The Pursuit of Excellence in a Fabric Covered Building

The Rafter TK Ranch riding arena in Coldstream, British Columbia - 72' X 180' Arch Design

Call it a blessing, passion, or the pursuit of excellence; the love for horses knows no bounds with Ted and Kari Scott of Goldstream, British Columbia. Living proof of their commitment began in 1985 with the creation of Rafter TK Ranch. Over the years the couple has crafted a hands-on training program working with their own horses as well as those of a large clientele.

Through their reputation and training program, their show success grew tremendously and has produced numerous champion show horses. The next step in their business growth was the acquisition of an indoor riding arena. "Winter in the Okanagan Valley is not outdoor riding weather," says Ted Scott. "Hauling or boarding horses at a nearby indoor facility for five months of the year was part of our normal winter regime." The building that became a fixture on the Rafter TK Ranch was a 72' x 180' fabric building. "We rode in a lot of different arenas to train and show, so we were familiar with the pros and cons of different arena styles," says Scott. ''When we walked into a fabric arena, we knew we had found the right building. The natural light, ventilation and wide open space provided a feeling of not being enclosed at all!"

Once the Scott's had decided on the size and location for their riding arena, the building was ordered and installed in only five weeks. The couple customized the arena with roll up sidewalls along the 180' length of the building and six large windows on the end walls to capture the stunning view of the surrounding hills. An additional ten stalls were also constructed inside one end of the arena.

"We installed lights so we could ride at night. The cost for lighting was minimal due to the highly reflective quality of the fabric covering. It has enabled us to give a wide variety of evening clinics. The building has added a whole new dimension to our training program," says Scott
 

"The arena has revolutionized our summer riding as well. We used to restrict our riding time to prevent sun burning our show horse coats and noses.

Now we can train in a naturally lit cool environment under the noonday sun with no risk of sunburn or exhausting ourselves from heat exposure. On the average it's usually 10 to 15 degrees cooler inside the fabric building on a hot day, plus we have the added bonus of a breeze through the rolled up side walls," says Scott.

"The arena has attracted a lot of attention and our training program has grown. Everyone who steps into this arena is genuinely impressed. The horses are happy and our clients really like how well their horses settle into training here."

"We could not be happier with this building and the service that has gone with it. As a matter of fact we are looking at building another fabric for our breeding operation," says Scott. The pursuit of excellence continues!

The arena is customized with roll up sidewalls along the 180' length of the building.

"The arena has attracted a lot of attention and our training program has grown.  Everyone who steps into this arena is genuinely impressed," says Scott.

Ten stalls were constructed inside one end of the arena.