Warm up area in Dressage

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Stella

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I haven't started competing yet (old fart/late starter in riding), but I was at Richmond with my friend competing my horse (I am currantly lame after a loose horse galloped into us and it went a bit pear shaped!!). It was unaffiliated, but its a very well organised venue as its usually affiliated. I happened to have just read the guidelines/etiquette for a warm up arena. I was quite shocked at the lack of consideration on the part of so many riders. Stopping and chatting on the outside track, walking on the outside track when others were trying to canter and as for 'passing left to left', well forget it!!

I then thought that things would be different in affiliated competition. However, I just received my BD magazine and inside there is a letter from someone who says that she and her horse find the chaos of warm-up area so difficult to deal with that she stressing out over that before each competition, when riding her classes don't cause her stress! She says that its so bad that she is considering giving up competing!

How do others find the warm-up and the manners of others in there? Do the Officials try to enforce any order (from what I've seen I doubt that!
 
Sometimes the warmups when I go out can be the most stressful thing! I always follow the rules, riding left to left and getting off the track if I'm walking etc. Unfortunately not everyone does the same! I got really fed up having to canter round people ambling along on the track in walk last time I went out. The other problem I find is people getting instruction from their trainers, I always believed it wasn't aloud but last time I went out a certain trainer was shreaking advice across the arena at a pupil of his which I found really off putting!

I had a run in with someone a few weeks ago at Patchetts, I was riding a 20m circle in canter at E and she came across the diagnol while I was facing away from her (so I couldn't see her but she could see me) and as I came round the corner of the circle she rode directly into me and the started shouting abuse at me! I was like are you mad, I couldn't see you as I had my back to you and you rode directly into me when you could clearly see me...it seems like she did it just to make a point...some people are just rude!
 
Having run competitions and competed affiliated and unaffiliated I find that riders at unaffiliated are much more unruley. Possibly because there will be more young horses and more first timers, I dont know but affiliated comps tend to be much more civilised.

You will always get the rude exception and one of my biggest grips is trainers at x with trainee doing a 15 mtr circle - a med trot across the diagonal soon resolves that problem though
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I am surprised that someone is thinking of giving up because of it though.

Officials are rarely seen near the warm up so not really very helpful.
 
I experience this on a regular basis and it not only stresses me out, but my poor old boy gets intimidated by big warmbloods coming at him head on and it usually spells disaster for our first test! Prime example, for our last test instead of enter at A and trot down the centre line, we entered at A, two strides of trot then cantered the rest of it! The judge gave me a pitying look and did remark that it was a beautiful collected (and straight) canter, unfortunately not what was required at Prelim! We did redeem ourselves throughout the rest of the test and finished 4th but it makes you wonder!

For our second test, the Novice, I just found a quiet corner in the car park and stayed there - no way was I going back into the warm-up! Needless to say we did a much better test and I came 3rd which I was chuffed to bits with. However, I feel a bit cheated as I couldn't warm-up and it wasn't as good as it could've been
 
I actually had a rider run straight in to the back of my horse at an affliated dressage. The rider had been causing caos and i was changing the rein to actually get away from her coming towards me. When apparently she turned straight across the arena & came right up behind my horse.
My horse kicked out as she was very close & instead of pulling back she came right up his arse. He then double barrelled at her as he was completely bemused & i came off. I was left with concusion, & my horse did some damage to his back. My horse had never kicked out at a any horse before but he is only 6 YO, luckily my horse missed her.

The girl who caused it didnt give a damm, she wasnt even bothered that she had very nearly been badly injured & had caused me serious damage.
I complained officially but no-one took it further.

But now both of us have a bit of a fear about other horses & riders in the warm up arenas & it has put me off a little.
 
I have only been to two dressage comps, one affiliated and the other unaffiliated. The unaff was the first one I went to, and there werent many in the warm up, so plenty of space.

Second one, people were so rude in the warm up, trying to get my very nervous boy to work properly, but they were cutting me up, riding in front/behind, and generally no respect for anyone, except themselves. I was very annoyed, as I probably wasnt perfect, but i tried keeping out of everyone elses way.
 
Some places are definately worse than others and its really amazing how some riders that are at International level still seem to flaunt the rules.

I have to say that the very best and most organised place we go to is Hunters in Cirencester. Frank that owns it is brilliant at getting ppl organised and making sure that ALL riders (International or not) abide by the rules and etiquette. Its a pleasure to go there.
 
I second what Folara says about Hunters. It is always a pleasure to ride there.

But some other places are a nightmare. I particularly remember warming up in the old Addington indoor just before it closed for the refurbishment and it was like Dodgems at a fairground. Don't even get me started on bloody trainers and people wearing headsets.....and people who stare down at their hands/horses head and just plow forward like there is no one else in the arena at all! A lot of it is bad manners, but some of it is just blatant arrogance imho.
 
I've found that it is a little better at affiliated dressage. I find showing warmup the worst - on sunday (aff show) I was on the left rein doing shoulder-in in trot, another rider was coming towards me in walk on the other rein, forced me to her inside and had the nerve to grunt at me when she was breaking three rules in one go: walking on the track, passing on the right and not giving way to lateral work!!!
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i hate warm up areas but am getting more ok about, when i first started doing dressage i found it really off putting and seemed to spend my whole time trying to get out of everyone elses way! A lot of people dont seem to know the rules and i m forever being cut up or having to pull up quickly! one major pet hate is people with long whips that hit your horse in the face as your passing, grrr. my poor pony got hit quite hard in the face once and it shocked her so much she wouldn;t go near anyone else without causing a fuss.
 
I hate warming up due to the fact that people can be so inconsiderate. My horse has a fear of other horses coming too close so I am constantly watching where everyone else is. People never watch where they are going and they come far too close.
I once had a really close shave at a comp and I will never go back there as a result. There were far too many people in the warm up and I was walking in on the inside track. A woman was stood on the outside track chatting so the man cantering round had to go round her, someone came cantering off the circle and they were both heading straight for me. I was trapped in so I shouted at the 2 people to not come any closer but they kept coming. My horse reared, spun and bolted to get away and I got such a rude comment about my horse.
I have to bite my tongue so many times.
 
whats the issue with headsets?
Would you rather have trainers yelling across the arena?



Just hold your ground, if people arent going to get out of your way, why get out of theirs?
You have as much right to be there as anyone else!!!
x
 
Warming up is a problem especially at bigger vanues holding a range of classes from say prelim to advanced, as you have a mix of abilities and expectations.
True there is nothing worse than finding some one walking on the outside track or taking their boots off etc in a corner.
Somone riding a 20m circle et B or E hogs the arena it is better to circle at A or C this then leaves the diagonal a bit clearer.
Counter canter also has right of way and so does lateral work.This is the only time the left to left rule becomes grey.
Mostly people not having enough control of their horses shoulders especially the right shoulder on the left rein is the most annoying but unfortuately thats dressage and if we talked to each other and maybe explained then the less experienced would learn from the more experienced. We all have a right to work in regardless of 'status'
Sometimes riding in is like playing the 'stone, paper ,scissors,' game! Getting it right is important , learning to control the nerves and find your mental space is hard especially when most people work on their own.
Everyone has good and bad days you should'nt give up, the good days will make it worth it .
The other idea is pick a venue that has only one arena for competition that way you wont have such a mix of horses and riders in a limited space. Places like Manor farm nr. Huntingdon is good for this.
 
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