Those of you without arenas...

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marion95

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Hi guys,

I am at a lovely yard with an arena practically to myself at the moment - but the turn out is becoming a nightmare - not what I was led to believe at all and I am not happy with my horses having to stay in every time it rains.

So I am looking at other places, but don't want to go back to a busy livery yard. I have found a couple of private places with just stables and grazing, but no arena. I Can ride in the fields however as long as safe (ie not too muddy).

I compete BE so need to be able to school. How do others cope with riding in makeshift field arenas etc?

Thanks
 
I struggled last year whilst our arena was being re-furbished. However, I could hack over to my old yard and use theirs whenever I needed.

I would certainly put the turnout situation over the lack of an arena - even if it were only a temporary move until somewhere more suitable could be found. (i.e turnout more important to me).
 
It depends on the ground where you are. My field at home is fine for flatwork in the summer (not at the minute though!) but it is too hard for jumping and too wet in winter. If it were me and I wanted to compete seriously I wouldn't be without a school. If it gets really cold in the winter the ground will freeze as well.

I wouldn't rule it out but really investigate how the ground is at different times of year.
 
i dont have an arena at all. in winter its a proper pain as obviously you cant hack in the dark. we make do with using the beach, schooling while hacking and lunging in the field. although we dont compete.
 
my field is onyl schoolable in for a week or so a year as it gets wet/hard very quickly.
therefore i have to school as much out hacking as possible, and then if i have a lesson then.
i compete BE to, having an arena woukld make me life a hell of a lot easier
 
I couldn't do without an arena as it would mean no riding in the winter and you just can't do that with a TB!

depends if you can ride during the day I guess and there may be a school you can rent nearby?
 
I keep my ponies in rented fields so have no access to any arena (nearest one is about 7 miles away and its tiny).
Currently I have nowhere to school my ponies, not that it matters as they're all retired/arthritic/semi reitred anyway.
To the point, if you have good, flat fields to use, that perhaps you can fence off with electric tape i think it's fine.
However, if, like me, the fields are all hilly/boggy and can't fence off, then i'd definitely want to have an arena you can access.
Totally understand how frustrating it is to be unable to improve
frown.gif
 
I also compete BE and BSJA etc. and I have no arena! Havent had in all the time Ive owned horses!

I ride in my paddocks - yes of course, its very limiting depending on ground conditions. Like right now with all the rain, I tend to either not ride / ride round the farmers fields (when allowed) or just do lots of exercises in walk in the paddock! It obviously helps in the field is relatively flat, I couldnt work in it if it were on a hill! I manage to keep my 2 fit enough to SJ most weekends in the winter, I dont ride every day but enough to get by. My biggest worry is in the summer when I have to work one of mine (who already threw a splint last year because of it!) on sun-baked ground. I very very rarely jump at home, but luckily I dont need to because mine compete best like this (and obviously I have regular SJ lessons at a proper school anyway). In the winter, I usually hire out an indoor school once a week to get a really decent schooling session in.

Id love to have an arena but not possible!
 
I have a sloped grass area for schooling.

I tend to think that this is a good thing. If I can balance him on a grassy slope then a nice surfaced arena is a doddle in comparison.

I try and hire a School every now and then just to have a play on a flat surfaced area.

I guess you need to check out what arenas are nearby to any potential new yard?

It is very possible.

Ah, you also need to check the ground is good draining ground. My field is wonderful for draining and so I very rarely suffer with mud problems. If I was on more claggy land I am sure I would be screaming out for a School.
smile.gif
 
I did just that and moved back to my old yard so that merlin gets the turnout he desires and needs!!!

However no school is going to be a problem, but not so much of a problem to either of us as a horse that cant be turned out if it rains or is too sunny, and at best only gets 3 hours in winter (with no grass and not allowed to put hay out) and 6 hours in summer (with little grass in paddock)!!

I have been kindly offered occasional use of a school at the next door yard, so lucky there..... thanks val!!!
grin.gif
Lets hope his arthritis improves so that its worth schooling again!!
 
i hire out my local arena when i have money but at £5 an hour its not really a bad deal and i hack that way anyway 1/2 hack over fields however it is a riding school so i have to check when i can use it and its out door but i am lucky that there is an indoor at the other riding school but thats all road work to get there unless i bribe my mate to let me borrow the horsebox once in a bluemoon lol. I dont compete though so it doesnt really make alot of difference would be great if i had one on tap though!!!!
 
Are you sure that the turnout problems are not magnified this year as the weather has been so crazy - talk to the other liveries and see if it's like this every year or if the YO is trying to preserve the land so it doesn't get too cut up and rutted if/when it goes dry again?

You can't really judge this as a standard year...
 
i dont have an arena wish i did, but i school when im hacking, last night i was practising tempi changes across a field

the YO is thinking about building an outdoor school at some point, cant wait
 
Echo Wishful 100%!

The owner might just be trying to limit damage as much as they can; it's not cheap, both in labour and time to get fields back into the shape you liveries will want after weather like this and if they've still been used as much as ever. Whichever way they handle it (you either trash it now which is bad for later or take care of it now in which case you will still have grazing and turnout when this freaky weather stops) won't find favour with all of you all of the time, that's sod's law! But if that is the case, at least they are thinking of the future and not just hoping it will come right by itself so be thankful for that.

I have a friend that got her horse up to winning Prix St George standard by doing all of her schooling on the roadside verges and while at competition so it can be done successfully; a school might be nice but it's not a necessity!
 
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