hand walking at competitions

[amandaco2]

Is there any rules under official bodies (eg BD) that the rider has to be mounted, as opposed to the horse being in-hand?
(in the warm up)

 

[conniegirl]

Is there any rules under official bodies (eg BD) that the rider has to be mounted, as opposed to the horse being in-hand?
(in the warm up)

Some bodies state that they need to be warmed up in the tack you are competing in.

 

[milliepops]

I don't think there's anything concrete in the BD rule book.There's a vague statement about not having 'pedestrians' in the warm up so that could be interpreted as not allowing horses to be led in hand. I would think this would be down to the venue, though I'm not sure why you'd want to? If people want to walk in hand they tend to do so in the lorry park IME, I wouldn't want to be on foot in a busy warm up.

 

[Auslander]

Nothing in the rulebook, but I suspect that, similarly to lunging, it is at the venues discretion, so you should ask them first.

Why do you want to use the warm up - I'd have thought that in-hand work can be done anywhere there is a quiet space, rather than dodging fellow competitors in the designated area!

 

[amandaco2]

im thinking specifically about a young horse first time out to help settle them when the warm up is v quiet or before anyone else is even in the warm up.
lorry parks are often strewn with stones so I don't like to walk them on there unless absolutely necessary

 

[Shay]

I would ask the venue's permission. I would worry that you would actually be at more risk - and potentially in less control - with the horse in hand rather than under saddle in the crowded area like the collecting ring. But if the venue is OK with it then go ahead!

 

[ihatework]

I suppose if the warm up is empty then it's fine. But I'm not sure it should be done if others are working in

 

[Hallo2012]

done it at loads of venues and never had an issue............if the horse is walking quietly close to the handler i cant see an issue, if its throwing its self around on 1 leg and its head then it would be best to do it in the lorry park.

 

[nikkimariet]

As long as you aren't in the way (either space wise or because the horse is a bit wild), I don't see the problem. I've hand walked horses, and also worked in around horses being hand walked.

Lunging is a little different - creates a fair bit of traffic and takes up more space. Plus horses tend to be idiots on the lunge.

Would always check with the organiser.

 

[paddi22]

i'd be annoyed to see someone hand-walking a horse in a warmup if it was busy in any way. An affiliated warmup is not the place to be doing that kind of settling work on a young horse.

I take all young horses out to quieter shows to get that kind of maturing done earlier in their career. In a situation where people have pressures of owners and getting good records for horses, I personally don't think its fair to use a warmup as some kind of schooling/experience exercise for a horse.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I used the lorry park to lead my homebred mare (and before that her mum) round when they were babies.

Yes it was stoney, and both were barefoot, but we just got on with with it. Better than mixing it with the ridden horses in the warmup.

 

[amandaco2]

thanks all

 

[FfionWinnie]

Not good etiquette in my opinion. If the horse is that reactive it shouldn't be there. Get it used to the situation at lessons and clinics so a quiet warm up (which is when you say you intend to walk it around) isn't a challenge.

 

[amandaco2]

lessons and clinics are not the same as a collecting ring. the amount of horses loading, walking around is in no way the same experience as being at a lesson or clinic scenario .

if you are one of the first people, if not the only person, in the warm up, I cant see the harm in handwalking the horse around to assess how its feeling before getting on..?

 

[spacefaer]

I'd feel a lot safer on the horse than off, and if I thought it was going to explode to the point where I wasn't safer on top, I would know that before I got to the warmup area.

As a rider, I would be concerned about someone wandering around the warmup area leading a horse. If the horse is quiet, then why not ride it, and if it isn't quiet, then it shouldn't be there.

Without meaning to be rude, and not knowing your circumstances, from an outside, it would seem somewhat precious tbh.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Can't speak for the OP, but in hand walking is useful when the rider has multiple horses to ride. The horse can be pulled off the lorry or trailer and loosened up before the rider hops on board to properly warm up.

 

[ihatework]

Can't speak for the OP, but in hand walking is useful when the rider has multiple horses to ride. The horse can be pulled off the lorry or trailer and loosened up before the rider hops on board to properly warm up.

Yes, but in the car park, not in (for dressage) a potentially small and busy warm up area where you will most certainly be in the way!

To the OP, again I would say only at very beginning of day when empty. It would be poor form if people are trying to warm up

 

[Red-1]

When I got Jay he had a fearsome reputation in warm up areas, so we entered a few local dressage comps, and I asked for the first time, then arrived at least an hour before my time.

I would lead him round the strange arena, as we were the only ones there. Then I would mount and make sure he had a good warm-up, including a fair bit of canter, before anyone else arrived.

Once people started to arrive it would be one or two arriving, and we worked through it as he was by then in front of the leg and focused on me.

If he had found it all overwhelming then I would have removed him and reverted to walking, in hand if necessary, around the car park, but TBH, as I had entered first, that did not happen as we were in and out before it was too busy.

We would then enter later, but still arrive first, and do an initial warm-up, then have a rest in the box before coming out again.

He ended up the nicest horse in the warm-up, including BD, BS and BE.

I would not have tried to walk in hand round a busy warm up. Not fair on the other competitors.

 

[Tiddlypom]

^^^^ IHW, yes, I meant in the lorry park.

 

[FfionWinnie]

lessons and clinics are not the same as a collecting ring. the amount of horses loading, walking around is in no way the same experience as being at a lesson or clinic scenario .

if you are one of the first people, if not the only person, in the warm up, I cant see the harm in handwalking the horse around to assess how its feeling before getting on..?

If you cannot ride a young horse in a quiet warm up then what is the point of being at a competition, it's not ready and it's not safe and also, what is it learning, to be fearful!

Clinics and lessons prepare a horse for other situations. 4 in a lesson prepares a horse for passing other horses and horses coming up behind them. The place I go with young horses has a railway track right beside the top end of the arena and dogs often running around the woods beside it too as well as horses hacking past and people arriving with horses on transport. A few times out there to a group lesson and a warm up arena is a piece of cake. Preparation is 100% how to produce calm young horses. However, inconveniencing other riders in a competition environment because you've not done the basics, is not acceptable.

 

[amandaco2]

ive always handwalked youngsters in an empty warm up prior to getting on to assess their feelings.....still not sure why this is such an issue to some? its an empty arena?

 

[spacefaer]

ive always handwalked youngsters in an empty warm up prior to getting on to assess their feelings.....still not sure why this is such an issue to some? its an empty arena?

It's not an "issue" as such, but it's not a usual thing to do, most competent riders/handlers of young horses tend to get on rather than wander about an empty arena. Most people with experience of producing young competition horses are able to assess whether they are likely to get decked as they come off the lorry ramp.

I have never met a sharp or potentially explosive youngster that hand-walking around an arena would have improved. I would either get on, and crack on with working the horse, or I would put it back on the lorry and go home, and prepare better the next time out.

If you want to do it, in an empty arena, without any other ridden horses, it's your prerogative, but it appears to many to be a bit odd, and that you are either nervous of riding the young horse (not a good start IMHO) or overprotective (which again, won't lead to a confident young horse.

 

[paddi22]

If it's an empty arena that's fine, but they don't tend to stay empty long at affiliated events, unless you are first on and turn up an hour early (which i've done with some tricky horses, so i feel the pain!).

I would worry about bringing any horse to a show if i felt I needed to hand-walk it in an arena before I got on? There's a good few steps missing in its education if that's something that needs to be done. Surely if the horse has had a few outings you would know from walking around the car park where it's head was at?

I think I just have an issue with the general concept. i can't see any benefit to the horse. If it's that stressed/reactive that the owner doesn't feel its safe to have a rider on it in warmup, then how would they think its a good idea to put it under pressure in a a competition arena?

I've had a few young horses that are tricky and explosive, but they are the ones you take to tiny local shows and clinics until they get established. To bring them to an affiliated show (and i apologise if im wrong, but the original post mentioned affiliated rules), where others are under pressure to get good results - results that can really matter to them and their careers - is selfish I feel. The time for teaching young horses about warmups is at small shows and clinics where, if it goes wrong, no-one is really affected.

 

[amandaco2]

no, not specifically at an affiliated show, just any show run to the affiliated rules.

i've found some of my youngsters can display a few excitable behaviours in-hand which after a couple of walks around the arena, disappear very quickly and then are fine to ride without any need to sit any little explosions...... this is referring to the first few times they ever see a warm up environment. they seem to benefit in confidence from having a little look around the arena with a handler on the ground.

i've not really seen any clinics with multiple riders on around me, will have a look as this may be useful...

I have a youngster who is very sharp and explosive, shes now absolutely fine at home 99% of the time and at new arenas hired out- but I think the busy car park will be tremendously exciting...hence the question.

my plan is to arrive v early and get her walked around the arena to assess how shes feeling and then get on before anyone comes into the arena- hence asking if there is anything specific in the rule book anyone has come across...

BD emailed me back and there is no rule against it, they advise to check with the venue though.

 

[paddi22]

With horses like I that I usually find it useful to take them to a load of inhand shows, mainly to get them used to the loadspeakers/business before putting ridden pressure on them. I had one loon that i just used to bring and walk around carparks without even riding him, and it took a few outings to get him used to the whole thing. Clinics are brilliant as well, around this area there tend to be four or more per class, so they are brilliant to get horses used to horses going behind them etc.

I just have a worry of people hand-walking horses in warmup as have seen two nasty accidents when people were doing it - in one the horse being walked spooked and pulled away from a handler, while a rider was cantering past and the rider ended up riding through the reins between the handler and the horse and it was a mess. In another the person walking the horse ended up getting randomly kicked and backed into by a ridden horse that spooked going past, they let go of the horse they were riding and it ended up causing chaos around the warmup when people tried to catch it.

 

[ironhorse]

I always used to walk mine around the warm up once before getting on when he was young, or if the warm up was a bit busy, around the car park. Just have to know your venue and gauge if it is safe, and don't prolong it so you become a nuisance. With the young western horses many people lunge or round pen them before getting on but I've always found a quick hand walk settles them just as well. Can't lunge at all now as I am rehabbing, so the hand walk serves to indicate what sort of mood he's in before getting on at home!

 

[Cowpony]

I've seen it done at a UA dressage competition. The horse was clearly young and inexperienced, and was walked around by the groom for 10 minutes before the rider got on, then was walked on a lead rein for another 10 minutes before the groom let go. Luckily it was OK and didn't cause any problems, but it was a bit of a worry when trying to warm up around them and avoid everybody else zooming around. Using the car park would have been tricky as it was concrete and not very big.

 

[amandaco2]

With horses like I that I usually find it useful to take them to a load of inhand shows, mainly to get them used to the loadspeakers/business before putting ridden pressure on them. I had one loon that i just used to bring and walk around carparks without even riding him, and it took a few outings to get him used to the whole thing. Clinics are brilliant as well, around this area there tend to be four or more per class, so they are brilliant to get horses used to horses going behind them etc.

I just have a worry of people hand-walking horses in warmup as have seen two nasty accidents when people were doing it - in one the horse being walked spooked and pulled away from a handler, while a rider was cantering past and the rider ended up riding through the reins between the handler and the horse and it was a mess. In another the person walking the horse ended up getting randomly kicked and backed into by a ridden horse that spooked going past, they let go of the horse they were riding and it ended up causing chaos around the warmup when people tried to catch it.

she has done in-hand showing with previous owner but I don't know how she behaved (id guess she spent a lot of it on her back legs...)
I have asked for the first slot and will arrive about 1hr before my time so I can hopefully walk her around a couple of times to check shes paying attention to me and not too 'excited' and get on and warm up before anyone else is on site if she was to get 'excited' she'd be as much a concern in-hand as ridden

thanks for all the replies, definitely don't want to cause issues as the warm up is for everyone to use!