Collecting Ring - Etiquette

[Joyous70]

I only jump unaffiliated but am unsure of the collecting ring etiquette. I know you should pass left to left, however, not always possible.

Can someone enlighten me please. I went to a show at the weekend, and (thank you Steniclface) has confirmed most warm up arena's only allow jumps off one rein, but what are the other rules? if cantering when people are walking for example, and the size of jumps in the warm up arena compared to those in the arena? as on Saturday the classes we were entered into were 2'3 and 2'6" small by some of your standards i know, but people were building fences upto and over 3'0" and then walking away and leaving them at that height, im a nervous 40 something who has no desire to jump that size at the moment and was under the impression this was not correct?

 

[diggerbez]

i was under the impression that the following applies:

For dressage- if walking on a long rein/mooching about walk on the inside out of the way and lateral work takes priority (which makes life very difficult as you need eyes everywhere to see if a diva is going to half pass over you (for your RC walk and trot test )

For sjing walk on the outside next to the fence (i.e. out of the way of the line to the jumps) and try to pass left to left if appropriate.
as far as i know you should only be jumping the height of the class or maybe a hole or two bigger but you will find that many people don't do this. this is where a bolshy helper is worth their weight in gold. you have to be quite assertive sometimes in the collecting ring- so if some twerp walks in front of the jump yell "oxer" or whatever as loud as possible ditto if someone is about to alter a fence that you are about to come to- just shout (nicely)- 'can i just come to that again please' or whatever

 

[little_critter]

Yes I was the collecting ring steward trying to enforce the rule that the practice jump should not be higher than the jumps in the class.
Not easy with some of the PC mums!

 

[OneInAMillion]

this is where a bolshy helper is worth their weight in gold. you have to be quite assertive sometimes in the collecting ring- so if some twerp walks in front of the jump yell "oxer" or whatever as loud as possible ditto if someone is about to alter a fence that you are about to come to- just shout (nicely)- 'can i just come to that again please' or whatever

we were out SJ and I was riding a friends horse for the first time and as I came into the jump at 1m10 2 women stood by the wings put the jump up 3 holes :O luckily said horse was an experienced BSer who had done Fox's so wasn't bothered but seriously?!

And then another time I was on FH and we cantered to the jump and as we were 3 strides out a woman stopped on the landing side. I screamed for her to move as did about 10 others and somehow FH performed acrobatics to jump the spread in the middle and shuffle around her in canter. She then proceeded to shout at me for my behaviour...The organiser asked her politely to leave!

So yes an affirmative helper is VERY useful!


But those were two things that don't happen much...what I hate is though is if you are walking along and someone strikes off in canter as the get in line with you!

 

[Woodykat]

But those were two things that don't happen much...what I hate is though is if you are walking along and someone strikes off in canter as the get in line with you!

This is my pet hate too - I'll have just got mine to relax eventually, and then some silly person decides to come right up behind me, and then strike off as they go past! grrr

 

[stencilface]

At BS the height of the warm-up fences are allowed to be up to 1m, or the height of the class I think - but then people will still put it up past 1.10m for a Discovery.

Still, bricking it at the oxers in the warm up does make the ones in the ring seem smaller

I am really a nice person at BS, help people, apologise if I get in someone's way (even slightly) and always help others if I'm putting up the fences when I can see they are on their own - but a pushy helper is a must. I used to groom for a showjumper, and remember having practise fence war with some of the 'ard as nails SJ grooms from the 'big guys'. One screamed that the oxer was hers, despite the fact that her and the rider were both at the entrance to the collecting ring fiddling with tack, good luck with that one dearie

 

[Kenzo]

Also

Don't go cantering past other horses in tight spaces, use a bit of courtesy and common sense and not squeezing through small spaces, for example person is walking horse along fence line (on the outside track) but between fence and practice jump and someone else comes tearing arseing past you clunking irons as they go past, if you have upset someones horse in doing so.

Not cutting people up before or after a fence, always look around to make make sure you are not going to effect anyone elses warm up, so if there's space, use it, so everyone has a bit of room.

If your not warming up, get out, don't stand around the gateway having a mothers meeting.

If your horse is a bit green, nervous, bob a green ribbon in, if it kicks, a red one, so other riders know not to croud your horse.

 

[boss93]

Ditto all of the above. Also it really annoys me when people walk around the track at two or even sometimes three abreast, having a little natter even when the ring is packed. It then becomes impossible to safely get round the outside of them, blocks the track next to the fences and means that you end up with only a few strides to get to the fence.

 

[Joyous70]

Ditto all of the above. Also it really annoys me when people walk around the track at two or even sometimes three abreast, having a little natter even when the ring is packed. It then becomes impossible to safely get round the outside of them, blocks the track next to the fences and means that you end up with only a few strides to get to the fence.

Had this on Saturday as well, teenage girls (not tarring all younger people with the same brush) mooching around chatting away, oblivious to everyone else, or crowding the entrance/exit also.

 

[PaddyMonty]

problem with practice fence heights is that most unaff comps state they run to BSJA rules.
Now the BSJA rule on practice fences is maximum of 1.05mtr or height class in first round, which ever is the greater.
Therefore whacking up the practice fence to 3'6" for a 2'3" class is not actually against the rules, just very silly.

 

[Joyous70]

JunoXV - That would explain a lot, the show is run at a big centre that runs BSJA and therefore runs to BSJA rules. So glad i didn't complain now i would have looked a complete numpty

It does make me wonder though, if they are competing unaffiliated and they are capable of jumping 3'3" 3'6" why on earth they are doing a 2'3" or 2'6" class.