Tell me about life with no arena and no trailer

[Goldenstar]

Tbh people can’t and should not be forced to provide the public with facilities if they don’t choose to run a business .
Where would we stop this swimming pools , tennis courts, huge kitchens where people rarely cook.
Many People have lots of things that are rarely used .

 

[palo1]

Perhaps it is time for the powers that be refuse planning permission and build arenas and car parks close to horse centered areas and then anyone could use them That is a joke obviously but it would be nice in dream land where people didn't abuse things and could be ordered in their approach

Yes, community equestrian facilities would be lovely! Skateboarders get their skateparks and that provides community access and at least one job!

 

[palo1]

Tbh people can’t and should not be forced to provide the public with facilities if they don’t choose to run a business .
Where would we stop this swimming pools , tennis courts, huge kitchens where people rarely cook.
Many People have lots of things that are rarely used .

This is all true. It is also probably part of the reason we are in a serious climate crisis (I am NOT blaming arena owners for climate apocalypse btw!!). We can't all go on having what we want though and actually I do think that we need more community swimming and other sports and leisure facilities.

Also, in terms of the changes that are going to be very necessary farmers for one are going to be effectively 'forced' to provide the public with facilities (ie public access and environmental work). I do understand about not choosing to run a business though.

 

[Goldenstar]

Community yes but strangers rocking up to peoples houses no.

 

[palo1]

Community yes but strangers rocking up to peoples houses no.

Yes, I wouldn't suggest strangers turning up but perhaps before planning permission was given for an arena, some level of community interest could be required so that a limited community access would be a condition of that. A friend of mine has done some research around this for an environmental group and I think generally speaking up to 30 access points a year was being kicked around. In practice, if you built an arena 2 of your neighbours/friends could use it each 15 times (slightly more than once a month each) to fulfill that community 'need/value'. Holding a clinic, saddle fitting/vetting etc would also qualify. I didn't think that was unreasonable or potentially unworkable tbh.

 

[FestiveFuzz]

Yes, I know there are issues with privacy and access. I guess it is a personal bugbear of mine but I live somewhere where I have seen numerous arenas put in and whilst as an equestrian (without access to an arena) I get how incredibly useful that facility is, I can't help also but see the impact of this kind of land damage. Sorry, I know it's not a popular view and I am not intending to offend anyone at all. I too make decisions about how to use my money that others might disagree with and no, I would not particularly want to be forced to make any of my facilities public as it were if I had a lovely arena but it is still something that along with every other form of consumption and development that we all need to think about.

I do get that, but you can’t always know the circumstances. To all intents and purposes our arena has been sat unused most of the summer, but that’s because the surface we inherited when we bought the place is quite frankly dangerous and we’re still waiting for our new surface to arrive (but that’s a whole other rant). Currently we have an idyllic setup with not a horse in sight as both my boys have been shipped out to livery, one to a rehab yard to help with his injury and the other to my trainer as we figured now was our only chance to make the changes to the stables. To a passerby they probably think what a waste, whilst I’m sat counting down to when my boys can return home.

 

[dorsetladette]

As a small child my parents had a stable yard at the back of a sheep/diary farm. We have a small paddock around the back (probably not that small in todays standards) which the stallions got tuned out in for a couple of hours each everyday. This was also where most of the breaking/schooling was done. We would ride up to the bridle path (middlewood way) which used to be a train track and hack to a space that was quite wide (I think it was the old sidings). It was a sand tack and this area was sand as well. Some one had put a few old jumps there and we would school and play about over jumps there. This was the only time I would of ridden round in circles as a child unless I was in a show ring. We competed (on a show string) at national level, taking ponies to olympia, Ponies uk etc every year. My parents earnt the respect of a few nice pony breeders/owners and there business eventually outgrew the yard they had. We moved to a (what we thought) very swish purpose built yard with an indoor and outdoor school. The indoor got used to store hay and straw in winter and the broodmares overnighted loose in there out of the weather the outdoor was used to park trailers and lorries of liveries and we schooled in the paddock next to it. Guess old habits die hard!

 

[southerncomfort]

Yes, I wouldn't suggest strangers turning up but perhaps before planning permission was given for an arena, some level of community interest could be required so that a limited community access would be a condition of that. A friend of mine has done some research around this for an environmental group and I think generally speaking up to 30 access points a year was being kicked around. In practice, if you built an arena 2 of your neighbours/friends could use it each 15 times (slightly more than once a month each) to fulfill that community 'need/value'. Holding a clinic, saddle fitting/vetting etc would also qualify. I didn't think that was unreasonable or potentially unworkable tbh.

But that's still not going to come anywhere near covering the costs of insurance and business rates. Their would have to be a way of ensuring that the owner isn't out of pocket and doesn't have strangers on their property all year round.

The people that owned our property before us ran clinics and hired out the school without any insurance which in my mind is absolutely crazy.

BTW the riders that wanted to hire my school for a fiver an hour also wanted me to buy a full set of jumps for them to use! I can't imagine people like that being very respectful of me, my family and my property.

 

[milliepops]

I think i get what you're saying Palo. i would like to put in an arena eventually, i think it will be a *massive* planning fight to get that. it would be used daily by me easily, but if it would grease the planning wheels i would definitely be open to hosting something like saddle fitting or a clinic now and then as a community asset, provided it was managed and not a free for all. having no facilities at home i know how useful i'd find it if that was available within hacking distance or a short box trip. we would have parking for at least one vehicle at a time and the access isn't brilliant but manageable.

 

[Squeak]

I think i get what you're saying Palo. i would like to put in an arena eventually, i think it will be a *massive* planning fight to get that. it would be used daily by me easily, but if it would grease the planning wheels i would definitely be open to hosting something like saddle fitting or a clinic now and then as a community asset, provided it was managed and not a free for all. having no facilities at home i know how useful i'd find it if that was available within hacking distance or a short box trip. we would have parking for at least one vehicle at a time and the access isn't brilliant but manageable.

Agreed, you put it much better than I would have. I also think if there was some sort of reduction in business rates or insurance then I would let neighbours who I know or friends use it now and then and that could make the difference between them needing to build one themselves or not.

 

[windand rain]

Grass school taken today on a horrid foggy day

 

[palo1]

View attachment 84316
Grass school taken today on a horrid foggy day

What sort of things do you do in your school at this time of year? Next year I am going to leave a bit of the winter grazing for working on once or twice a week - it may not cope with that much tbh but I am interested to see what others do.

 

[windand rain]

What sort of things do you do in your school at this time of year? Next year I am going to leave a bit of the winter grazing for working on once or twice a week - it may not cope with that much tbh but I am interested to see what others do.

Everything 2/3 times a week including small jumps as thats all the child does but when we had the better riders we jumped up to 90cm on the bigger ponies

 

[MotherOfChickens]

View attachment 84316
Grass school taken today on a horrid foggy day

my fields look like that but walk/ride over them and you'd be ankle/fetlock deep if you were lucky.

 

[windand rain]

The school is only marginally greener than the track which is often a couple of inches under water
ponies gallop up and down daily

 

[Goldenstar]

I have an area set aside for working the horses I love it but we don’t use it from mid October or so till March depend when .

 

[MagicMelon]

Ive never had an arena, also live in rural Scotland. I just do what I can, at the moment my field is too muddy so literally when I ride I just do walking exercises. I could hack but havent started to yet as new horse. I do have a trailer though as I compete. Ive entered a local jumping show tomorrow purely so I can get to ride properly on a surface! I would say you would likely need a trailer. I think unless you found some neighbour who didnt mind taking you places, the chances are low. I love keeping my horses at home but I also dream of better facilities (just an arena would change my life!).

 

[bonnysmum]

I'd be shocked if you could keep an area that small suitable to ride in more than a one off. I certainly wouldnt want to be cantering 15m circles on wet grass and or muddy ground!

Exactly my thoughts, hence thinking we'll only be using this area for limited trotting and in hand work on the weekends ?

 

[tda]

Wrong thread...

 

[SEL]

What sort of things do you do in your school at this time of year? Next year I am going to leave a bit of the winter grazing for working on once or twice a week - it may not cope with that much tbh but I am interested to see what others do.

Mine gets quite slippery because it was over grazed due to shelter delivery delays. Fine for walk and trot work but the pony isn't balanced enough for me to want to canter her on it. Pole work etc for the non ridden one. It won't be grazed next year (apart from a bit of equine lawnmower) so hopefully will be less slippy