Why are round pens only in America and Canada

just wondering as i have had a lot of people advise me on using a round pen when i have never seen on or heard of one here in ireland?

all we have are fields and arenas

No idea really since I'm the same with living in England but I think it's more to do with the different styles of riding as dressage is done in a rectangular arena and that's done in English style. In all honesty haven't got a clue.

yeah just thought it a bit odd that people find them so helpfull but we have lived without them for ever and survived

I think it's just the same as an arena but we have corners, lol. Personally I prefer a regular arena to a round pen, I have been in one or two but that may well be because I'm used to a arena.

They are not only in USA and Canada. Yeah, You can spot them mostly there, but they are also everywhere else, just not much. They are used usually in western-riding stables, but if you want them for whatever you want them, you can also use lungeing round arena.

They probably originated for bucking broncs to keep moving forward and to not get caught in a courner of the arena.... only thing I can think up of so far haha.

The only thing I can think of is that it's just a tool that was invented here, and as you said, is not necessary for training, so it hasn't spread over the big pond yet.

I definitely love my round pen though!

The barn I am currently at now, (have been here for 7 months) has a round pen, and I wouldnt EVER go to another barn without one. They are SO convenient, and just safer IMO.

i love my round pen too ! its easy to live with out them, but they can also be really helpful

I'm sure there are round encloseures used for working horses in Great Britain. In fact I talked to a clinician that has made several trips over there in the last 20 years and he said they are becoming more and more common. There is nothing hard about building one. Just build it least 2 meters tall and 20-25 meters in diameter.

I think orginally they were probably built for handling cattle and used for horses as needed. The first clinicians had roots in ranching and cowboying in the Great Basin area of western U.S. and brought the tools that they were used to using and that worked well.