Warm Up Ring Etiquette?

skint1

skint1

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 February 2010
Messages
5,345
Visit site
Hi, I'm sorry if this has been covered elsewhere on the forum but I thought this might be the place to get a definitive answer!

Are there different rules for the warm up ring for different disciplines (sj or dressage for example) If so, what are they? For example, does the faster horse take the outside track/slower on the inside or vise versa?
 
From the showing show I was at at the weekend, it is a free for all no rules! Seriously as far as I am concerned you should go by general school rules and people walking should take the inside and ideally don't park your horse on the outside track to have a gossip with your friends.

Am sure you will get far more sensible and helpful replies.
 
Pass left to left, and dont walk on the outside of the track!

When warming up for SJ do not circle on the landing side of the fence as you will get in everyones way, be aware where other horses are, so if you are changing the rein down the diagonal, try not to cut up any one riding in on the long side etc, its difficult, in a busy warm up you really need to have eyes everywhere, and preferably wing mirrors!!!
 
When in a s/jumping warm-up I find most people walk on the outside track as this leaves room for faster work and jumping on the inside, if you walk on the inside how do people get to the jump past you? with dressage it should be left to left but usually it's the person with the longest whip or loudest trainer that gets priority!
 
I hate warm up arenas. There seems to be no etiquette at all nowadays!

I agree with the above. Also, take heed of flags on warm up jumps in warm ups for direction - at Stafford a couple of years ago nobody paid any attention to them and jumped fences in the wrong direction, resulting in me having to pull my horse out of the fence twice - and without so much as a thank you that I did!

I've also done a few indoor dressage shows where people have sat chatting to mum/trainer on the actual track by the door to the warmup!

I find the nicest warm up is the XC, as everyone is really polite and chatty as they are nervous, and nobody can "take over" the practice fence with their mum/trainer putting it up/down etc.

Generally, warming up ring etiquette should just mean you are aware of where your fellow competitors are, are polite, give them room without ALWAYs having to give way etc. Its not rocket science, yet so many seem to not get it! The fact that you're even asking tells me you're in the nice catagory!
 
Thank you all!
I'm not the rider, it's for my daughter. She was always taught left to left, faster horses on the outside, jump from 1 direction, no circling on the landing side, but she went to a sj comp at the weekend and found it a bit wild in the warm up (thankfully her gelding is a star-had it been her mare there would have been utter carnage) and then it was mentioned that for sj faster horses stick on the inside track (which wouldn't have helped on that particular occassion but if that is the rule it would be useful to know!)
 
Last edited:
I was in the SJ warm-up at a busy venue at the weekend (after a long absence from jumping) and had one such 'confusing moment'. Thing with BS warm-ups is that everyone has their own interpretation of the rules and what is sensible...unless everyone plays to the same rules though it is never going to be without the odd fraught moment. In my case i was cantering on the right rein whilst someone else was doing the same on the left reon. We were at the end of the arena where if they were going to jump then they would have turned across my path. I thought they were jumping so went to go right to right instead of left to left...only to hear them say 'left to.....' as we both ground to a halt. I apologised as technically i was in the wrong...but the point being i was trying to do the best for them....it just didn't quite work out on this occasion :-p

Sj warmups are differrent though due to the added complexities of needing to cut across to get to the practice fences. Walking on the track IS preferable and horses jumping taking the inside line does make sense.....it also confuses a lot of people though unfortunately.

Best advice is to just be aware of what is going on around you, think for yourself and everybody else....and most importantly stay calm and be polite :-)
 
Also, take note of ribbons in tails and react accordingly, witnessed a horse kick another one when they cantered right up behind it despite there being a very large red ribbon in its tail!

Also works the other way - if you think your horse may kick out, slap a red ribbon on, and then you can't be blamed if something does happen :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top