The covered arena at Gwandalan Stables.
A look inside Gwandalan Stables
We catch up with Scone-based FEI dressage rider, trainer and coach Robyne Smith, who runs Gwandalan Stables in conjunction with the family dairy farm. While both businesses have very different requirements, the need for quality infrastructure is one thing they have in common!
By Equestrian Life
Like most of us, Robyne Smith is spending a little more time at home than usual. The Scone-based FEI dressage rider, trainer and coach has scaled back lessons due to coronavirus and without competitions to attend, is focussing her attention on training her horses. And calving 800 cows.
Gwandalan Stables is a little different to the average equestrian property, in that it’s also home to a dairy farm. Robyne and her husband took up residence in 1990, and have developed the equestrian and dairy facilities from scratch over the last 30 years.
Infrastructure has been developed by the couple and added over time. Robyne explains that the equestrian facilities began modestly with an outdoor arena that sufficed for 15 years. However, every dressage rider dreams of a covered arena — and ten years ago Robyne brought that dream to life. When the time came to build, she took her ideas to Young-based shed manufacturer ABC Sheds — and she couldn’t be happier with the results.
“They were fantastic; really efficient. The shed for the dressage arena was built in 10 days!” recalls Robyne. The finished product, which incorporates a 60m x 20m arena plus stables, is impressive. “It’s 66 metres long in total. I put an extra bay on the end of the arena, so you can ride in and out without getting wet when it’s raining. Off the side, there is an eight metre skillion shed, which includes a breezeway and 5m x 6m stables.”
The arena shed, pictured here not long after construction, incorporates a 60x20m arena, stables and truck parking.
Tips learnt along the way
Of course, when it comes to indoor arenas and stables, everyone has their own requirements — and sometimes these requirements come to mind during the construction process! Robyne explains that ABC Sheds were very accommodating and were more than happy to make amendments to the design along the way to ensure a result that met her requirements.
“I originally wasn’t going to have a sliding door at the southern end; it was going to be a complete wall. I went to a girlfriend’s place one day and the arena was really, really hot. I thought ‘It’s so hot and humid in here, we need some airflow!’ We were in the planning stage then, so I rang ABC Sheds about adding a door. They said, ‘No problem, we’ll do that.’”
The sliding door (in the centre) at the southern end can be opened to allow for air flow when required.
The northern end of the arena is open.
“At the end of my breezeway, where the stables are, initially I didn’t put a door. Then, when the shed was three quarters built, I said, ‘Where am I going to put my manure pile?’ My husband and I didn’t think of that! So we really needed a door at the end, so that we could put the manure pile out the back and not have to walk too far. ABC Sheds just said, ‘Let’s put a roller door in there, so you can just lift it up and go out when you need to, and then close it up when it’s bad weather.’”
The stables are part of the skillion shed off the side of the arena; the roller door provides quick and easy access to the muck heap!
“Finally, with the stables half built, we decided we wanted to put some insulation in the roof to keep that section a bit cooler in summer and a bit warmer in winter. It also stops that condensation dripping that happens on frosty mornings… you don’t don’t get any of that now!” says Robyne.
The roofing above the stable section features insulation.
Robyne was so pleased with the indoor arena and stables, that when came to building infrastructure for the dairy farm, she and her husband again turned to ABC Sheds. A calf shed soon followed, and two years ago they built a 50m x 30m hay shed. They’ve been thrilled with their additions to the dairy farm, and are certainly making use of the hay shed!
The calf shed.
The hay shed.
Robyne points out that once you have a lot of sheds on the property, it’s important to make sure you’re using the roof space to collect valuable rainwater. With the hay shed and indoor arena now hooked up to a 250,000-litre rainwater tank at the back of the stables, Robyne estimates that they can collect 3000 litres per one millimetre of rain that falls — so in a normal rainfall year, they are well and truly set!
Making the most of lockdown
The covered arena is the centre of Gwandalan Stables…. and it’s where Robyne is currently spending much of her ‘lockdown’ time. When you spend every day at home making use of your property’s infrastructure, it certainly becomes apparent how important it is to think carefully about design and build quality!
Like all of us, Robyne is looking forward to seeing the tail of covid-19 — however as she explains, there has been a silver lining in terms of training. “I seem to have a lot more time; I can just take my time to do my training. It’s nice, actually, having no pressure to be ready for competitions. I think that’s probably good for everyone who is sitting around at home, wishing there were competitions… this has been a golden opportunity for people just to concentrate on their training.”
Robyne’s last competition was Willinga Park’s Dressage by the Sea, where she took Deborah Fulwood’s Gwandalan Snowman in the Small Tour and her own Gwandalan Luca in Medium Tour. By the end of lockdown, Robyne is hoping that Luca will be ready to step out at Grand Prix level!
Robyne and Gwandalan Snowman at Dressage by the Sea.
© Roger Fitzhardinge
“I’ve then got my young horse called Lord Larry, whom I imported from Europe two years ago. He’s now Novice but training Elementary/Medium. He’s really, really nice; 16.3hh and a really nice mover. He has a beautiful temperament. He’s my next big thing I hope!”
Lord Larry and Robyne.
© Roger Fitzhardinge
We look forward to seeing Robyne out and about with her team post-covid, and wish her all the best with her training! If anyone is using their lockdown time to plan for future property improvements, you can find out more about ABC Sheds’ covered dressage arenas, stables, hay sheds and farm sheds here.
The covered arena and stables are used every day Gwandalan Stables.
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