Riding in fields.....

nikicb

nikicb

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Hi,
This may sound a strange question, but I'd be interested in hearing from people who don't have access to a school but school in their own fields. I'm asking because we are just about to get somewhere for the first time in my life where I can keep my horses at home and won't have a school. For most of the time I've been riding I have had access to some sort of school (spoilt I know!) and when I didn't I was just a happy hacker. Obviously it depends on the weather etc, but how much of year do you find you are able to still keep the schooling ticking over in the field. Any input would be appreciated! Thanks.
 
I think if you can school in a field well, you are better of then you would be in a school. Your horse will be used to working on a service that isn't perfect, he should also find competing on grass a lot easier then horses who only 'work' in a school.
 
When I was a kid I used to ride my friend's pony in their field because they didn't have a school. I think they used the field all year round, but in the winter the track round the edge would get very very muddy so I think they just avoided going on the track and stayed towards the middle of the field instead. They didn't ride in there very often though, probably only once a week, if that.
 
yeah you just had to be enventive....... i can school/ hack nearly all year round BUT have to take account of ground conditions, stock in field and crops. IMO you do need a school just 'the exercise', as i'll school on roads and fields and it's never held me back. In some way it a huge avantage as my boys are used to grass and have a foot in each corner
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We don't have our own school, so either use our field, hack out, or hack ten minutes to use a friend's school. I find that our field is normally fine to ride on from about February/March til about early November, after that it usually tends to be a bit too wet and slippy to do much serious schooling on.
 
yup we have had our field and no school for 5 years., 4.5 acres total though and 2 horses. flat field.

Even when it is pretty wet we will still lunge in it, if it gets very wet we resort to riding round the edge of it. Go for a proper lesson once a fortnight and try and go evening SJ once a fortnight.

I get up in time to hack at first light a couple of mornings in the winter too as we have a flat 1/2 mile stretch we can canter on to get them well exercised.

Still compete in pretty much everything, never really had any leg issues due to it, our dressage on grass is fab.

We have an arena made with white guttering for practising in and move it about the field once hay is made etc.
 
We do have a school but when the ground is good, I prefer to school in our big field. I can trick the horse into thinking it's "fun" time rather than schooling time, plus if he gets a bit stuck on something, we can always go for a quick blast to take his mind off it, then come back to it later.
 
I have no school but yard owner happy for us to use the fields whenever we like. We just use common sense re ground conditions but not very often so bad we can't use any of them. On the plus side, horsey is used to working when others are still grazing, wandering about and pretty much spook proof with rabbits, pheasants and sheep jumping out at him. I was also told that getting him used to working on a good but not necessarily dead flat surface won't do him any harm, helps him to think for himself, pick his feet up and uses a few more muscles!
 
We have recently been given the use of a school, up until now we have always laid out a school in the field, either just with cones to mark the corners, or with tape as the ring.

What I have found is that in the school my boy goes into 'school' mode. He has obviously had a lot of schooling in the past (not necessarily a good thing). In the field both he and I have to work much harder. I think this is better for both of us as it makes us both think and listen to one another.
 
I hate it. The ground is nearly always either too hard (and slippy) or too wet/muddy (and slippy). If you have proper old turf, fab - better than a school surface. But most of us don't have that. I find it makes me ride a million times worse as I'm worried about the horse slipping/falling/knocking itself/getting concussion from rock-solid summer ground/pulling a tendon if it's too deep... etc etc
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I'm a proper prissy dressage rider
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For almost a year I was spoilt because I could take my horse to my stables 6 times a week and rode him on a surface, albeit not a great one. Since leaving that yard I have only been able to school on my field, and if I'm honest he has improved so much!!
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But I'm going to be a spoilt rider again and have pretty much sole use of a sand school, whenever i want it.

When we buy our house, dad has said he will be putting in a sand school, but I may keep an area of field free too...

I think there are benefits and disadvantages, because you can't really ride on grass all year round.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I hate it. The ground is nearly always either too hard (and slippy) or too wet/muddy (and slippy). If you have proper old turf, fab - better than a school surface. But most of us don't have that. I find it makes me ride a million times worse as I'm worried about the horse slipping/falling/knocking itself/getting concussion from rock-solid summer ground/pulling a tendon if it's too deep... etc etc
smirk.gif

I'm a proper prissy dressage rider
tongue.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

I think it depends on how much land you have and if you intend to graze the area you school on as well.

I don't suffer very often with hard ground as I choose to not graze one of the "schooling paddocks" at all. The extra grass coverage works two ways. The ground is neither baked as easily by the sun or affected by mud so much when it gets wet.

I live on a big dairy farm, so in the depths of winter, when the cows are inside, I have free access to the whole farm for riding. I find in larger fields I can school any time of the year, but my 20m circles tend to be nearer 60m to account for the cut in the ground/mud.

I do more in straight lines over winter.
 
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