If you school on grass...

RubysGold

RubysGold

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how much do you worry about the ground?
I don't have an arena, we have a nice big, flat-ish piece of grass to ride on, we have arena boards set up with letters out, and we have another bit with jumps on it.
If the ground gets really wet, obviously we don't ride on it, if its a little damp I test it for slippiness.
But I was just wondering how much people worry about it being too wet or too dry/hard, sometimes it seems to go from one extreme to the other with not much "ideal" ground condition.
I worry about the hard ground, but then I think of eventers and such, the xc courses must be hard ground most of the summer....
 
There is nothing wrong imo in schooling on a grass field. Everyone did that (International riders, the lot) before arenas became the norm and nobody died. I cannot understand the current obsession with having to have access to a school. Makes no sense to me at all. Don't worry op, carry on regardless all will be well.
 
I also don't have an arena so ride in the field, I am obsessed with the ground conditions! I won't ride if it is too slippy or too hard, last week it was baked so I didn't ride in the field until we had some rain on Monday night and then I couldn't ride Tuesday morning as too wet but managed it yesterday! Today it is too wet again!

It's a right pain, can't wait to get a manege put in!
 
As long as your grass area has been well prepared ie harrowed and rolled so there are no lumps and bumps, you should be able to use it very effectively.

That is all I had for 25 years, and like you, I put up dressage boards and markers. I topped the grass with a walk behind mower once a week.

Some common sense is required, though. Like this afternoon, as the rain is bucketing down, would not be a good time to school here as the rain is falling on hard ground and it would be very slippery. It may be much better tomorrow if there is a nice drying wind, so you need to keep flexible with your plans.

Its a pain having a grass arena if you have an instructor in to teach you, as you can be sure that the ground will be too hard/slippery/boggy/frozen at the time that the lesson is due to commence! Or it always was with me, anyway.
 
I also have a grass area, I don't school if slippery when wet but it dries fast. When hard and dry I still school as I don't see any difference to hacking out on the roads (and we are barefoot), but I reduce the canter work right down.
 
We don't turn out on that grass (it isn't fenced in) so it doesn't get harrowed or anything but it isn't bumpy

It can be a slight problem, as you say, with the instructors, luckily mine will text me on a wet day and is quite happy for me to cancel


Clava that's a good point, our hacking is all hard ground
 
I'm quite careful about working in straight lines / where I'm cantering etc when it's slippy as we school mostly on grass. I'm less concerned by hard grounds but will moderate my intentions if it's very hard.
 
After schooling last night on "pasture" grass for the first time in years last night I can say that it does not compare to the an arena surface. I have no idea how I managed it for years and years. He couldn't get his inside hind underneath him, was slipping all over the place and could barely manage a 20m circle!! we ended up jumping the dressage boards on a couple of occasions. quite a depressing exercise all round! I have no idea how the eventers manage to train on a surface and then go and compete on grass! Xx
 
I wouldn't worry about having 'the ideal' - what's ideal for you might not be ideal for your horse, and it's good schooling to have to work through when either you, your horse, or both are slightly out of your comfort zone.

My horse events, and runs his best on ground I would consider a bit on the hard side. Old pony prefers it to be on the wet side!
 
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I have never had a school either! I used to check the weather reports and plan what I was going to do with the pony each week. If the ground radically changed then would have to change the plans! Would never school when it was soaking wet obviously. I would still school on hard ground but only light schooling and very little cantering, no jumping etc. If I had to hack instead I would school out on a hack normally.

I personally prefer schooling on grass to an arena :)
 
I don't mind schooling on grass as a surface but mine all tend to be naughty in a field as I don't have a 'schooling'field that is separate from their fun time field. Arenas are not always better, my field drains quicker than the school I use up the road and whilst it doesn't get slippy, I hate trying to make them work in a really deep surface.
 
I'm so glad to read this thread! I have moved the horses home and have just bought a new horse, all I have is a grass arena until I can afford a menage. Nice to know I'm not the only one!
 
The best yard I've been at had an outdoor menage surfaced in bark, it was too deep and the top layer was loose so quite dusty. I preferred riding on the jump field, and my horse goes a lot better on grass :) I just have to take all the poles down other wise he gets stupidly excited lol. Wings are fine but if he sees a horizontal pole which isn't on the floor he's unstoppable :)
At college there was a very large sand and rubber menage and he went lovely on that, but still grass is his favourite. I would hack out if it was too wet but still ride on hard ground as there was a lot of road hacking anyway
 
I have only ever had fields to ride in all my life and it teaches you and your horse to be more balanced in your work. Too many people rely on the safety of 4 walls and a non-slip surface. Get out of the box and teach your horse and yourself to be more confident on grass! It's not hard!
 
It was a couple of years of wet summers that kept me on the arena surface; last summer was the first time for ages that we have been able to use the fields for riding and they all slipped about like crazy for the first week or so. Then they got the hang of it and were grand; since our "day job" riding is all on grass it is essential that they are able to cope with the surface, wet or dry. Always riding in an arena is not great if you want to be able to operate on any ground. The only ground I won't ride on is bottomless muck.
 
I've never had an arena either.

I used to hunt and event so it was important for my horses to go on grass, and yes unless there is snow on the ground I always school in the fields. If necessary I would use studs for jumping but I think it's important for them to learn to go on all surfaces.
 
Suelin said:
There is nothing wrong imo in schooling on a grass field. Everyone did that (International riders, the lot) before arenas became the norm and nobody died. I cannot understand the current obsession with having to have access to a school. Makes no sense to me at all. Don't worry op, carry on regardless all will be well.
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Brilliant reply. :D
 
Tinsel Trouble said:
After schooling last night on "pasture" grass for the first time in years last night I can say that it does not compare to the an arena surface. I have no idea how I managed it for years and years. He couldn't get his inside hind underneath him, was slipping all over the place and could barely manage a 20m circle!! we ended up jumping the dressage boards on a couple of occasions. quite a depressing exercise all round! I have no idea how the eventers manage to train on a surface and then go and compete on grass! Xx
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EKW said:
I have only ever had fields to ride in all my life and it teaches you and your horse to be more balanced in your work. Too many people rely on the safety of 4 walls and a non-slip surface. Get out of the box and teach your horse and yourself to be more confident on grass! It's not hard!
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We have no arena and would have no chance of getting planning permission for one, even if we could afford it but it is definitely not at the top of our wish list. We school in the field when the ground is suitable, on hacks when the field is too wet and can hire a school if we need to but if it was good enough for the very successful eventer who used to live nearby, it's good enough for us!


I do wonder what some people are schooling for, many dressage comps are on grass and almost all shows are held on grass, so how do those horses who are ridden 'on a surface' manage?
 
I guess people like an arena just so that they can ride whenever they want rather than waiting for the right conditions. To be honest, I'd be grateful to be able to ride anywhere! YO has given us all our own little paddocks and has taken on more liveries so the whole field is taken up :(. I'm not getting to ride because I had a knee op in January so I don't really want my first time back on to be on the roads.
 
The only arena mine sees is once a fortnight for our lesson. He has always schooled on the grass and is barefoot. He doesn't slip and as a youngster I think it is important he learns that he has to behave and work, an open field does not equal hoon time!!!
 
I just tailor what I do to the ground, so I rarely jump at home for example as its rare the ground is good enough (even though I compete eventing/SJ normally). Can do pole work etc. though even if its just in walk. I dont do much cantering etc. if its slippy or hard. Its hard to get a horse fit enough for eventing because of this, but I just ensure mine are kept out 24/7 which I think helps them tick over a bit fitness wise.
 
I started riding 40 years ago. No one had a manage. You rode in your field and hacked. I boxed up once a fortnight to have an indoor lesson on sawdust. Used to make my pony sneeze. Could hardly see in the late summer nights with the sun coming through the wooden slats of the barn. Anyway, all my competition ponies were sound. Could last all day hunting on rough ground. Funny enough, a few years ago when my daughter went to a pony club rally on a sun baked field, ponies were pulling up lame because they couldn't cope. Perhaps it doesn't do them any good to use a sand school all the time.
 
buddylove said:
The only arena mine sees is once a fortnight for our lesson. He has always schooled on the grass and is barefoot. He doesn't slip and as a youngster I think it is important he learns that he has to behave and work, an open field does not equal hoon time!!!
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Agree
 
I'm giggling. Arena's are still quite rare here, although there are more than there used to be. We used to compete on nothing but grass, but things have moved on and most dressage is now done on all weather arenas.
-s far as at home goes, I school in an open paddock that the cows graze - avoiding the cow pats is second nature. I do get up to the nearest arena (40 minute drive) most weekends though. During the winter I do struggle, as the farm is just too wet, but have never done it any different. It's what you get used to.
 
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