Perhaps you can post on CL for somebody who might want it and can remove it. Need to consider whether removal might disturb land and whether you can live and restore yourself. I posted free sago palms, which were a bear to remove, and taker left a hole where sago was. I was happy to refill myself

Thanks -that is a good idea

Have they put down a special surface?

What size and shape is the training ring?

No to the special surface. I am not sure about the ring.

I see -thanks

Sounds like a great opportunity. If the ring is nothing more than posts, fence rails, and gates, a crew could pull that out in 2 days. It will then be a blank slate...plant yourself an orchard!

an orchard sounds amazing

It does...and I'm jealous having to make-do with my 1+ acre. :-)

You could always plant it even if you leave the fence in place but yeah, no biggy to take the fence out. Frankly if you planted trees on it even if it was a dressage ring (sand), it probably would go back to natural pretty quickly.

I guess we would need a riding lawn mower? Or even a small tractor? We want trees -but I imagine that will take a while.

I did something similar ... 20 acres, with an old round ring ... the round ring was made of old wood and was falling apart anyways. We took it down and had a bonfire.

I've planted many specimen trees around the farm. I found a local company that sold bare root trees in the early spring that were brought down from Canada. They are cheaper than balled trees and easier to plant.

Are you planning on mowing the entire 5 acres? That's a lot of work. I have about 1.5 acres around the house mowed, the other cleared acres (about 15 acres are woods) are fields that I have a local farmer brush-hog at least once a year.

You will at least need a riding lawn mower.

Thanks this is very helpful. I don't want to keep it clear -but it is in a neighborhood of sorts so I can just let it go. IF we buy it we will need some advice on how to let part of it go natural without it looking bad during the transition.

Buy a pony instead, and use the ring!!!

Terrible idea, elpaso.

A pony would add to your problems. Horses are for people who love horses and therefore don't mind all the nonsense they do : )

Most training rings have a lot of sand and a base material put down, like a road bed. Can you ask the sellers about the surface?

I can, I suspect it hasn't been used in a while.

We bought a farm with a quarter mile oval track, and although we had horses we ended up fencing off part of it off for pasture. The soil under the oval must have been treated with something, because I had difficulty with trees surviving when planted right in the lane. So you might want plant a few test trees before investing in the whole orchard. I would recommend getting a small flock of sheep (not goats, they're very different) if you're interested in low maintenance animals who will help keep the grass trimmed. Good luck with your purchase!

We decided against that one. But we are still looking. Often houses that have the land we want -are set up for horses -so this is still relevant. Thanks for your comments