How many of you school in the field

yep, i school a lot on grass despite having 3 arenas at the yard!

as we event most dressage tests are on grass so don't see the point in schooling on a surface all of the time.
 
When we had our horses at a livery yard, and we used that for all schooling, and then jumped in the field.
However now, our horses are at home with us, and we can't afford to put in a menage, so we school in one of our fields. As the field is not level, it actually helps and teaches me to get him more balanced. Also as eventing, the dressage is on grass it helps you to practise.
A menage is good in the winter though when the ground is very soft or frozen solid.
 
Currently all the time - family whose horse I share have just moved and waiting for planning permission for menage so don't really have much of a choice , don't really have a section marked off specifically either! one field has jumps in it so obviously that is for jumping (and I'm pretty useless at trying to school around the jumps...) and the other fields can all be used for schooling (depending on who is turned out where at the time!) however do wish that there were markers as I know that is definitely causing me problems - oh and a level surface but hey ho, can't have everything! Have yet to see how well it will turn out over the winter though :S

Used to school in the field at old yard aswell - again depending on how busy the menage was and what I was trying to achieve, gets you and the horse used to different surfaces and for us, getting better balance on hills!
 
I dont have an arena...I use whichever paddock the horses aren't in.

I got some of those dressage cones from Shires.....very cheap and easy to set out an impromptu arena.

Most of the time, my paddock surface is better than the arena I used to use when I was on livery.:rolleyes:
 
i don't have a school - occasional lessons are done in an arena, on a surface. one of my horses works far better on grass than rubber - she gets tense. other horse doesn't mind what surface he's on as long as he doesn't slip (Eg wet grass) - schooling in a field means you ride both sides of the horse and don't rely on the arena wall. any eventers know that their dressage is on grass, so why practise on an artificial surface where the horse doesn't get used to balancing over rougher terrain?
 
We don't have a school at our yard so do some schooling in the fields while its dry enough, my friend lives just 5 mins away and I can use hers but I think its nice for a change.
 
Well I dont have an arena at all so I can ONLY ride in the field! Does suck and quite difficult to keep an eventer fit, Im very lucky with the horse I have that he doesnt need to be ridden every day to keep ticking over.
 
no arena, field does the job.. if a bit slippy tends to ensure he pays more attention :rolleyes: ;) :D It is very unusual for me not be able to school once or twice week, just have to time it to the weather, also lunge on it lots. Its actually been more of a pain this summer than ever before just because of the hard ground.
 
Do you know this is a funny one!

I have only ever had schools at my yard and have never schooled in a field!!

In a way I kind of envy every one who doesn't have a school because then you have no option but to use the field and hack whilst schooling and thus I think myself and my mare are a little sheltered. I also bet your horses are far better behaved and under better direction.

I think my mare would eventually settle in the field but I know it would take a good amount of time as she is spooky in the school, let alone a bigger field area with hedges etc.

Hacking tends to be on the buckle (unless going at speed of course!) and all about chilling out, because I love schooling. But I would love to school in a field, as I think it would really mean I had control of her movements and her proper attention etc and would prepare us for competition more - whereas in a school it is confined and supposedly safer.
 
Up until a few months ago I never schooled on grass! Moved to grass livery as it was better for Pharaoh to be out and although it took a while to get used to it doesnt bother me now. Pharaoh was quite flighty at first and it didnt help that I was nervous about riding oustide of a school (due to accident out hacking) but it is lovley having the freedom of schooling for a bit then going for a nice canter and then a walk to cool off rather then going round in circles all the time. And the fact my confidence for hacking has shot up is a big bonus!
 
It's been really good reading all the replies, so many still school in the field with all the bonuses that brings, mine are much more forward out in the field and I tend to use all of it instead of staying in one place, the field I use is flat and about 1 acre so it's great.

I do get a problem in very wet weather but there is a part of the field where the grass is longer and thicker and they don't seem to slip so much then, but as so many of you have said it teaches our horses to listen, pay attention and be more sure footed which can only be a good thing.

I think it's different if it's a professional dressage rider at top level, but even they should work their horses on grass sometimes and then maybe they wouldn't get so many leg problems? I would rather school on grass than on a very deep shifting surface etc.

I also have a good friend who used to jump grade A horses and she also never had access to a school and did everything on grass, and I can remember trying to get hold of traffic cones to mark out the corners and then use white jump poles to mark the sides, and then we hoped for the best....oh happy times.
 
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