Using school and sharing

ktj1891

ktj1891

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Do you have to share the school throughout winter or the year?
Are you able to book it for sole use or only lessons?

If you have to share is there any rules on how many can use the school at the same time?
If you all have to do the same thing like i.e. if someone schooling you have to school to or someone is lunging you lunge? Or do you use the school whilst someone is lunging jumping?
What size is your school?

Have you ever been on a yard where you haven't been allowed to book the school for sole use unless its a lesson and had to share with multiple people or people lunging at the same time, if so what's yours thoughts on it? Did you not mind, if so why not? If you did mind why?

Genuinely curious in regards to my current yard set up.
 
I'm on a small yard, only 8 liveries, and we all share the 20 x 40 school. I'm the only one who has lessons with a visiting instructor - the others either just hack or go to a different instructor's yard down the road. We don't have a booking system but we do have a blackboard and a 'secret' Facebook group so I just write a note on the blackboard or post in the group to ask if they'd mind me having a lesson. I've always said I'm happy to share even if I'm having a lesson but wanted them to know is it might be disruptive for them but in reality everybody just rides at another time. It's only an hour a fortnight so I don't feel too cheeky doing it.

We rarely have to share as there are so few of us and only 3 of us really used the school. The other 2 work shifts so tend to ride in the day so I have it to myself in the evening. If we do end up having to share, we don't lunge. 2 or 3 of us riding at the same time is fine. Jumping's impossible in the evening anyway as the lights aren't good enough.
 
Shared unless a lesson. We don't lunge in the school as there is a lunge pen next door. Jumps are put out and put away after use. I guess everyone could come in if you're not having a lesson, but there's only one set of friends that go in en masse with 4 horses and lots of helpers. If sharing, there's usually only one other horse in with me. School is 20x40.

ETA there was one livery who had two or three lessons a week at a time when I could ride, 7.30-8.30pm. One time she was in there again with her instructor when I wanted to ride that evening, the school looked free on the booking form, so when I asked if I could come in she said she was having a lesson. Oh no, she wasn't! That was the only time I got irate as she was taking the Michael. She moved shortly after to her instructor's yard. I don't miss her.
 
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Possibly not the exact situation you are asking about, however, I am a member of an equestrian centre that also has liveries.

They have an online booking calender, you have a password and member number - you receive an email to confirm the booking.

Each hourly slot can be booked twice, so in theory two members.

Most members write a description of how many horses they are bringing/what they are planning to do/whether they are happy to share or politely request private use.

It works amazingly well, we never have any problems and everyone is respectful and tidy up after themselves :)
 
We have two schools, only one school can be booked for a lesson at a time, so if there is a lesson in one school you can just go in the other one. (Though one school is for flat only)

There aren't any rules on what you can or can't do when sharing the school with others (As far as i'm aware) It's a nightmare when trying to do flatwork when there is someone else in there jumping and then others coming in to do groundwork! So I choose not to ride when there is anyone else in the school, or in summer I'll hack instead.
 
Currently this is the pain of my life.....

Do you have to share the school throughout winter or the year? Yes
Are you able to book it for sole use or only lessons? Only lessons- but some liveries ignore this and walk in anyway.

If you have to share is there any rules on how many can use the school at the same time?
There is sort of, max of 4 unless all agree to let more in
If you all have to do the same thing like i.e. if someone schooling you have to school to or someone is lunging you lunge? Or do you use the school whilst someone is lunging jumping?
Basically who gets there first decides activity, i now i have had to change my work hours twice a week just so i can lunge twice a week.
What size is your school? 20x40

Have you ever been on a yard where you haven't been allowed to book the school for sole use unless its a lesson and had to share with multiple people or people lunging at the same time, if so what's yours thoughts on it? Did you not mind, if so why not? If you did mind why?

So the above is my current yard, until last week we didnt have the number of people rule but there is one livery who is causing issues with daughter who has naughty pony that they cant control and it kicks!
In hindsight it was something i should have asked when i moved onto the yard, but you dont think of these things! I also have to pay £1 for 30mins lights currently! Although just bought a head torch to see if that allows me to school and lunge without having to pay.
Partly the reason i put my 4yo out on grass livery for winter was the school usage as shes still too wobbly at times and if she kicks off i need to deal with it, not worry about a small child on a pony.

Would like a lunge pen as that would help alot and solve more of the issues of people lunging but school has been resurfaced this year which was a big postive!
 
We have a small 20x40 indoor and a larger outdoor school - but the outdoor is not floodlit so winter weekday evenings, the indoor can become busy. Summer is no issue as we can use the outdoor or the jumping paddock.

We have a diary in the tackroom which we write in if we are having lessons, but there is no official 'booking' system.

Generally if someone is already riding/lunging, others will ask a cursory 'mind if I join you..?' before coming in. But there are one or two people who will barge in without asking, whilst you're having a lesson, which is written in the diary! But some people are just rude and selfish :)

The busiest it's been, 5 horses at once which was... interesting! The most that should be in there is 3 IMO, but sometimes people aren't prepared to wait...

For the most part, it's fine. Rarely any issues. Fairly small yard and there is a bit of a routine. Friday evening there's a window between 5-7pm and I'm usually there alone, it's lovely!
 
I'm on a yard with 4 liveries (plus YO so 5 riders), but only 3 of us ride regularly. School is approx 35x55m and floodlit. It's impossible to get in the school between 4pm - 7pm on a weeknight because of the other 2; if you ask to go in they'll say they're practising a test so no, and if you turn up and the school is empty so you start tacking up they'll starting tacking up more quickly than you and say they need the school to themselves.

It's also really difficult to get in on weekends with the same thing happening re:the tacking up. They only have 3 horses between the 2 of them and it does get on my nerves when they've been there since 10am on a weekend and it's now 4pm and you turn up to ride to find they demand to go in the school! Or if they turn up when you're riding you're expected to vacate the school immediately. I didn't last time and have been dealing with the fallout for a few weeks now.

Luckily I'm in a situation that allows me to ride during the day in the week so can mostly avoid them, it's more difficult when they're off school (older teenagers).

We don't have a booking system but YO is about to implement one as she's fed up with the liveries in question. The only people I've known lunge while someone is riding is one of the problem teenagers while I was trying to do some interval fitness work. Very annoying and designed to reinforce the idea that when they're at the yard they're the only ones allowed to use the school.

I wouldn't jump while someone was doing flatwork, but wouldn't mind someone jumping while I was. My horse is sensible though, the others would lose their heads if someone was jumping and they weren't.
 
Do you have to share the school throughout winter or the year?

Share the school all year round.


Are you able to book it for sole use or only lessons?

Only allowed to book sole use for lessons.


If you have to share is there any rules on how many can use the school at the same time?

Max three is in the rules, but its never enforced though there generally isn't many of us wanting to ride at the same time.


If you all have to do the same thing like i.e. if someone schooling you have to school to or someone is lunging you lunge? Or do you use the school whilst someone is lunging jumping?

No, people can and do lunge whilst I'm riding. I have long-lined whilst others are riding/lunging. Though as above, there are never that many wanting to use the school at the same time so generally it will only be two people, though it is annoying when others lunge whilst I'm trying to practise lateral work.


What size is your school?

20x40m


Have you ever been on a yard where you haven't been allowed to book the school for sole use unless its a lesson and had to share with multiple people or people lunging at the same time, if so what's yours thoughts on it? Did you not mind, if so why not? If you did mind why?

Thats how are yard is (only been on this yard), it generally works ok. Everyone has limited time on the yard so may want to use it at the same times (eg after work) so we muddle together ok. The biggest problem we've had is external people booking the school at 'peak' times as we are not allowed to use the school when they book it even if they are not having a lesson.
For clarity it is only the liveries who can only book the school for lessons. External people can just book it for whatever.
 
I'm on a medium size yard - 14 horses between 8 owners. We shared the school unless you have a lesson - then you can book it for sole use. The school is 50 x 30 and I think you can have up to 4 horses in there but I've never had to share with more than one person.
Rules: no riding and lunging at the same time. Only one horse can be lunged at a time. Pick up droppings. Put jumps away if you've used them. If YO has a client for a lesson or needs to use the school for her own horses, she has priority. It all works ok.
 
Do you have to share the school throughout winter or the year?
Yes

Are you able to book it for sole use or only lessons?
Yes

If you have to share is there any rules on how many can use the school at the same time?
No but it usually wouldn't be more than 2, to be fair.

If you all have to do the same thing like i.e. if someone schooling you have to school to or someone is lunging you lunge? Or do you use the school whilst someone is lunging jumping?
No - generally speaking any "serious" jumping wouldn't take place with more than one horse in the arena. Popping a fence, no problem. Also lunging isn't an issue as we each just keep to one end of the school. I've had lessons and shared, and shared with other people having lessons. The exception would usually be a person practising a dressage test, you can't really expect them to interrupt the test to move out of your way.

What size is your school?
20x60

Have you ever been on a yard where you haven't been allowed to book the school for sole use unless its a lesson and had to share with multiple people or people lunging at the same time, if so what's yours thoughts on it? Did you not mind, if so why not? If you did mind why?
No, this is the biggest yard I've been on and at the previous two there weren't rules at all.
 
I've been in a variety of situations.

Currently the school is 60 x 30, fully shared and not booked out privately. A complete free for all, with jumps/poles lying around. You kind of just have to accept it as it is else you would get quite frustrated. There haven't been many times when I have had to curtail my plans - only one time I was very annoyed by it. I am pretty laid back though and don't have any issues sharing, I think it affects the nervous owners more.
 
Im on a smallish yard and in winter there can be either a pony in riding (flat out) or a horse lunging. We generally try not to get in eachothers ways and wait until the other person is finished. Ive only had one lesson so far and it was on my own thankfully noone else turned up lol
 
Medium sized yard, 24 horses. School is 25 x 40 approx.

School rules, apply all year, as follows:-

Booked in half hour slots (unless a lesson) - there is a sheet up where you put your horses name down in the slot you want. You can ride for longer if no-one wants the slot after you.
Maximum of two horses in at any one time (unless a lesson when you can book private sole use)
No free schooling
Acceptable to have someone lunging whilst someone rides, but not two lunging together.
Poo must be removed straight after riding
Lessons take priority but try to avoid peak times if possible. Lessons only allowed during peak times as long as it's only one day each week.
 
I've also been in a number of different situations - current seems to work the best although we are lucky that we have a 60x20 indoor, very large outdoor and a lunge pen.
But there are some 70 horses on the yard and you would think it would get busy! It's informal and friendly but there are some firm rules and everyone sticks to them which helps - i.e. all jumps put away after use, no lunging in the arenas, no jumping in the indoor. The only time I've ever seen it busy is Saturday morning and about 6pm in the summer.
Occasionally there is a clinic held in the indoor, but there's plenty of notice and you've always got options. Other than these you can't book exclusive use but I've ridden when people are having lesson and would be quite happy to have my instructor come over - it's just common sense and being courteous.
There is are a couple of pro riders based at the yard and they are even happy for you to work round their jump schooling as long as you keep out of the way. I guess I'm lucky to have a horse that copes with lots of action going on, in fact he loves it.
 
ktj1891 said:
Do you have to share the school throughout winter or the year?
Are you able to book it for sole use or only lessons?

If you have to share is there any rules on how many can use the school at the same time?
If you all have to do the same thing like i.e. if someone schooling you have to school to or someone is lunging you lunge? Or do you use the school whilst someone is lunging jumping?
What size is your school?

Have you ever been on a yard where you haven't been allowed to book the school for sole use unless its a lesson and had to share with multiple people or people lunging at the same time, if so what's yours thoughts on it? Did you not mind, if so why not? If you did mind why?

Genuinely curious in regards to my current yard set up.
Click to expand...

No rules but in courtesy we avoid the school when a lesson in progress. only rule pass left to left and be aware of the other riders.
 
I have no problem sharing a school with other liveries. It's been the case at every yard I've been too.

I think every yard I've been at with a school has meant sharing and I've rarely had a problem doing so. In fact I always assumed it would the norm in livery yards where many people can only ride after work. Only one of them had a board for booking the school. NONE allowed sole use as it wasn't fair on others who only had the same period within which to ride in the winter which I agree with. If people wanted the school to themselves for a lesson they could take time off and have it during the day when it wasn't so busy.

The ONLY time it was a pain was when one particular livery at one yard I was at insisted on loose 'schooling' (I use the term schooling lightly as it was really just her running around chasing her horse so it would canter) her horse in what I'd call 'peak' times which meant no one else could use the school while she was faffing about and since most people worked full-time (she didn't) it was the only time we could ride in the winter. She'd never write it on the board either and YO didn't like getting involved with liveries niggles.

On the whole though it worked quite well as we'd usually get together and have group jumping sessions where we'd help each other out. My only other niggle with one livery was that she used to insist on letting her dog run around the school regardless of whether she was on her own of riding in company.

The yard I'm at now is attached to a riding school and getting use of one of the THREE schools is a nightmare. Even booking a lesson doesn't guarantee sole use. In fact, on one occasion two friends and myself booked a group jumping lesson. Built a course beforehand (we'd booked the lesson at least a fortnight beforehand) only to go in to start warming up to find one of the other instructors was giving a very novice rider a lesson. We were not amused as it was tight with three of us and the jumps in there as it was and we were using an RS instructor and we do pay a lot of livery because they have 'facilities'.

As I say, sharing with other liveries no problem as we all understand the rules of the school and can work around each other well. trying to work around RS lessons though, is a nightmare :(

Lungeing whilst riding isn't an issue either in the larger school as they are only on a circle at one end. Of course, it would help if the third school wasn't waterlogged and the lights actually worked when the premises has around 100 horses, more of them liveries than RS horses.
 
We have 26 horses and 2 schools, one just over 20 x 40 outdoor and a small indoor. The outdoor isn't truly all weather as it freezes and floods.

We are allowed to book the school for private use but it is supposed to be limited to an hour a week, this can be for lessons or anything. Other than that you are supposed to share. Everyone is polite and considerate about sharing and will normally check before coming in and before putting out equipment or whatever so it works well.

I don't think I have ever seen more than three in the school at once but that isn't a rule and would normally only be when the weather is foul.

Most people are sensible and will wait if they want to do something disruptive or use the other school.
 
We have two schools (50m indoor, 30m outdoor).

There are not really any rules as such. 'Common sense and decency' pretty much sums up the general approach to school use!
 
We have an indoor and an outdoor, 20x40 and 20x60, the outdoor is floodlit.

The yard is a riding school so the school is off limits if there is a lesson on, but lessons only double up on a Saturday so there is always one school free. I work on the yard and teach so am generally always fine if I want to use the school.

Not able to book it for sole use, and a maximum of 6 horses at any one time in either school. I don't mind working around someone lunging or jumping - it's good for my young horse to learn to concentrate while other things are happening. If I particularly want to be on my own I just ride later. I'm lucky that I live on site so if I want to pop back out and ride before I do lates then I can.

Never had any issues, apart from one livery who never picks up her poo before I teach.
 
I'm on a medium sized yard - 24 horses/ponies. We share one outdoor school all year round. Our school is 40x60m and generally we would share even if someone is having a lesson. Dressage lessons are usually confined to a 20x40 area, and non)-lesson people use the other area. Only when a jumping lesson is going on - currently Tuesday evening and Saturday morning - would we not share.

It can get a bit chaotic, especially on weekend afternoons, when there can be 5 or 6 people all doing different things, especially if some of the young riders are in there with their ponies and are whizzing around with little care of where they are going.

fortunately the school it bit enough for everyone to have their little corner, if one or two want to lunge as well as someone have a lesson or just ride.
 
I am on a medium sized yard with 40-50 horses. 20x40 indoor, 20x60 outdoor and lunge pen, all with lights. Lunge pen floods and the outdoor gets flooded in extreme weather but is mostly okay.
Jumps can be left up outdoors but any equipment used indoors must be put away after use.
There's a book in the office where you would write down any lessons you have booked, and people generally try to avoid using whichever school while that's happening. However if someone is having a lesson indoors in really foul weather it's considered fine for others to come in, but they would stay out of the way of the person having the lesson.
Lungeing is meant to be confined to the lunge pen, but exceptions are made for baby horses, although definitely no lungeing in a school where people are riding.
Yard produces and sells youngsters, so when they are very early in their training, and/or being loose schooled or loose jumped, that takes priority in the indoor. Tends to be written in the diary, so on the whole people would know in advance. Also YO is careful with young entires in the early days re either not allowing others to use indoor school at the same time, and later on only sharing the school with more experienced riders/horses in case baby stallion gets over excited.
When people are doing serious jumping outdoors people try to stay out of the way.
In the indoor, rarely more than 3 or 4 at once, but sometimes more. Yes it constrains what you can do, but the warm up at a show is going to be busier, so once in a while does nobody any harm.
Generally people just try to be courteous and get on with things without being too precious, seems to work okay. There are the odd minor niggles from time to time, but in general we all seem to rub along together pretty well.
 
We have a board in which you are allowed to book a slot once a day for each horse you have (although aren't supposed to book too many sessions a week).
During the evenings there is a certain time where no one can book it, this changes on each day to be more flexible, and anyone is allowed in but no lunging or free schooling at this time.
It works well I think :)
Oh and it is a small 20x40 and we don't really have a maximum number of people at once
 
I must be incredibly lucky
There are 4 other liveries and I the YO who has a huge number of horses, all the other liveries only have 1 horse each.
90x85 school and although we can ride whilst YO is teaching we try to avoid it. In summer there is the warm up field to ride in and lessons are fairly rare. I have only ever seen 3 of the liveries, one of which is only at the yard when on holiday from uni. Another I have only seen when she is getting ready for competitions. Last livery also has a hyper horse so when we are both riding/falling off the school can get pretty churned up. If we want to lunge we just use the round pen if school is in use
 
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