School Rules - Sorry a bit long

[Shipley]

Dear all please can you help! I have been asked by our YO to produce the complete (or as much as I can) rules of riding in an arena as I seem to be the most experienced Rider at the yard

. We had another near miss with a head on last night and then a girl circled on the landing side of a fence while another was jumping. Most of the yard are happy hackers etc and do not hahve a lot of experience but nice and friendly and happy to be advised on safer ways!

so far I have

1. Always ask before you enter the arena

2 always pass left to left
3. jumps should only be jumped one way the ground pole denotes which way the side it is slightly away from the fence.
4. no walking on the track
5. the horse moving at a higher pace has prioroty (same rein) i.e. a trotting horse must move on to the inner track if a horse cantering wants to come past)
6. if two horses are heading towards eachother in the middle of the arena (ce.g. change of rein) both move left to avoid eachother.
7. if a horse is in counter canter (cantering on the wrong leg) this horse should not move to the left the other ride should (THIS IS THE ONLY EXCEPTION)
8. Always say you are leaving the arena
10. Dont open the gate as someone is riding past it.
11. dont practice halts on the track use the middle of he arena.
12. Dont stop to chat on the outer track use the middle.
13. If someone is lunging the rider hasa to be aware of the lunged horse and must give way to them. (make sure you pass widly to avoid getting tangled up)
14. When passing ensure a sufficient gap is given to avoid horses feeling thretened and kicking.
15. Always pick up your droppings
16. ensure your schooling wip does not interfere with otheres.
17. No galloping with other horses in the arena.

thanks for your help and sorry its so long.

 

[Baileyhoss]

Oh my, I don't know if I could remember all those rules while I am trying to school my horse.

1. What about having a limit on the number of horses, rather than people having to ask to join.
2 is fine
3. is fine
5 imo is unncessary, the horse coming up behind needs to decide whether it is more appropriate to overtake or undertake.
6 is unnecessary as you have already said in number 2 to pass l to l.
7 unncessary. If a horse is cantering towards me, I'm not going to check what leg they are on before i decide which way to move - keep the left to left rule. It's up to the rider to look ahead and plan their exercise.
8. why?
10 fine
11. what about don't practice halts without looking behind you. Does really matter where they are?
12 Good one
13 I would never ride in a school where a horse is being lunged, unless it's huge and I could completely stay end to end away from the the other horse. horses being lunged should really book out 10-15 mins, to use the school alone unless it's big enough to just use one end.

14 - and 16 are fairly similar, could be covered by please be considerate of others and keep your distances.
15 fine.
17 fine

I think you have covered everything.

 

[Shipley]

opps posted it twice sorry slow connection

 

[Shipley]

thanks

YO wont limit the school use. That would solve all the problems!!

 

[Booboos]

I think all your rules are exactly the ones I was taught and would expect other people to follow them! They seem like common sense to me and I don't have a problem noticing when someone is in counter-canter (which to be fair takes ages to set up and can cause steering problems, which is why I always thought you have to give priority to people in c-c).

 

[Shipley]

Thanks

Booboos, they are what I have been taught but its difficult when you need to do a list as I just ride them if that makes sence. I am not a proffesional either so thats why I wanted to make sure they covering most areas

 

[SirenaXVI]

Yep those are the standard rules and the ones I was taught

 

[lochpearl]

Personally i agree with Baileyhoss - there shouldn't be horses lunged whilst people are riding, it is just too dangerous and also as you say they are inexperienced it is an accident waiting to happen. I have never been to a yard where lunging is permitted when people are schooling.
Left to left good
jumping - my previous yard had a lot of SJers and they used to call the fence loudly before jumping so people could get out of the way - this worked perfectly.
Also I agree in some ways what you are saying about the slower riders moving off the track but in most cases it is the faster rider that 'overtakes' on the inside, I cannot understand why people wouldn't talk out of courtesy to each other to say they are going to canter.
TBH people shouldn't just stop for a chat if other people are trying to school but I would agree that they should do this out of the way of others.
Sorry that you are having problems Ship, I hope they all appreciate your help!!

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

You make other riders aware that you are about to leave the arena for the same reason you do for entering it. You don't want eager neds napping to an open gate or slow/stopped horses getting run into. I would only add that you should mount/dismount in the centre of the arena and other riders should not zoom past a rider who is mounting/dismounting or adjusting stirrups/girth in the centre.

 

[AmyMay]

Ooo that;s a bit of an essay.

How about:

Always pass left to left.

Give way to the faster pace.

Use your common sense.

 

[lochpearl]

I agree AmyMay but it seems like none of them have common sense if Ship is having to write a list for them and if they keep 'nearly' having colisions (sp)!!

 

[AmyMay]

[ QUOTE ]
I agree AmyMay but it seems like none of them have common sense if Ship is having to write a list for them and if they keep 'nearly' having colisions (sp)!!

[/ QUOTE ]
Sounds as if they just need a good talking to really though, rather than a massive long list of do's and don'ts...

 

[HollyP]

Those are the same rules i was brought up on.....except in thailand they ride right to right so now it totally confuses me and i cant nolonger tell me left and right!

 

[Shipley]

Thanks everyone

Unfortunitally I have tried the nice approach and its getting very dangerous now. I had a screeming match last night with a mum as the children don't know any different and they go mad when you say it was their fault. I do try to ride at 6 - 7am to avoid it but have been asked if we can have a list of all the rules so they can learn them and a couple of the adults said they have never been taught them (they do have common sence) but would like you know so just trying to be helpful.

 

[at work]

According to the BHS school rules are:
Riding School Rules - 1. KNOCK And WAIT For PERMISSION To ENTER, 2. Approaching Other Riders - Pass LEFT HAND to LEFT HAND, 3. Riders at WALK, WORK AWAY From The TRACK, 4. HALT AWAY From The Track. Do No Impede Other Riders, 5. Do Not Pass Slower Riders From Behind - Circle Or Turn Away Across The School, 6. Warn ALL RIDERS If You Intend To Leave The School.

If you ask riders passing when changing rein to move ot the left, they will be passing R -R which could be confusing

The rules above are mostly the same as yours though, if a bit simplistic - they don't take account of jumping, or lateral work, so you do have ot agree some extra code.

 

[kerilli]

umm, if you are passing left-left, but both move left to avoid a collision on the diagonal, that would mean you were passing right-right! i'd scratch that one.
i think i'd rephrase 5, because otherwise you've got to keep looking over your shoulder all the time. i'd simply say "overtake with care or circle away, do not get too close to the horse in front.)
most important - teach everyone how to ride with "soft eyes" (i.e. opening their perceptions, being aware of everyone in the arena rather than staring straight ahead) as this is proven to make things much safer and prevent collisions! just ask them to be aware of the things at the edges of their range of vision, all the time.
best of luck.

 

[Shipley]

Thanks Guys I have condensed it a bit and its gonig up in the newsletter and on the notice board. Fingers crossed no more accidents a couple of adults have already asked me if I have done them so they can take a copy to learn! - Just want everyone to be able to ride safely without having to shut my eyes as i am so scared for them.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Ship - I wonder if you could organise an hours "fun" ride in the school. All riders and horses gather as if for a group lesson. You and a stooge ham it up and do "before" and "after" incidents on horseback. You could even have a competition: how many potential accidents can you spot in the following ridden demo? Then you do your deliberately OTT no-rules display. Loads of crashing into each other, almost falling off, screaming abuse at your stooge, etc etc. Prize is a lesson or bottle of something over 11% proof depending lol. Then other riders do movements in 2s and 3s with the rest offering constructive criticism. Could be fun and non-threatening?

 

[kizzywiz]

I always thought lateral movements took right of way?? Thank god we get 1 hours exclusive use of the school daily included in our livery.

 

[argyle]

I like Box of Frogs suggestion, thank god I have my own school!

Have a look at some of the bigger copetition centres, some have a set of rules for warm up arenas which should be similar to what you are after.

Good luck!

 

[RobinHood]

Yes I always thought those doing lateral work had priority, otherwise it would be a pain in the backside to do shoulder in on the right rein.

 

[palomino_pony]

We had to put up rules in the school to be covered by insurance anyway - thought livery yards had to display arena use rules - perhaps its just us!

 

[BeckyD]

But if they aren't used to school etiquette, a list of pointers is exactly what they do need. I imagine Ship has posted her post becuase she needs help on the list, rather than the necessity of having a list in the first place. There are things you don't come across very often (where I am I never come across someone in counter canter) so I wouldn't remember that one unless I had something visual to jog my memory.

I think it's a good list, covers all the sorts of things you need to know. ETS: I hadn't read to the bottom

 

[eoe]

About jumping the jump should they not saying "jumping", so everyone knows they are jumping and can keep out of way? Thats what we do at shows when collecting ring is busy.