Does the Pony Club teach warm up arena manners any more? *Rant*

[Super_Kat]

Did a class at a pony club open show at college today and the class I'd entered had a load of competitors in it, when the class started I think every competitor was in the warm arena either cantering around cutting everybody up or they were stood on their ponies in a big row along one of the long sides......It was a warm up arena for warming up in, not for standing around! You could only just safely fit a horse between one of the proctice jumps and the ponies back ends. none of the kids seemed to know any basic school rules i.e. pass left to left, if your walking stay on the inside track etc. It took me 9 attempts to jump the spread for a second time because people would ride in front of it without looking, ride on the landing side without looking (one girl was working her horse on a circle at one end of the school where there wasn't much room and nobody could jump). I'm still shocked at how bad it was, it was just one big disorganised mess! One thing that would have made life much easier though would be saying that there should be no more than 12 people in the warm up at any one time and no standing about in there!
Right, rant over, heres hoping the next PC show (a diffetent PC to the one that was here today) is a bit better

 

[Hattikins]

manners in the warm up at most pony club sjing shows is appalling, im in the pony club and have attended pony club sjing for years and im beginning to do less and less as the warm up is just terrible. the last one i went to there were about 25 ponies galloping round the warmup, u couldnt see the fence for ponies and consequently you very rarely jumped a practice fence - its really really bad and i think something needs to be done about it

sorry rant over

so in answer to your question, no certainly my area very few people understand how to use a practise area properly. of course there are exceptions to the rule, i know a good handful of people who are very respectful but some kids are like loonatics, more because they dont know better rather than they know and couldnt care less.

 

[eohippus]

HAHA did they ever teach it at all then? when was that. I have never met a pony club rider with manners yet. I am sure there are some, before I get jumped on.
Sounds like it is equally the fault of the organisers for allowing a free for all in the warm up arena. You should firstly complain to the organisers, remember to quote Health and Safety, and then write a letter to the local pony club.
I have been in this situation and for this reason refuse to enter shows that are known to accomodate pony clubbers.
Can fully empathise with you, Rant No2 just over.
take care and enjoy your next event.
Dawn

 

[clipertyplop]

grrr pony club....last team competition we went too they had a system where only 5 were allowed in the warm up area,which was fine in principal, but there was no where else to warm up so basically you didn't have chanch to warm up properly ...sorry there was other places to warm up but the pc was too tight to hire it..even though we had been charged £12 a head for the privilege of riding for the team never again

 

[Shrimp]

And hence one of the many reasons why I am now fed up with PC and am probably not going to rejoin next year. I was at PC team SJ last Sunday and it was pretty awful frankly! We had a large warm up arena (which is a rarity) and people still decided to walk around in threes or stand in the middle of the track right next to jump and leaving a very small space to pass through, whilst they talked to their parents at the side of the arena! This was in the open class aswell so most people are between the ages of 15-18 so you think they would know by now!
Like Hattikins, its why im doing less and less no and doing more BE (which is more important to me anyway) as people are generally more considerate and so much more polite! (in general)
Then again I am going PC SJ again on Monday so we shall see what happens

 

[MagicMelon]

I was never taught arena manners in pony club, and I was in PC for about 10 years!

Im not sure how I learn arena rules. The left hand to left hand thing REALLY bugs me though - I almost crashed into one kid last weekend because she didnt seem to know which side to go on! And those that do loads of circles when there is very little space and you are trying to jump, of course its not ideal to just warm up round the edge but imagine if everyone circled everywhere! Aghhh.

I do find the BSJA crowd are better (although they have a totally different idea of 'etiquette', some are the rudest most selfish sods ever!). BE are the best, but thats probably because its always outside so the grass arena's are bigger!

 

[lilym]

annoying isn't it?? i don't have that problem too much, when they see a hoofing wide cob coming towards them they move!!

 

[sorona]

Why dont the show organisers not have the show ground and warm up rules on their schedules and large copies of them posted beside the warmup area then you wouldnt feel so uncomfortable asking people to use the rules?! Some people jsut arent aware of the rules about where to pass and what side to jump from etc.

 

[Kermie]

It's not just pony club that doesn't teach arena etiquette - it's just as bad when you are trying to warm up for a showing class at an affiliated show. Everyone is more concerned with themselves than worrying about left to left - really annoys me!

 

[Skhosu]

hum.... our PC is generally v. good! any I've been to have been fine, there's the odd stupid person but a steward sorts them out or a parent!
The one I've had problems with are warming up for SJ eventing and for SJAI...the big names are absoloute b*ggers for assuming they have the right to
a)put the jump as high as they want, then leave it like that
b) cut you up/ride over you
c) do anything they damn well please and get away with it!

PC there is the odd few who don't have a clue, but we (I think) were taught it, and I'm nearly sure it's in the test syllabus's.
Maybe we Irish are just better PCers!

 

[LEC]

I find at PC stuff if you are on a big horse (16.3hh +) that is going pretty fast/looking uncontrollable they get out of your way. I just keep riding at them. For me its the bloody mothers/trainers standing in the middle/in the corner that annoy me most of all yelling at the precious darlings. They are so arrogant they will not get out of your way and will stand their ground.

 

[SirenaXVI]

Happens in affiliated dressage too, get so damned annoyed - what is wrong with these people - and as for those people who walk on the outside track grrrrrr

 

[Skhosu]

lmao lec...maybe that's it! I do ride an out of control 17hh and used to ride the most evil-tempered (so people said....but I loved him!) pony ever so maybe they just kept out of my way?

The mothers/trainers over here are the same! (And if they know you some decide they will warm you up too!)

 

[SirenaXVI]

[ QUOTE ]
They are so arrogant they will not get out of your way and will stand their ground.

[/ QUOTE ]

One word for them A*seholes

they deserve to have hoofprints on their faces

 

[loopeepee]

Uh oh Kat - little kidywinks peeing you off!
At the show Im secretary for the number board goes near the entrance of the warm up ring, and 5 people at a time may go in there. It works so they can warm up about 20 - 30mins before they are due to jump, because as one person leaves to jump, another is allowed to enter and begin their warm up.

I think it works really well, and we didnt get a single complaint about people not having enough time to warm up etc.

 

[hairycob]

Uh Oh O has just joined PC - is he going to forget what manners I have managed to teach him?
Have to admit I find warm up manners at most shows appalling & have had a go at adults as well as kids before now. Can't stand it when someone puts the practise jump up way above the current class & then hogs it. Got told once "nobody else is using the jump so why should I keep jumping it" my response "Put it down 12" to the current height & I'm sure the little kids doing the current 1'6" class will be interested!"

 

[bellgave]

URGH I dread warming up, especially on youngsters and horses on first trips as Im convinced they have some magnet attached to them tempting people to cut you up and cause you grief!!! My particular fav' is when people decide to prance around on amare infront of clearly marked stallions, AHHHHH!!!

 

[FlipFlop5]

oooo and wen they knock fences down and just walk off expecting u to put it back. Even worse if parents are stood there. grrrrrrrrrrr

 

[BroadfordQueen]

went to a pc sj thing today (dengie), and i was thinking of posting exactly the same!

they had put a sign up saying "please stick to the right rein only", but hardly anyone took any notice and where going the wrong way and barging past you. as it was raining and the practice arena was indoors everyone was stood around on their ponies RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE JUMP! i could only manage to jump both practice jumps once before having to go in, it was rediculous.

 

[Gingernags]

I have to say I was impressed with the organisation of the practice fences when we went to the BSPS champs. Each working hunter ring (and there were several) had its own warm up area and you had to wear your number and only the current class was allowed in to warm up.

Actually it was the same for the flat classes and several people got thrown out who were clearly just excercising whilst people were preparing for a class.

Maybe its worth the same thing being applied in these shows - have the board to declare your numbers outside the warmup ring instead and only those declaring for the class can go in to warm up.

A lot of shows also have the rul that you cannot set the practice jump above the height of the class, you just need a good steward to police it!