Schooling in your horses field?

I'm are all schooled in open fields as well as the schools. Makes it a lot easier when I'm at a competition to be able to warm up in an open field.
 
She is fine in an open field if not our home territory. There appears to be an issue if it's on home soil ? How do I educate her to listen at home ?
 
My daughter schools her horses in the paddocks at home all the time. She prefers it to the ménage. They are eventers and we are lucky to have gentle hills which are great for fittening and naturally strengthen your horse. Her horses need to be able to do a decent dressage test, and SJ on grass so she wants them to get used to it as it is a different feel to a surface.

Sometimes I think it may be a rider issue rather than a horse issue, as we seem to think we should school in a ménage. Just adopt a workmanlike approach and you will be fine I am sure :)
 
I have been attempting to recently as I have a horse who completely explodes in open spaces so I'm trying to gradually get her used to them! She turns into a total nutcase as soon as her hooves touch grass, however we are getting there slowly... we can now trot and canter in a semi-controlled manner around the paddocks (albeit looking like a giraffe going sideways at 100mph).
The "big field" is still dangerous territory but I'm sure we'll get there eventually. I do prefer it to the school as it's more interesting and we can practise going up and down banks etc, but we definitely achieve more actual work in the arena!
 
Mine have no choice, and no issues with it. Littlest one would usually try to wander off in the direction of the others just after backing, but establishing some steering ended this. Fergs is used to the others crossing the "school" area / in front of jumps while we're working too. He gets on with it and they move if they're about to be run into!
 
Have kept my horses at home for over 10 yrs and only built a school last winter so yes mine are happy to school in their fields too although field is on a bit of a slope so can't do perfect shapes.

Recently backed youngster had his first 'field' schooling session last night and was a gem. As with everything else it can take them a little time to get used to it. Maybe lunge or do some in hand work for a few days and then try again
 
I school mine in the fields often, I like to know that if I had to warm up for a competition in a field, then I'd have some sort of control. I also have a field full of show jumps, and my jumper seems to know that if he goes in that field then he actually has to concentrate.

I am lucky to keep mine on my farm so I have an abundance of fields to ride in, so I try not to ride in the turnout fields if possible. I have noticed that when I do school in them, the horses are slightly more difficult because they know it as their "play" area.

Try to build on schooling in the field, start off with little stuff like lungeing as Wheels suggested and gradually build up to schooling.
 
I tried my cob a few weeks ago for the first time in his field even though I have owned him over five years, he was fine at walk as soon as I asked for trot he exploded!! Off I came, I spoke to a friend of mine about it and she said her horse did exactly the same thing so that was the first and last time I try to school in the field. :D
 
My old mare used to be a nightmare to school in her own field but was fine in her neighbour's field. Never got to the bottom of why, and it was a bit of an inconvenience at times. Don't know why she had an issue with it, as although one field was notionally her own, she just used to jump between them when she fancied it anyway so I don't see why having to work in that one caused such a palaver.
 
Yes I think it's because it is her turnout field she doesn't she why she should have to work. We schooled on our hack today and she was fine. Got home asked her just to walk on a loose rein around the field and she started being a twit again gggrrrrr !! So I asked her to walk one circuit on a loose rein and then hopped off on a good note.

Will lunge this eve or tomorrow and keep it short and sweet and build her up.
 
Sorry only just realised two more posts on another page..... ;) Glad I am not the only one who has a horse with territory issues ;) She is happy to work in anyone elses field and yes I think had I asked for trot last night she would definatly have put me on the floor with great speed and style !!

My gelding who I have backed and brought on myself is so easy and he is only 6. He is himself easy and sweet every day of the week no matter what I ask him to do. I shall rename her quirky ;)
 
A lot of horse's are difficult to school in their own field, because in their minds there's a whole different set of rules that they have associated with that space. I school my current youngster in his fields and he's pretty good now, but the first time we went in there he was a pleb.

I do it with him for two reasons: first is that I like to do some schooling outside of the school and there is nowhere suitable that I can hack to around here; and the second is that he is naturally quite inclined to be nappy and although he knows that he is not allowed to stop, he will still 'hang' and be 'sticky', so it is good for him to learn that he will just keep going round in circles until he stops bananaing himself and scurrying off sideways towards the gate :rolleyes:
 
Never thought twice about it, and expect the horse to behave exactly as it would in the school.

Did it a couple of years ago with my baby exracer and she was as good as gold.
 
wench said:
Never thought twice about it, and expect the horse to behave exactly as it would in the school.

Did it a couple of years ago with my baby exracer and she was as good as gold.
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Yup, like all things, it depends on the horse. It's not an uncommon problem though.
 
yup only place there is... funny that the edges of the field are always more spooky when you are being ridden though...
 
Just keep doing it. I liken it to 'working from home'. Feels a bit weird at first, but you soon get used to it

I school eventer in field as no point practising dressage tests in my school for events as always on grass. Ex-racer often has a hooly too which is good practice for unexpected things when out and about! Upside is both get exercised.
 
twiggy2 said:
only place we have and yes it is hard work when they are having a bad day
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I've always ridden in my horses fields at home, never had a school. I've always left other horses out in the fields too, just ride round them and never ever had a problem. Definately means you learn to ride in any weather / ground conditions for competitions!

Ester - Very true about the edges being spooky, WHY is that?!
 
Crugeran Celt said:
I tried my cob a few weeks ago for the first time in his field even though I have owned him over five years, he was fine at walk as soon as I asked for trot he exploded!! Off I came, I spoke to a friend of mine about it and she said her horse did exactly the same thing so that was the first and last time I try to school in the field. :D
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Yeah know exactly what you mean! Mine did the same.

A friend says not to school in the same field as they live in as they need to be able to differentiate between "work" and "play, and schooling them in a field where they'd normally be relaxing and is basically "their" space, does their heads in.
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
Yeah know exactly what you mean! Mine did the same.

A friend says not to school in the same field as they live in as they need to be able to differentiate between "work" and "play, and schooling them in a field where they'd normally be relaxing and is basically "their" space, does their heads in.
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Ah, nonsense! Horse has to go wherever you say. All ours work in all fields, tracks, and the arena too; basic good manners and obedience.
 
Cortez said:
Ah, nonsense! Horse has to go wherever you say. All ours work in all fields, tracks, and the arena too; basic good manners and obedience.
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That's my mentality too. I don't care if he'd rather not - I've asked him to, so he had better try it.
 
I agree but it is getting her in the right mind set first, so we are going to go with gently gently catchy monkey. Light lunging, inhand work and once we get the idea we are going to do a little bit of work every day without throwing our toys out of the pram and loosing the plot then I will ask her to do some ridden work. I will of course school on hacks and get her listening to me more as I am sure that will help too. When I lunged her last night she threw herself around the circle ( if you can call it that) with her mouth screwed up tail clamped down and legs going everywhere and I only asked her to walk on and I have lunged her before many times when we were at a livery yard and she knows how to behave.....Someone is being a stroppy mare !!

Interestingly I decided to start her daughter today and just asked her to walk a few circles on the lunge to get her to listen to me and work away from the others and she was a gem. Never seen a lunge line, never done a circle and first time walked nicely around be steady rhythm both reins - sweet as a nut. Totally focussed on me and very willing to try as was the pony gelding but he has done it all before :)

I think her Mum is just seeing how far she can push me and patience and firm but fair will get me there I am sure.
 
And in parts of the world where turnout can be limited horses are regularly turned out in the school to 'play', loose schooled, free jumped etc. They don't seem to get confused. If I'm sitting on the horse, it isn't play time, no matter where we are.

Bruce Davidson has a set up in Florida which is essentially two huge fields which provide turnout but also contain his xc course and sj and dressage areas. I'll confess it made me gulp a bit but it certainly does get the horses used to working under different circumstances!
 
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One other point though, turnout areas, especially if they are small and/or clay soil can get very hard relative to less well travelled areas. Even horses in limited areas do a surprising amount of walking in a day. It's possible in some cases where horses object to working in there turnout area, what they're really struggling with is being asked to work on unusually hard going?
 
Always ride mine in his field, he is better in the field than the school any way. Plus I know when we get some where to compete that is on grass he will work as normal.
 
Do you worry about the ground? I'd like to school my boy in the field more but the last month or two, most days, the ground has been like concrete :(
 
MagicMelon said:
Ester - Very true about the edges being spooky, WHY is that?!
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Increased responsibility to protect you obviously! Can't be too careful, certainly nothing at all to do with taking the pee.............

Re the ground gave up worrying about it for the previous 8 years on the basis that he needed the work (partly for weight control) and there were no other options. Now he is older and a bit arthriticy he does more hacking when its hard and I make more effort to go and hire an arena if hard ground persists.
 
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