Collecting Ring etiquette

HORSE Mag

HORSE Mag

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In the June issue of Horse, we will be taking a look at collecting ring etiquette.

Do you have a pet hate in the collecting ring? Is there a rule that nobody else seems to follow?

Has another competitor’s warm-up behaviour ever made your blood boil, and did you complain to the organiser about it? What do you think is the best way of handling these situations?

Please email jennifer_hughes@ipcmedia.com with your stories.
 
Oh my word - light the blue touchpaper and stand well back......
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Ok I shall write a little list and others can add on!!!
1 - Class not having order visible to everyone
2 - The warm-up being small and about 20 people all trying to warm-up at the same time (ie please limit it to say 6 people!)
3 - Height of practice fences being huge and then left that height
4 - People jumping the practice fence the wrong way
5 - People not abidding by "left hand to left hand" rule

And I shall stop there!!!
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Just a small 1?? Re the left hand to left hand, i can agree with this up to a point but i also think common sense should come into it rather than sticking to this rule religiously as it can cause swerving and just as many people crashing.
 
People trotting around and not looking where they going because they are looking down at their horses neck.

People who stop their horses on the outside track to adjust their stirrups / natter to their mates etc etc

Both of these irritate me, but worst are those who either have a lesson from their trainer in the warm up, or hog the practice fence.
 
I must say it would be good to have the next 6 warming up but on the other hand one of my horses needs walking for 15/20 mins and a good warm up and this way he couldnt do that !
 
MM that is good point about common sense but some people just ride round on outside track both ways
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F your suggestions are very ture as well
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My pet hate is people who bring their youngsters to the show.... with absolutely no intention of competing. They use the usually very small warm-up to get their own horse used to a 'competition atmosphere'... riding round on an often badly behaved, red ribbon wearing lunatic, taking up the entire arena. They use the warm up jump as a schooling exercise and ignore those of us who are actually there to compete. All competitors now riding in the warm up have to use all their skills to circum-navigate said bucking bronco... and go in to jump/do their test totally unprepared!!
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People generally assuming everyone has a groom with them, for instance:

people (normally parents) putting up fences way (like 9 inches!) above what is going on in the ring, solution, stand pony in front so they can't jump it unless they feel like going over a 14.2 aswell.

no I actually asked them nicely first then mention it to steward.

people who go to change fences without even glancing round to see if anyone is aiming at them.

I think all centres should have a short list of basic warm up arena rules pinned on the wall and then everyone knows where they stand and many of the younger ones are still learning.

I thought it was left hand to left hand unless you are walking and then you are supposed to take inside or outside track can't remember.

Fully viewable class list as mentioned.



people who insist they need the gate closed even though they are adults on horses and are warming up for dressage. Its ok if they are nice horse friendly gates but ones tied up with a lead rope that I would need to get of for. They are ok they just get their helpers to do it.

I just don't get it if you can't keep your horse in a fenced arena should you really be competing it. what do they do in the summer on grass-at lower levels fine for kids on nappy ponies I accept that.

After this weekend people who put a red ribbon on their horses tail and then 'collect' next to the SJ arena miles away from the edge with its arse in the way of everyone trying to give it a wide berth. Politely asked that if it was likely to kick could she put it in a more suitable position- which she was happy to.

Sometimes I think people genuinely aren't thinking and a polite request usually does the trick, sometimes people are doing it (ie jump putting up intentionally) in which case I try a polite request, or suggest it should be put down before approaching steward if I see fit.

People who walk round in pairs chatting taking up lots of a small arena.

People who wander (on horse or on foot) across the front of jumps without looking.

Jumping the wrong way

Organisers at summer shows who provide 2 practice fences in a tiny space to service a wh ring, tiny tots sj and main sj ring and say you can't put another fence up off the trailer because of health and safety!

That'll give you something to play with am sure to think of a few more. I do try not to get too stressed before competing!
 
Bubblegum when we hire venues for our RC events, we have a strict rule on that, numbers must be worn at all time so we know you are competing if not questions will be asked.
 
... people who don't pass left to left, walk or stop on the outside track, cut up lateral work ... And most of all those who come too close - had one last year who past left to left but so close that our stirrups clonked together!
 
what a great idea.... i really wish more events did this. Have to say... its only at unaff that this happens ... but it REALLY irritates me!!
 
I hate warming up, no one seems to know the rules. I usually end up asking people to give me more room as they ride so close and my horse hates horses getting too close, then to top it all off they still ride up your horses bum ignoring all polite requests.
 
There is one pro eventer who rides his horses straight at you, even in a huge field, he does it to teach his horses not to get upset by others. What about the fact he has just upset my horse!
 
Catembi once got smacked across the face *really* hard by a long dr whip at Harold's Park. I was on the outside track so couldn't go anywhere to get away from her. Oh yes, let's all put our long whips in our outside hands then trundle along whacking oncoming horses across the face... She was a large & miserable middle aged woman... & o/h wouldn't let me say anything cos I was too angry to be civil.

I've had the stirrup clang thing too...ffs, I was on a strapping 17 hh grey ISH at the time, so hardly invisible...
 
People generally just not paying any attention to other people and people but i have to say people who religously stick to the left to left rule are a real pain, when there's people jumping its just not always possible to pass left to left and what about if you're walking round on the inside track, someone's cantering towards you and also one cantering past you. Some people just seem to have no idea how to respect other peoples space. I also really hate it when people ride in to your horse so cos they can't stop theres any other way, oh and people who go right to the end of the arena to jump the practice fence. AND people who stand right in the way when you're trying to get in or out of the ring. I DO NOT like warming up Especially i've found at either unaff or amateur bsja up to 1m sorry but its just my experience
 
Ditto people not noticing lateral work (which takes precedence over canter in the dressage warmup, sorry to all the little girls whizzing around
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People calling "gate" and just plain wandering into an indoor warmup, without waiting for the people inside to shout "OK" first.

People so set on "left hands meet" that they don't notice when someone is deliberately moving to the inside, say, to make a circle (temper rules with common sense!).

People who get incredibly upset at small mishaps or misunderstandings---unless someone got hurt, just apologise and move on. We all make mistakes sometimes, and nobody's a mind reader!
 
People (paritcularly small children with a pony that has a red ribbon on its tail) who insist on standing along the fence line in small warm up arenas where there is no other way past
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People who build a spread the opposite way as the flags tell you to jump it (does that makes sense?)
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QR
oh where do I start
1) People putting the fences WELL above height for the class and HOGGING the fences, cue me only having 2 jumps before going in after waiting for an hour

2)Peiple ignoring the left to left rule

3) Horses being ridden up my horses backside and then shouting at me when he pulls a face

4) people riding infront of a fence and STOPPING when I am half way over the damned thing!

5) people cantering infront of you then coming to an abrupt halt without moving to the inside track

6) The fact that lateral work is now ignored as having "right of way" over others and ploughing into my horses side

oh the list goes on
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The person at the Petplan Area Festivals at Towerlands who ran me quite literally out of the arena by riding straight at me, no I still haven't forgiven you and no it wasn't an accident.
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Agree with all above comments!
My main issues are usually in SJ warm up - people changing fences when you're on the approach, people riding behind or in front of fences totally unaware that there are other riders around... and finally people who bring random extra horses (not even tacked up) into the collecting ring.

Happened a couple of times last season, where someone decided to have their helper bring their horse's 'friend' into the SJ warm up and then stand completely in the way. Also, people who are rude when you ask them to move off the track so you can go past them

Grrrr
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I hate the collecting ring!
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[ QUOTE ]
People so set on "left hands meet" that they don't notice when someone is deliberately moving to the inside, say, to make a circle (temper rules with common sense!).


[/ QUOTE ]

Circles????!!! I wouldn't even dare try one of those in our pc warm up arenas for fear of being slaughtered!!! - people can't even manage to jump the fence in the same direction as everyone else or stay on the same rein - I daren't confuse there small minds with a circle!!!
 
I took my novice horse to his first proper show having done a handful of clear round evenings. Said show was only a PC show... Nothing too special, but unfortunately I found out thankfully not to the detriment of my horse's education, that the most of the other competitors, most PC members hadn't a clue how to conduct themselves in the warm up arena and sometimes it really is as simple as common courtesy. I entered the warm up with 10 horses to go which I think is more than adquate at such a show and indeed is usually the case with alot of the BSJA shows which I attend. In that time I managed one stride of canter and all of my trot work was broken because of either being cut up, 4 abreast meetings taking place on the track and the like. I managed two warm up fences, the first was a real credit to my horse as we had to swerve to avoid another competitor and met the fence at what can be only described as a less than desireable angle but I was pleased that my novice negotiated the fence in any event and my second fence saw me having to pull up quickly as someone rode infront of the fence I was jumping.

Due to the less than adequate warm up I went into the ring less than prepared with a novice horse who wasn't exactly well prepared on the day so to speak. I was eliminated at the first fence and promptly withdrew from the second class - if I couldn't get an adequate warm up for the first class I certainly didn't hold out much hope for the second.

I was constantly shouting excuse me and please pass left to left. I returned my horse to the lorry came back to withdraw
and was approached by a senior pc committe member who stated that there had been complaints about me in the warm up - aparantly I was constantly asking people to move out of the way!

I was utterly flabbergasted and can safely say that I shan't now be supporting ANY of the local PC shows because of this experience.

passing left to left is simple ettiquette. Just cmmon courtesy plain and simple is that too much to ask!!!
 
too many people in a tiny place...
height if fences,
people cutting infront of fence or behind fence as you are about to jump,
people changing height of fence as you are obviouly coming into the jump,
people taking over fences so that you cannot jump them as they are putting them up or down too quickly for you to get there,
getting too close to your horse and people who dont pass left to left,
people who walk on the outside track,
people screaming at their children, and when i say screaming i mean screaming!
the fact that there does not seem to be a running order, people just barge infront of you to go so you end up waiting for ever...
pony club events have got to be one of the worst those, i cannot stand it when parents are screeching at their children to do this and do that, putting up the fences wayyyy over what they are going to be jumping.
eventing when they only have two tiny fences- well below what you are jumping.... ths list cou;ld go on!!!
 
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