in The Villages

Free estimates

Get your estimate today

Tell us where the property is and what you need done. We'll call you back and come walk it with you — free, and no obligation either way.

Free, no obligation. We'll call you back to set a time to walk the property.