collecting rings...do you...

Yes, I do try and get a quick trot and canter round on the other rein, ideally when it is not too busy. The looks you sometimes get from those who do not can be quite off putting though at times!
 
Direction is only that, you can work your horse on both sides, or is counter flexion a thing of the past?
If I was the only one in the collecting ring then I would, but otherwise no, if your horse is worked properly and evenly every other day then a small amount of counter flexion work to warm up the relevant muscles should be enough for a round of showjumps.
 
Baggybreeches said:
Direction is only that, you can work your horse on both sides, or is counter flexion a thing of the past?
If I was the only one in the collecting ring then I would, but otherwise no, if your horse is worked properly and evenly every other day then a small amount of counter flexion work to warm up the relevant muscles should be enough for a round of showjumps.
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That does make sense, but for me i think it is largely psychological and i feel that I'm only properly warmed up if I have warmed in round both ways. Therefore in reality i think that if i do not get the opportunity to do so it does not really make much difference to the horses way of going, just myself. This has probably got a lot to do with the fact that I don't cope enormously well with my nerves at competitions where i find normally insignificant things can easily throw me!
 
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I find that if space is tight in the collecting ring, its better to warm up on one rein, but working at times in counter flexion, than attempt to do both and risk stressing myself and my horse! If you could practise a warm up routine at home, using counter flexion and then jump a course of jumps would this help to keep you calm on the day?
 
boss93 said:
This has probably got a lot to do with the fact that I don't cope enormously well with my nerves at competitions where i find normally insignificant things can easily throw me!
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I understand entirely, but perhaps the 'looks' you get going round on the opposite rein, might be doing you more harm than you realise if nerves are a problem. Perhaps try going into the collecting ring with a plan (easier said than done I know!), and including a little bit of counter flexion even just at the start, don't worry about how good it is, just try it and see.
 
Yes always warm up on both reins. I dont see the problem ? If you keep to the left hand to left hand rule there should be no accidents or confusion :D

Ive never heard of anyone not being allowed to warm up on both reins!
 
haha interesting :) i warm up on both reins too- not if its really really busy/tight but if there is space i do - sometimes i even jump off both reins - again if its quiet. someone told me off yesterday for doing it (wasn't in the way, was obeying left to left)- pointed out that there was no sign telling me not to :p
i have never had a prob with this BE or BSJA- just at unaffiliated where you get people who don't know the rules properly getting all tetchy because they are nervous ;)
i agreetho BB- if very busy i will use counter flexion instead
 
BYR said:
Yes always warm up on both reins. I dont see the problem ? If you keep to the left hand to left hand rule there should be no accidents or confusion :D

Ive never heard of anyone not being allowed to warm up on both reins!
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In normal circumstances you would be correct but there are exceptions: yesterday we made the mistake of taking a baby horse to Hartpury unaff SJ for his first proper show (he's jumped the CR at a BS show once last summer). It was proper ghastly - about 50 in each class, and the warm-up was in a 20x40 indoor, unpoliced, resulting in about 30 people in it, plus the numpties standing around by the door, both mounted and unmounted, even a couple with dogs :eek: :mad: We had walked him outside for 10 minutes before going in, told daughter to go straight into trot but he was still completely brain-blown by all the galloping about, people cantering up his backside, jumping towards him etc :( In that situation it was totally impractical to try to go against the flow and, sensibly, practically nobody did. One girl who tried probably did get some looks as it was a ludicrous situation anyway which she was making even worse... It's not against any rules, it's just a question of using common sense :o

The only good thing was that baby horse was quite relieved to get into the relative peace of the arena :D
 
Baggybreeches said:
I understand entirely, but perhaps the 'looks' you get going round on the opposite rein, might be doing you more harm than you realise if nerves are a problem. Perhaps try going into the collecting ring with a plan (easier said than done I know!), and including a little bit of counter flexion even just at the start, don't worry about how good it is, just try it and see.
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Yeah I'll definitely give that a go as it does make much more sense. Nerves have always been a bit of an issue for me when warming up, but seem to be fine when I'm actually in the ring. I don't know if it's because there are lots of people in there or something but it usually ends up with me doing some really ridiculous things on the approach to a fence. But i agree that maybe if have much more of a plan it might stop me getting so flustered :)
 
Technically, I'd like to warm up on both reins but practically, sometimes it's just, as TD says, making an already hairy situation worse. If you're stuck in a tiny arena with everyone going in one direction it's all very well to say they *should* respect left to left but they won't and then you're just going to end up angry, with a stressed horse. Hopefully your horse more or less knows his job by the time you get there (I try to avoid situations like that for very novice/tense/worried horses) so letting him stretch his muscles and keep his head are the priorities.

I went to an indoor show in Belgium with someone a few years ago and there was no way you could have gone against the flow! There must have been 40 horses cantering in a tiny arena! But it was all very calm and organised - people were doing counter canter, changes etc. - and obviously it was what they were used to. The classes ranged from 1m-ish up to 1.40 so there was quite a range of ability levels but everyone seemed to be down with the program.

At some of the big end of year indoor FEI shows the warm ups are TINY. There is usually a larger area to start off in but the horses "on deck" are often jumping BIG jumps off a couple of strides. So long as everyone is organised, it's perfectly doable.

Quite frankly, collecting rings like the one TD describes are my nightmare! It's not the crowded aspect, it's the disorganisation. It's very hard not to let it get to you but it's part of showing. As above, the best plan is to have a specific warm up in your mind before you start and know how little you can get away with. Practice at home a few times - have a trot and canter around, jump a few small jumps, then do a course. Ask your instructor to help you get a plan together. I see so many people get themselves in a twist before they even start but you're never going to be able to control other people so find a way to insulate yourself as much as possible from their disorganisation and stupidity. ;)
 
If it is busy, no.
FH struggles on his left rein canter and also gets wound up when around other horses (long story of the past), so using his difficult rein often upsets/scares him and makes him become unrideable so is not worth it.
 
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Fair enough in extreeme situations it would be silly to go against the flow. At the end of the day I think its just down to common sense. If everyone considers everyone else then there arent arguments. Its when one person who thinks they own the arena takes over and upsets everyone else it gets complicated!
 
If possible I do - generally try to get my name on the board at about 8th ish to go, then I can warm up when they are resetting the course, and the warm up is pretty much empty then. Some arenas you just can't do it though, in those situations, I more concentrating on other riders not counter flexion or anything fancy, just warm up, pop a couple and get the hell out :)

I don't absolutely always go left to left either, sometimes its not feasible, and would be silly to attempt in some situations when there's plenty of room.

I love shouty stroppy BSers who get aggro because everyone else is in THEIR way dontcha know, makes me giggle. If they had a modicom of control and didn't ride like they owned the place they'd probably find it a lot easier :rolleyes:

I refuse to be intimidated in the warm up, I'm an amateur, I pay the same price for the classes, and I deserve the same warm up space and jumping access :)
 
i went to our first comp the other week adn i warmed up on both reins - it was unaffiliated...and not important as some of your shows :P

as we progress i will always continue to warm up on both reins and also stick a ribbon in my horses tail to stop them using her as a break.... shes 4 ffs.
 
I try to warm up on both reins, but sometimes it does feel as though your going against the flow, if it is really busy i wait until i can change the rein, or just carry on, OH asked me at the weekend why was i going the opposite to everyone else, there was probably about 10 other people in the collecting ring, I hadn't noticed until that point :( I was probably too busy trying to calm my nerves and warm my boy up.

I did notice at the weekend though that the jumps in the warm up arena are only jumpable one way, so you cannot jump off both reins, is this normal?
 
Joyous70 said:
I did notice at the weekend though that the jumps in the warm up arena are only jumpable one way, so you cannot jump off both reins, is this normal?
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Yep, in my experience it is. Only way you can jump of both reins is if the arena is wide enough to, or you can change legs on the way in (which I can't do :p )
 
Joyous70 said:
I try to warm up on both reins, but sometimes it does feel as though your going against the flow, if it is really busy i wait until i can change the rein, or just carry on, OH asked me at the weekend why was i going the opposite to everyone else, there was probably about 10 other people in the collecting ring, I hadn't noticed until that point :( I was probably too busy trying to calm my nerves and warm my boy up.

I did notice at the weekend though that the jumps in the warm up arena are only jumpable one way, so you cannot jump off both reins, is this normal?
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oh yes should only ever jump the fence in one direction but you can jump off both reins if you can turn your horse fairly tightly :) or if the arena is quite wide :)
 
Diggerbez - I know you should always keep the red wing to your right, but on Saturday both the red wings meant i had to travel on my left rein and jump off the left rein, if that makes sense, if i had changed direction i would have been jumping against the flow - or at least i think i would have done :confused:
 
Joyous70 said:
Diggerbez - I know you should always keep the red wing to your right, but on Saturday both the red wings meant i had to travel on my left rein and jump off the left rein, if that makes sense, if i had changed direction i would have been jumping against the flow - or at least i think i would have done :confused:
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yes you'd have to go on the other rein and then make a tight turn to the fence. would only do this if collecting ring very quiet
 
Ahh yes now i understand, yes turn back on yourself effectively, so change the canter lead. Its the way my mind works, unless im travelling into the fence from the opposite direction, i don't feel as though ive changed the rein :rolleyes:
 
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