Arrive Compete Leave...

[stormox]

With this being the advice at most events these days, how long before an event do you think it is acceptable to arrive? One or 2 have said do not arrive earlier than 1/2 hour before your time but I am finding after a long journey (usually places are 2 hours from me) and an excitable green horse who needs time to settle this isnt nearly enough. Ive barely relaxed from the journey, been to loo, tacked up and its time for my turn..... there was no time to properly warm up and the horse behaved like a d***head.
Is it acceptable to get there an hour before? Thoughts please.....

 

[Flicker]

Depends on the horse, venue, what’s the lowest risk. Couple of venues near me are hackable so I would do warm up on the way and turn up just before my class. Some venues might be fine allowing longer warm-up. Some may not be. I guess the decision also sits with you whether your horse’s circumstances fit the expectations of the venue. If not, maybe don’t go or wait until you can do it more safely.

 

[Tiddlypom]

How can you be ready to trot down the centre line 30 mins after arriving?

Human wee stop, tack up, find dressage warm up area, actual warm up...

I used to arrive 1.5 hours before my test to allow time to prepare, with 40 mins of that spent in the saddle. If limited to 30 mins between arriving and test, I’d jog on, that is not practical or indeed very safe.

 

[Trouper]

If you are paying to compete I would take as much time as you need to prepare properly - especially if you are riding a youngster for whom it is as much of a training session as a competition. Just don't hang about afterwards.

 

[Xmasha]

Ive seen one local venue actually state arrival time, warmup time, compete time and cool down time. I know its unprecedented times, and we should be grateful just to get out, but this just puts me off. ( plus you dont get your sheets or rosettes )

Im sticking to hacking out/farm rides clinics for now.

 

[eggs]

I think some of it will depend on how many are allowed into the warm up arena - think it is 6 for BD ? - so a little over 30 minutes for warm up. I don't think it should be a problem to get to the venue early provided your horse will stand quietly on the trailer/lorry and you stay in the car/cab as much as possible. Before these strange times I would aim to arrive an hour before my test to give myself time to have a loo stop, sort out where the arenas are, tack up etc. I don't think it would go down well if you were riding/leading your horse around for sometime before you could go down to the warmup but I don't see that it should be a problem to arrive earlier than 30 minutes before my test.

It might be worth holding off competing until your horse is more settled if it is an issue as it won't be much fun if you are both getting stressena

 

[milliepops]

is it 30 mins before your test time or 30 mins before your warm up time? some venues here are allocating time you can start in the warm up arena and I'd be happy with 30 mins to get ready for that.

I'm not planning on competing at the moment though, everything i was aiming at has been cancelled so I'm just arena hiring.guess you can ask the organisers about having more time...but if I thought my horse wouldn't cope with the time restrictions I'd put off competing until it was a bit more relaxed.

 

[stormox]

is it 30 mins before your test time or 30 mins before your warm up time? some venues here are allocating time you can start in the warm up arena and I'd be happy with 30 mins to get ready for that.

I'm not planning on competing at the moment though, everything i was aiming at has been cancelled so I'm just arena hiring.guess you can ask the organisers about having more time....

It was actually a riding club clinic that stated dont arrive more than 1/2 hr before you time. They have said the same about a dressage show they are holding in 2 weeks time. But I assumed that rule would apply to all events now, especially as SJ is also going to have time slots from now on.

 

[ihatework]

I think for lessons 30 mins in advance is fine, because you can warm up at the beginning of the lesson.

For shows there will be a restriction on the number of people in the warm up, so I imagine they mean 30 mins in the warm up before your competition time.

 

[stormox]

In a lesson I like to make it worth my while and learn from the instructor, not spend 20 mins trying to get my rather silly mare to stop spooking at noises and upsetting the other horses. I usually like to arrive at least an hour before the start time. My horse doesnt know the difference between lessons and competitions, same venues, orher horses.... WAHAY LETS PARTY

 

[sport horse]

If you cannot cope with the permitted times then do not go. I produce young horses and we are not taking them out competing at the moment for that very reason. We will be doing course hire when we are ready.

 

[ohmissbrittany]

Think I'll just wait TBH. I hate feeling rushed, it winds me and my horse up and I would rather have a nice time for the money and effort...

 

[daffy44]

The venues I have looked at have said the warm up must be no longer than 30mins, but nothing about the actual time of arrival, so I am planning to compete my older horse who is very happy and ready to go after a 30min warm up, but I'm not taking my younger horse out just yet to compete, instead we are going to do clinics and arena hires etc so he is not rushed.

 

[Kat]

In a lesson I like to make it worth my while and learn from the instructor, not spend 20 mins trying to get my rather silly mare to stop spooking at noises and upsetting the other horses. I usually like to arrive at least an hour before the start time. My horse doesnt know the difference between lessons and competitions, same venues, orher horses.... WAHAY LETS PARTY

Most clinicsI have been to don't have a separate warm up area though so you can't do much before your slot.

30 mins before would be plenty of time to go to the loo, tack up, hop on, walk to the arena and be ready and waiting to go in when the previous person is finished.

I agree that I would want longer for a competition. Dressage I aim to get on about 30 minutes before my test so normally arrive an hour before.

I would check for each event, I have seen different rules even at the same venue depending upon the event and organisation.

 

[MissTyc]

It was actually a riding club clinic that stated dont arrive more than 1/2 hr before you time. They have said the same about a dressage show they are holding in 2 weeks time. But I assumed that rule would apply to all events now, especially as SJ is also going to have time slots from now on.

Our RC clinics you aren't allowed on site until 15 min before you start time, but for a clinic it's OK as we warm up in the same arena anyway.

I find driving the horsebox quite mentally tiring so I do need a little while between arriving and riding at competitions. I guess we'll get used to the new haste, but I decided I don't feel like competing at the moment. It's a hobby for me and part of the joy is watching and hanging around, so I don't really feel like joining in if I can't make a special day of it ...

 

[stormox]

Our RC clinics you aren't allowed on site until 15 min before you start time, but for a clinic it's OK as we warm up in the same arena anyway.

I find driving the horsebox quite mentally tiring so I do need a little while between arriving and riding at competitions. I guess we'll get used to the new haste, but I decided I don't feel like competing at the moment. It's a hobby for me and part of the joy is watching and hanging around, so I don't really feel like joining in if I can't make a special day of it ...

Thats exactly how I feel, I need to make it worth my while driving for over an hour andI find driving the trailer stressfull so like to unwind, loo, cuppa, horse munching her hay and looking out...tack up at my leisure, lunge if needed... a nice stress free enjoyable day out with my mates!!

 

[criso]

If driving only thing that could happen is having allowed plenty of time for traffic, getting lost and other such disasters, having a perfect drive and ending up there much too early though in that circumstances hopefully it would be acceptable to sit in your lorry for a bit.

Hacking is fine as I know how long it takes to get to a venue and having done most of my warm up en route, just need the final prep however I could see a situation where people from the same yard don't want to hack on their own so unless their times are close together one would be early and the other hanging about waiting to go.