sasquatch
Well-Known Member
My yard runs jumping leagues and small shows fairly regularly, so I don't often leave to compete (and haven't done much riding lately or been able to compete!)
one of the things I hate is the warmups. The biggest thing for me is some of the smaller kids on ponies who seem to jump the same pony in half the classes, and seem to hog the whole warmup as the pony is made to canter round as fast as possible, and you get out of the way.
It really, really annoyed me. It's normally the same riders, under about 13 years old, who just send the ponies doing laps in canter and racing them over increasingly high warmup fences without any regard for anyone else who may actually need to warm up to jump. And parents seem to encourage it or do nothing other than tell people to move.
People who walk infront of the fence, or parents who raise jumps up high for their kids, walk off and leave the jumps up, then tell you not to jump/change height as their child is warming up over fences - even though they have walked off and left and child isn't approaching the fences but walking round the arena.
Likewise, people who hog the jumps and whack them up high and warm up for the 90cm, but in doing so, make it nearly impossible for someone warming up for the 60 or 70cm that is taking place or about to start to get warmed up properly.
People who will walk in front of a jump as you're coming into it, or walk infront, stand and talk to their pal stood at the jump, whilst people are yelling at them to move including others stood at the jump and your own person helping you warm up. And they act annoyed/flustered for being told to move! Sorry, my cob coming into a fence, no matter what height, at an active canter, will either crash into you, or stop suddenly and send me flying! It's not too hard to see where others are warming up.
I can't stand people who will just ride where they please, I've been nearly crashed into several times whilst warming up and using a circle (to stay out of the way of those doing laps!) when the person doing a lap in canter has lost control and cuts across my path or puts their horse/pony on a tiny circle so they can eventually stop. It's not so hard to look around an arena and if you are having an issue yell so the person around you knows.
The whizzy kids who will ride right up behind you and overtake with barely any room really, really irritate me. I don't know if that came across, but my horse whilst he wouldn't kick, is easily excitable and basic ring etiquette is to leave others enough room.
I also don't like how there are some judgemental so and sos who whilst helping warm their friends/child/partner/relative up feel the need to make comment or don't help a rider when needed, be it by being asked if they could put a fence back down when they're done, being asked if they could let someone else use the fence or even as much as helping a rider who's fallen at a fence they're standing next too. I understand you have to keep an eye on your child/partner/relative/friend but if someone has a fall a few feet from you, or at the jump you're stood chatting at, then making sure they're ok or making other riders aware someone has fallen at the fence doesn't seem like too much to ask. Maybe it's just me, but if a rider fell at a fence I was stood at, I would at least make sure any other rider knew not to approach until the faller and their horse were safely out of the approach and landing.
one of the things I hate is the warmups. The biggest thing for me is some of the smaller kids on ponies who seem to jump the same pony in half the classes, and seem to hog the whole warmup as the pony is made to canter round as fast as possible, and you get out of the way.
It really, really annoyed me. It's normally the same riders, under about 13 years old, who just send the ponies doing laps in canter and racing them over increasingly high warmup fences without any regard for anyone else who may actually need to warm up to jump. And parents seem to encourage it or do nothing other than tell people to move.
People who walk infront of the fence, or parents who raise jumps up high for their kids, walk off and leave the jumps up, then tell you not to jump/change height as their child is warming up over fences - even though they have walked off and left and child isn't approaching the fences but walking round the arena.
Likewise, people who hog the jumps and whack them up high and warm up for the 90cm, but in doing so, make it nearly impossible for someone warming up for the 60 or 70cm that is taking place or about to start to get warmed up properly.
People who will walk in front of a jump as you're coming into it, or walk infront, stand and talk to their pal stood at the jump, whilst people are yelling at them to move including others stood at the jump and your own person helping you warm up. And they act annoyed/flustered for being told to move! Sorry, my cob coming into a fence, no matter what height, at an active canter, will either crash into you, or stop suddenly and send me flying! It's not too hard to see where others are warming up.
I can't stand people who will just ride where they please, I've been nearly crashed into several times whilst warming up and using a circle (to stay out of the way of those doing laps!) when the person doing a lap in canter has lost control and cuts across my path or puts their horse/pony on a tiny circle so they can eventually stop. It's not so hard to look around an arena and if you are having an issue yell so the person around you knows.
The whizzy kids who will ride right up behind you and overtake with barely any room really, really irritate me. I don't know if that came across, but my horse whilst he wouldn't kick, is easily excitable and basic ring etiquette is to leave others enough room.
I also don't like how there are some judgemental so and sos who whilst helping warm their friends/child/partner/relative up feel the need to make comment or don't help a rider when needed, be it by being asked if they could put a fence back down when they're done, being asked if they could let someone else use the fence or even as much as helping a rider who's fallen at a fence they're standing next too. I understand you have to keep an eye on your child/partner/relative/friend but if someone has a fall a few feet from you, or at the jump you're stood chatting at, then making sure they're ok or making other riders aware someone has fallen at the fence doesn't seem like too much to ask. Maybe it's just me, but if a rider fell at a fence I was stood at, I would at least make sure any other rider knew not to approach until the faller and their horse were safely out of the approach and landing.
