Warm-up whinges.

kerilli

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A few comments in P-G's post got me thinking of my worst warm-up experiences. These include - my mare being hit across the face by a dressage whip as someone rode past me. didn't exactly do her confidence much good.
being run straight into whilst in counter-canter. I halted, she didn't. I have always been told that those in true canter should yield to those in counter-canter (it was deliberate, controlled, counter canter, btw, i wasn't just hooleying round obliviously on the wrong leg!)
in Germany, having to cope with a German girl on her horse standing at M chatting to her trainer, while i was trying to practise flying changes after extended canter across the long diagonal... unfortunately my German isn't good enough for true exasperated rudeness, so i said nothing.
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oh, and BSJA warm up indoors where everyone only warms up and jumps on one rein, and i, being an eventer, was the only one determined/mad enough to try to warm my horse up on the other rein as well... not terribly popular, but i still think i was right!
what are yours? and do you think i was right, or not?
 
I have no idea about BSJA warmups im afriad, so cant comment!

Probably the worst was when i was at Burrows Court a couple of weeks ago and someone canter into me and Archie freaked out as they squished us against the fence. Then he kicked out, the fence fell down, he panicked and the fence got stuck inbetween his legs
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People are always standing on the track, or taking bandages off inside the areana etc, or walking on the outside track - it really gets on my nerves.
 
Oh its that time of year,indoor bsja,5000 people trying to jump the practise fence at the same time,and people doing the british novice who jump a 4'6'' practise fence!! Then wondering why their horse stops or crashes through it!!
 
errrrrrrrrr left to left i find is a rule most forgotten about.
Last BD i went to have the love expereince of someone thinking that my little tbx was even thinner that he is !!, but hay I was very happy to she her blown up in test and she happened to be german aswell?
 
I propose an exam to be taken before any membership is accepted that tests warm-up etiquette OR giant rule books available at every comp to beat the numpties with!
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It's not a whinge at all, but it made me really laugh at the time. At Charlton Park I was pootling along to the XC warmup/start, practically on the buckle, when a certain Mr Townend came haring past me at a gallop (it was quite a long way from lorry park to everything else). My horse had a bit of a leap, nothing special, and I gathered my reins to stop him following at pace. Oli yelled 'sit tight' as he went past, then about 10 strides away suddenly realised I might have been having issues and turned (still cantering) and yelled 'am I alright to carry on?'. I did yell back 'fine, go ahead', but it made me really laugh at the time coz what I was actually thinking was 'it's a bit bloody late now if it isn't ok!'
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He then did exactly the same on another horse as I walked back having finished the XC, but by then my ned was tired enough not to care! Made me really chuckle and took my mind off the impending rather large XC. In fact it was my day for being laughed at by pros as Matt Ryan was in the start box as I finished, and he laughed at me when I yelled at my friend 'he was awesome' across the warmup!
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oh what a great storry spottedcat - if he had done that to me id of been on the floor or past him at the gallop shouting something rather rude !!!

I must say though if we (normal riders) did something like that to a proffessional we would get abuse for it ???
 
I hate when I am trotting on the outside track on the left rein and someone passes far to close to Grace and she freaks out about it... It also annoys me when people walk on the outside track, or stop and have a chat on the centre line or at X when ou are trying to work your horse
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At the weekend (my disaster weekend) I was a bit angry that when we were warming up, liveries could come in and work their horses. This in itself is not really appropriate in my opinion as there are enough people trying to work in there as it is. However, this one on Saturday decided to stop and chat to her friend (who was stood on the outside) and read out text messages from her phone for absolutely ages, on the inside track but not leaving enough room to get past.

I know liveries have to ride their horses, but surely on competition days when people have paid a lot of money to enter, the arena should be for competition use only? Or am I completely out of order thinking this? I have just never come across this before...
 
what i've found in past is there is no-one around from organiser anywhere near warm up area and even if there is collecting steward there normally overload trying to find people numbers. And i've found this in BE,BD and BSJA

Also on same theme why if you have large field to warm up in, does everyone ride in just by the steward???? or in the bit i want to warm up in
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leaving the other 20 acres free???
 
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oh what a great storry spottedcat - if he had done that to me id of been on the floor or past him at the gallop shouting something rather rude !!!

I must say though if we (normal riders) did something like that to a proffessional we would get abuse for it ???

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Oh we almost certainly would, and had it caused a problem then I daresay this would be a whinge, but as it was, no harm was done and I thought it was pretty funny! I did proceed to the warmup in controlled trot half-pass though, whilst muttering to the wretched horse 'if only you showed this much elevation in the dressage you lazy toad'.

After my previous horse's antics not much unseats/phases me now, so I guess I am pretty chilled when these things happen. I did just assume he was doing his usual trick of riding 300 horses in one class, turned out he only had 3 before going to Oasby the next day to ride 8, so he did not really have an excuse either!
 
That annoys me at livery yards - when people who arent competing come in and use the arena. Personally i dont think they should be allowed to on competition days. Most places dont allow it, but i know some that do.
 
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Oh we almost certainly would, and had it caused a problem then I daresay this would be a whinge, but as it was, no harm was done and I thought it was pretty funny! I did proceed to the warmup in controlled trot half-pass though, whilst muttering to the wretched horse 'if only you showed this much elevation in the dressage you lazy toad'.

After my previous horse's antics not much unseats/phases me now, so I guess I am pretty chilled when these things happen. I did just assume he was doing his usual trick of riding 300 horses in one class, turned out he only had 3 before going to Oasby the next day to ride 8, so he did not really have an excuse either!

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maybe before every dressage test you should get someone to gallop past you ???? mgiht work x
 
LOL, I have seriously considered recording a motorbike on my phone and playing that just before we go in.... :g:

He is a master at saving energy, he really is! Mind you, at least he is not bonkers for the dressage, that would drive me mad!
 
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That annoys me at livery yards - when people who arent competing come in and use the arena. Personally i dont think they should be allowed to on competition days. Most places dont allow it, but i know some that do.


I one competed locally and was cut-up badly by dippy livery and owner saw it and was very good about and gave me free entry to his next competetion
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It just annoyed me more because the livery in question stood chatting to her friend on her pony right in the way... If you want to talk, go out of the arena and have a chat about being drunk the night before and how you got home!!!

There were two liveries in when I was trying to warm up and around 7/8 competitors.
 
Re: warming up on both reins, I always find it so annoying when it appears that everyone can only go one way round the tracks - I've always been taught to warm up in equal amounts on both reins, so thats what I do, terrifying as it can be!!
 
That really annoys me too. It wouldnt hurt to let the horse have a day off or do something else with it.

I hate it when people come far too close. My horse hates it and panics so I try to ride on the inside track where possible so I can get out of the way and avoid being trapped. Some people just dont realise that just because their horse doesnt care, it doesnt mean others dont.

Warming up is far more stressful than actually riding the test.
 
Ooh this is a good one! I wrote a letter and it got printed in Eventing magazine because I got sworn at whilst warming up at Bicton a couple of years ago
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The warm up area for the dressage is ok, there were several classes going on and I was doing the Novice ode, when I started warming up I was pretty much on my own, then it gradually got busier, anyhoo, was minding my own business when saw this girl heading towards me, kept looking thinking, which way is she going to go, so I thought, ok, left to left, so I start to ride over to my left and so does she (to my left that is)
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in the end a screeched to a halt as she wasn't going to stop or move for anyone and for my troubles I got sworn at
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Was so pissed off, because I thought, who the hell did she think she was? She obviously though she was better than me and that I was beneath her.

If ever anyone cuts me up or has a near miss, I never snarl or swear in fact I do the opposite, I usually laugh and say "no worries", can't see the point in bitching at people.
 
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I did proceed to the warmup in controlled trot half-pass though, whilst muttering to the wretched horse 'if only you showed this much elevation in the dressage you lazy toad'.

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Perhaps you should get OT to gallop past you whilst warming up for the dressage then
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On the flip side from a livery front - I was a livery at a small local centre who do BD, unaff SJ and dressage - we had to ride when shows were on - no choice - YO booked her arena out solid from 5:30 - 9pm every night (yard rules for us were off yard by 8
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) then decided that she'd make even more money by booking out arena from 7am - 9am - this was every day.

Every weeked both arenas were booked for clinics or shows from 8am - 6pm - exactly when are liveries who pay more per week than one off competitors supposed to ride?

One of the numerous reasons we left and bought our own place
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On the warm up front - people not giving way if walking, not giving way to lateral work, just presuming because they are a 'name' they get the right to the whole arena (esp BSJA), people being trained in the warm up arena constantly swerving all over the place with 'trainer' hollering at the top of their lungs instructions - happens alot at local BD centre with resident trainer warming up 3 riders on a 20 m circle at one end of a 20x50 - leaves a very small warm up for the rest of us who don't train with her!
 
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I did proceed to the warmup in controlled trot half-pass though, whilst muttering to the wretched horse 'if only you showed this much elevation in the dressage you lazy toad'.

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Perhaps you should get OT to gallop past you whilst warming up for the dressage then
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Do you think I could? It would make for a nice view too
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oh spottedcat, he's gone even further down in my estimation now! unbelievable, huh?
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i've been overtaken on the way to warm-up a lot of times, and i've done the same occasionally, but always calling out "is it okay to come past?" and walking if not.
actually, i did swear at a certain top rider who did that to me years ago, galloped past from behind with no warning, and my horse freaked and nearly jumped into a wire fence. i'd forgotten that one.
 
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I did proceed to the warmup in controlled trot half-pass though, whilst muttering to the wretched horse 'if only you showed this much elevation in the dressage you lazy toad'.

[/ QUOTE ]

Perhaps you should get OT to gallop past you whilst warming up for the dressage then
grin.gif
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Do you think I could? It would make for a nice view too
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You could try, he may be only too happy to help
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oh spottedcat, he's gone even further down in my estimation now! unbelievable, huh?
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i've been overtaken on the way to warm-up a lot of times, and i've done the same occasionally, but always calling out "is it okay to come past?" and walking if not.
actually, i did swear at a certain top rider who did that to me years ago, galloped past from behind with no warning, and my horse freaked and nearly jumped into a wire fence. i'd forgotten that one.

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Well how very dare he!
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I nearly didn't post this actually as there has been a lot of negative stuff about Oli recently, but as I thought it was funny rather than whinging about it, I decided to chance it....
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I did proceed to the warmup in controlled trot half-pass though, whilst muttering to the wretched horse 'if only you showed this much elevation in the dressage you lazy toad'.

[/ QUOTE ]

Perhaps you should get OT to gallop past you whilst warming up for the dressage then
grin.gif
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[/ QUOTE ]

Do you think I could? It would make for a nice view too
wink.gif
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[/ QUOTE ]

You could try, he may be only too happy to help
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#
If only Jim'llfixit was still on:

Dear Jim,

Please can you fix it for me that Oli Townend gallops past me in the dressage warmup to spark my horse up a bit and to give me a nice view?

I know Oli is very busy riding 10 horses in each event, but i think he would be happy to give something back to those of us who can only dream of being as successful as he is.

Thanks in advance, SpottedCat.

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[ QUOTE ]
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I did proceed to the warmup in controlled trot half-pass though, whilst muttering to the wretched horse 'if only you showed this much elevation in the dressage you lazy toad'.

[/ QUOTE ]

Perhaps you should get OT to gallop past you whilst warming up for the dressage then
grin.gif
grin.gif
wink.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

Do you think I could? It would make for a nice view too
wink.gif
grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

You could try, he may be only too happy to help
tongue.gif
wink.gif


[/ QUOTE ]
#
If only Jim'llfixit was still on:

Dear Jim,

Please can you fix it for me that Oli Townend gallops past me in the dressage warmup to spark my horse up a bit and to give me a nice view?

I know Oli is very busy riding 10 horses in each event, but i think he would be happy to give something back to those of us who can only dream of being as successful as he is.

Thanks in advance, SpottedCat.

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Purrrrrrrrrrrrfect
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[ QUOTE ]
Oh its that time of year,indoor bsja,5000 people trying to jump the practise fence at the same time,and people doing the british novice who jump a 4'6'' practise fence!! Then wondering why their horse stops or crashes through it!!

[/ QUOTE ]

It seems its the same in every area!!
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What I cant stand is when you have people hanging around in large groups chatting by the entrance or by the number board... they often end up blocking half the whole of the warm up area....idiots !
 
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On the flip side from a livery front - I was a livery at a small local centre who do BD, unaff SJ and dressage - we had to ride when shows were on - no choice - YO booked her arena out solid from 5:30 - 9pm every night (yard rules for us were off yard by 8
crazy.gif
) then decided that she'd make even more money by booking out arena from 7am - 9am - this was every day.

Every weeked both arenas were booked for clinics or shows from 8am - 6pm - exactly when are liveries who pay more per week than one off competitors supposed to ride?

One of the numerous reasons we left and bought our own place
grin.gif


On the warm up front - people not giving way if walking, not giving way to lateral work, just presuming because they are a 'name' they get the right to the whole arena (esp BSJA), people being trained in the warm up arena constantly swerving all over the place with 'trainer' hollering at the top of their lungs instructions - happens alot at local BD centre with resident trainer warming up 3 riders on a 20 m circle at one end of a 20x50 - leaves a very small warm up for the rest of us who don't train with her!

[/ QUOTE ]

That is dreadful... no wonder you left!!!
 
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