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Riding with others in the arena

2K views 10 replies 10 participants last post by  Jan1975 
#1 ·
I've recently started part leasing a horse again - hes an 8 year old 16.2hh thoroughbred that the owner events. We're generally getting on really well and every ride we have some really great moments.

But one thing that Im struggling with is dealing with multiple riders in the arena.

In the past I've part leased, but the place was pretty quiet during the day - there would be a max of 2 horses in the arena pretty much. Similarly, I've taken private lessons with one or two other horses in the arena, and group lessons with up to 4 horses together. I was fine in those situation because you've either got someone giving you directions, or everyone was pretty much doing the same thing.

But the place where I'm part leasing now gets pretty busy, with maybe 5 riders in the arena all doing their own thing. I know the etiquette of passing left to left, give way to faster gait, lateral movements have priority etc.

But is there any etiquette around when you do those things - for example, if I want to do shoulder in up the longside of the arena, but someone is circling or lunging on a 20m circle at the other end, do I do it and stop early, or do I wait until they leave the circle, or do I just do my shoulder in? Same thing with things like serpentines etc. I find that I'm just going into the arena and staying on a circle for longer than I want to just because I'm worried about where the others are and what they're doing.

If anyone has any advice around this, or could tell me more about the etiquette that would be great :)

Its not a big deal, like I don't feel unsafe with the others around and I mentioned it to my instructor last week and she just laughed and said it was good practice for the warm up ring at competitions. But if anyone has advice on how to get more comfortable that would be great!
 
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#2 ·
I must admit I don't deal with other riders well. I rode up to the arena yesterday only to find two riders already there, so I decided to go for a quick ride up the drive instead. I like riding alone.

I have no idea about shoulder in etiquette. The places I have ridden haven't allowed lunging in arenas if in use which I think is good, lunging really takes up a portion of space in the way that a rider doesn't.

Then I guess you just have the outside track and inside track utilised for directional passes and figures done inside that.
 
#3 ·
For lunging it would depend on the handler and horse if I were to come into their circle or ride on the track around them. Some people are idiots when lunging. Something like a shoulder in I would probably stop early, or continue it through the corner depending who I am riding.

It's a lot of keeping your head up and be ready to transition or turn when someone else cuts into your path. Having a bigger arena helps.
 
#4 ·
I love it when the arena is packed, great exercise for you and your horse. Sometimes our coach has us practise cutting each other off (because this happens in the show pen) and seeing how we deal with it. Last lesson I had, another lady and I planned our lessons overlapping so we could cut each other off. She was being so polite, I yelled "Come on, do better than that!" Secret to not disrupting your ride while being severely cut off - curve your horse towards the fence. In a warm ring during a show, or even during a class, I yell at the person who is about to cut me off, "Hey, don't cut me off!" Works every time!
 
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#5 ·
The only reference to riding etiquette I remember reading was in Alois Podhajsky's book "The Complete Training of Horse and Rider" where he discussed the protocol practiced in the riding hall at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. Other riding facilities may have their own rules of etiquette, but I think most just expect people to stay out of each other's way.

I do also remember reading of the etiquette expected of those participating in hunting events.
 
#6 ·
In my arena 20 meter circles always give way to the rail, no matter the left to left. So if I were doing a shoulder-in on the right rein and someone was doing a 20 meter circle on the left rein, I expect to be given the rail. The only exception we have to that is if the 20 meter circle person is in a lesson, then we cut the arena short, wait, or ride through their circle in a manner that keeps out of their way. Serpentines are tough with others but if you were cutting across the arena and someone is on the rail, I would always either stop and wait (hey, transitions over centreline never hurt!) or I will turn early at the 3/4 line to stay out of the way of those on the rail. I would be very irked if I were doing a movement on the long side and then someone cut across the arena on a serpentine and expected me to give way to them.

As far as faster gaits getting right of way - I don't necessarily agree with that (it's really a personal thing, I know that's a rule at many facilities). Yes, if you are walking on a loose rein, definitely stay off the rail. However, if I am working piaffe on the rail on my right rein and someone comes towards me on the left, I would expect them to go around me. Same as if someone came up being me at the canter - go around. Sometimes you just need the rail. Ordinarily though I would work at the walk on the right rein on the 1/4 line so to stay off the rain. Left rein though, that rail is mine - left to left.

Then again I have a hulk of a 17.3hh WB who would run someone over if I asked him to - so I have a tendency to be perhaps a bit....pushier...if you will in the arena than if I had a smaller, meeker horse. Of course I obey the basic left-to-left etc etc rules of the arena but I'll be darned if you're getting me off my rail at the walk when I'm working on something just because you're cantering! (Unless you're in a lesson of course. Lesson always, always has priority!!)

That was a lot longer of a reply than was probably needed. But as others said, different arenas have different rules. Generally just keeping out of each other's way is best. Call out where you are headed if you see another rider headed that way too, or if you are coming up behind someone faster than they are moving. However, probably just best to ask the other riders or BO for clarification! :)
 
#8 ·
Hey guys. Thanks for all the answers. What you're saying (and what I suspected) is that a lot of it is just being confident with what you're doing and comfortable with others around.

I'll get there :) Last week I was riding with 2 others in the arena and for the most part didn't even notice them. Riding with others will be good for me - get my head up and looking around/where I'm going and not at the horse!
 
#11 ·
Our barn can get quite busy on the weekends and I just consider it really good practice. Everyone is on a first-name basis and really friendly, which helps a lot. There are plenty of "oops, sorry" situations but we work it out. Or, maybe I break a bunch of rules and I don't know it. :lol: The BO will often call out advice to the kids though about riding in crowds (like in one passed on the right between the horse & the wall), and I always listen to see if she's teaching something I didn't already know. Most of it seems to be common sense, though. It's very common to have two people lunging, sometimes even 3. However, most don't lunge for long so that is usually not the whole ride. I personally will just save serpentines, etc. until the ring is cleared out a bit. There are many times that I'm the only one in there.
 
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