Equestrian LR

IMPROVE YOUR RIDING EXPERIENCE

At SmartShelters we’re able to rapidly design and construct covered equine arenas of the highest quality, enabling you to ride better (and smarter), sooner.

A straightforward & comprehensive arena covering solution.

  • Experienced in optimizing equine health
  • Creating a safe & quiet space for horses in harsh weather conditions
  • Very cost-effective
  • Rapid design and construction process
  • Clear span structure design eliminates internal obstacles or braces for total flexibility and future-proofing
  • We take care of the full process – design, consent, construction and completion
Horse Arena 1
Horse Arena 2

SAFE, COMFORTABLE AND DURABLE

At SmartShelters, we design our horse stables to optimise both the quality of your stables and the ease of managing them. Whether your needs call for free stalls, individual stalls, tack rooms, or storage, we engage you early in the design process to customise the size, structure, and components to suit any configuration. SmartShelters’ engineers use the highest quality materials in a controlled manufacturing environment, so your stables can be installed quickly and easily on site. This maximises farm productivity, while saving time and money.

SmartShelters understands the importance of appropriate shelter on a horse’s well-being. Our stables are built to stand up to year-round conditions in New Zealand while providing efficient air flow and ventilation, drainage, manure management, and top quality flooring to optimise equine health. Meanwhile, the ideal height clearance of our shelters makes cleaning and servicing stalls simple and easy.

By covering your horse arena, you will be able to:

    • Ride in all conditions
    • Enjoy greater levels of comfort in a well ventilated area that is cooler in summer and warmer in winter
    • Extend the life of your arena surface
    • Better settle your horses in a quiet, comfortable and well-lit environment

WHY SMARTSHELTERS ARE THE SMART CHOICE

100+ YEARS OF EXPERTISE

As New Zealand’s first shelter manufacturer, we bring over a century of experience. Our in-depth industry knowledge ensures you receive personalised support and the perfect shelter tailored to your needs.

PROUDLY NEW ZEALAND MADE

Built in Auckland to withstand New Zealand’s extreme weather conditions, our canopy shelters deliver trusted performance with local support and a fast turnaround. We’re here for the long term—offering quick repairs, expert service, and quality that can’t be beaten.

INDUSTRY-LEADING 12-YEAR WARRANTY

Our 12-year warranty is the longest in the market and covers both the container cover and frame against manufacturing defects. We use only premium materials to ensure durability and reliability under New Zealand conditions, giving you peace of mind that our container shade structures deliver long-term value.

ENGINEERED TO AUS/NZ 1170:2:2021

SmartShelters meet the latest engineering and industry standards, ensuring compliance with building codes and health and safety requirements. Designed for your exact location, whether in the far north or the deep south, our roofs for shipping container buildings provide quality shelter that you can depend on.

DURASTEEL - HIGH STRENGTH STEEL FRAMEWORK

We don’t cut corners on strength. Our main canopy hoop arches are built with premium C450-grade structural galvanised steel—square or rectangular profile—with a wall thickness of no less than 4mm. It’s engineered for maximum durability, with quality assurance that outperforms imported alternatives.

SMARTSHIELD® – THE WORLD’S BEST STRUCTURAL FABRIC

Exclusively available through SmartShelters, our SMARTSHIELD® structural fabric is the strongest and most robust shelter fabric on the New Zealand market. It’s 100% PVC-free and built for long-term performance in New Zealand’s toughest conditions. Don’t be misled by thickness alone—this premium-grade ripstop membrane is engineered for real strength, not just weight.

SMART RANGE – FLEXIBLE SIZES & CUSTOMISATION

SmartShelters offers the widest range of container shelters and canopies in New Zealand — with spans from 6m to 45m wide, any length, and multiple height options. As the only NZ manufacturer offering this level of quality and customisation for container domes, we make it easy to tailor your shelter to your exact requirements. Choose from an unmatched range of add-ons and upgrades to create a structure that grows with your needs.
Why SS Farming LR

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the minimum size covered arena that we can provide?

The traditional 20m x 40m size is the smallest dressage arena that we supply. We also offer a large dressage arena of 20 x 60m as a standard item.

Provided you meet those minimum dimensions of 20m x 40m, we can custom build a dressage arena to suit your needs. Whether you want a particular size to accommodate a greater number of riders, to fit within a specific area of your property, or to simply give yourself more room to move, we’ve got you covered.

Who are our covered arenas suited to?

At SmartShelters we’ve supplied dressage arenas to a wide variety of happy customers. We’ve built them for the Disabled trusts, riding schools and many individuals that simply have a deep passion for horses and enough room on their property to indulge that passion.

It’s important to note that our indoor riding arenas are exactly that – riding arenas. They feature a specialised dressage arena design that isn’t suitable for other uses, like an in-paddock shelter for your horses.

Covered dressage arena with stalls?

At SmartShelters we can design and construct a covered arena to suit your needs; 6m or 45m, open or fully enclosed, with side walls and end walls or without. Stalls aren’t able to be included in SmartShelters covered arenas, however.

What is a horse covered arena cost?

It’s important to view your covered arena not as a cost, but as the investment that it is – the right construction will provide equestrian riding cover, enabling you to ride more, while simultaneously extending the life of your arena surface.

That fact aside, covered arenas can be a wide variety of prices. There are a number of factors that will influence the price of your construction, including:

  • Width, length, height and overall square metreage
  • The layout of the design
  • Location factors that will affect the design (e.g. altitude, snow loading and wind ratings)
  • Ground conditions that will influence the design of the foundation
  • The site location (the more easily accessible the site, the lower the cost of construction)
  • The configuration of options (e.g. end walls, doors, side eaves, guttering, stalls etc.)
What is the largest size you can cover?

At SmartShelters we offer covered arena spans of up to an incredible 45m.

How high does an arena shelter need to be?

The ideal covered arena height will be one that allows for easy maintenance of the arena surface by allowing the appropriate machinery to fit inside. The right height is also one that offers enough room for riders who are riding close to the edge of the structure. 

SmartShelters covered arenas boast excellent height clearance, allowing for easy maintenance and appropriate room for riders, as well as greater airflow, keeping summer temperatures down and the arena surface dry.

What size is a standard dressage arena shelter?

A small dressage arena measures 20m x 40m, while a large, competition-level dressage arena measures 20m x 60m. At SmartShelters we offer arena shelters in these sizes and more.

How long does the fabric last for?

At SmartShelters we build our covered arenas with super strength membrane structure fabric, which is guaranteed to stay strong for a minimum of 12 years, even in high wind and high snow environments.

What is the warranty?

All SmartShelters covered arenas come with an industry-leading 12 year warranty.

What is the temperature inside a covered arena?

The combination of super strength membrane structure fabric construction and clever design means that you and your animal will enjoy temperate conditions inside even an open-sided arena shelter. SmartShelters covered arenas are commonly 3-4C cooler in the summer and 3-4C warmer in the winter when compared to uncovered arenas.

How quiet are SmartShelters in the rain?

Because of the inherent flexibility of the super strength membrane structure fabric, the energy from rain and wind is absorbed rather than echoed by our constructions. This makes a SmartShelters covered arena far quieter in the rain and wind than a traditional equivalent like metal, making it far easier to settle your horse and enjoy your ride.

How long do arena shelters last?

Thanks to the use of super strength membrane structure fabric, a long time. However, the length will depend on the exposed conditions of the construction.. But you can rest assured that all SmartShelters covered arenas come with an industry-leading 12 year warranty.

Contact a member of our experienced team today to discuss a truly smart shelter solution for your property.

Make the Smart Choice by Choosing SmartShelters

Protect what matters with New Zealand-made shelters built on 100 years of trusted expertise. Contact us today!

Ag Q2A2309 adjusted LR