Schooling in a field!!! Hints tips advice!

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cheekywelshie

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So i've gone from 3 schools and an XC course to...none! But lots of fields! I've had more forwardness but also a bit of napping and a canter that is difficult to maintain on a 'circle' in a field esp a 20 m one cos he thinks 'hang on a minute...!!'

So any ideas for how I can make the best of my schooling in the field?

:)
 
I only had a field for many years and marked out a makeshift arena in one corner so I only had to mark out 2 sides with whatever was available and my horse got used to working in that area. its not easy but I competed regularly and didn't disgrace myself so it is do-able although not easy...
 
I much prefer schooling in a field - only ever had fields to ride in unless I went for a lesson :)

I never marked out an area, I literally just used to school in the field, mine are always ridden in the field as soon as they are backed so it is never a big deal.

For your canter issues just do loads of transitions, but in answer to your question I don't do anything differently in the field than I do in an arena - expect of course I can go for a blast up the field at the end - brilliant :)
 
Done both of the above, I'm lucky to have brilliant hacking just by leaving my house, lots of natural schooling aids, a line of trees, weave through them, use field edges for shoulders in, backing up,leg yields etc, on the other hand I did create an arena with electric fencing, so I could do pole work and let my rider jump some canoes, dodgy branches and some sort of drainage pipe, my horses take everything in their stride, I currently have a bolshy 5 yr old, a circular copse of trees and will he go round it? will he hellars like, ridden or in hand, these trees are going to eat him, but he will get there, you are only limited by your imagination, my advice, go for both, great fun either way
 
I have never had an arena, always a field and nothing marked out. The joy of a field is that if your horse starts napping like yours is you can forget what you are doing and just send it forwards and keep going forwards until your horse is no longer thinking about napping then you can do whatever it is you were planning on doing just somewhere else in the field.
 
Make an area if you can. I use poles on the floor. straightens was a real problem before I did this it also helps with riding corners. If my horse is straight and up off his shoulder every thing else comes easily.
 
echo all the other posters, we "only" have fields to school in and I have a green five year old , although i do have an arena area marked off in a corner if practicing for a dressage test etc -rest of time I school around the fields or out hacking, you just have to be creative and it certainly does help with getting them forward as you have loads of space to keep asking without running out of arena space !

my worst problem at the moment is when i want to make a turn away from the general yard/home direction in trot or canter -he gets a bit nappy and just tries to ignore my outside aid , hence doing a crab impression and going sideways !! but we are getting there and it is all good practice for perfecting the steering I guess :-)

also when you do go and ride on a surface it all feels so easy :-)
 
I have never had an arena so have had to make do with a field which is on a very slight slope. I try topic in studs whenever I have time as I find my horse relaxes more and doesn't tense up around the corners etc. when they have the extra security of studs. Also as others have said it is helpful to mark out and arena with poles in the corners or white plastic dressage boards which are what I use and are great for practising tests in.
 
honestly I have a field and we mark it out, it's a little bumpy in some areas but it is brill! Specially because it will learn your horse to keep much more straighter and is usually the ground at comps (outdoor) we have sectioned ours off because my 17.2hh wb got a lil too excited with 2 acres worth! Honestly better than an arena, you can gallop freely and have some lovely canters!
 
Trees and other landmarks can be used as markers for straight lines and arena markers. Just don't do what my friend did - practising for the World Champs we were in the middle of a (driven) dressage test when she yelped "my E has moved" - daft thing had picked a sheep as a marker for E and of course the woolly thing had wandered away!
 
We find schooling with added sheep a bit of a problem, as they insist on getting under the feet, it sometimes makes circles a tad awkward, and I have to watch that the appaloosa doesn't try and jump them :D
 
I usually have to clear the cows off of my patch before starting, and curious calves can be a bit of a distraction. I find thistles and cow pats better for markers - they tend to stay still.
 
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