Who competes with no facilities?

[IrishMilo]

After 10 years of driving a two hour round trip every day, two spaces have become available at a yard within walking distance to my house. I already have one of my boys there and the plan was for me to take my unbroken youngster (on youngstock liv) over too and stick them in together. However I've decided to take my riding horse over instead -

1) The driving is killing me, and takes up way too much of my day
2) I'm spending a fortune in fuel, ~£70 a week
3) New horse hates being in the box, which is mandatory overnight at current yard
4) Current yard is individual TO, which I've hated for a really long time and was the reason I had to move my youngster and had 3 horses in 3 separate locations for a while...

The only downside is new place doesn't have an arena and I'm really worried about missing it. There are stables and all other mod cons (lights, running water etc.) and excellent hacking.

I'm trying to reassure myself that what I save on fuel I could put towards comp costs/box hire etc.

But my main motivation for moving is having all the boys happy.

Can you smart lot reassure me?! Bonus points for stories if you have no school and placed top 10 at HOYS this year...

 

[ester]

Had only a field to ride in for years, I think we might have made faster progress with an arena but it was what it was. We used to leave some of it longer in winter so we could canter round the edge in the dark and would have an arena set up all spring/summer until too wet

In winter we did have a lesson most weeks in a Saturday and did go evening SJ every fortnight as that provided an arena .

We went from zero to elementary

 

[Lucky Snowball]

I show jumped at Olympia on a horse out 24 7 and not even clipped! However now I have facilities everything is easier.

 

[Burnttoast]

If I remember correctly Agar Heir Apparent (hack of the year in 1989) was produced without a school.

 

[ester]

I show jumped at Olympia on a horse out 24 7 and not even clipped! However now I have facilities everything is easier.

You win!

 

[humblepie]

Top 5 at British Show Horse champs without a school. There is a school at yard and it has now been resurfaced and is lovely so this isn’t truly no arena but horse only had one quick arena session in 3 months over the summer. I think it does depend upon stage your horse is at and if you can be bothered to go to hire facilities or perhaps clinics. We have another fab arena within easy hacking distance so whilst one at yard was out of action for works that was an option but horse and I were being lazy.

I’d rate hacking over good facilities these days and this sounds like your horse would be happier.

 

[dorsetladette]

Ok so not quite top 10 at HOYS this year, but I qualified my old boy for LIHS with no facilities. He lived out 24/7 as he had breathing issues which made stabling difficult.

I've never had a school and always produced from the field. But I can ride in the field most of the year as we are on sand.

Is there close by schools available to hire? or are you able to ride in the field at the new place? Are you happy with doing the majority of your schooling while hacking? Is there plenty of good (ground) hacking that you can keep horse fit enough for competition?

It is do able - but easier with a school. Mine also get most of the winter off as I don't have the luxury of daylight with working full time to pay for the little darlings.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I've taken a few to HOYS and Olympia in the 80s and 90s, plus competed to (the old) novice eventing then too.
Fitness was never an issue, schooling often done whilst out hacking. Arena hire if I needed to jump more than my diy affairs in a paddock.

I've no arena but hacking right out of my gate. I use a paddock in drier months if I need a few mins of circles etc.

These days you'll be fine for showing, stressage etc but if leaving the ground you'll prob want arena hire at times.

 

[callybbi]

My sister compete BS Foxhunter level and we have no facilities (small private rented yard, basic stables and field setup). I hope to have a ridden horse in the near future and will have it at the same yard.
My sister hacks mostly, we have good hacking to get a good canter in pretty much year round. If the field is dry enough we have a small area sectioned off for light lunging or schooling.
We do have a horsebox though, so she goes out once a week to a lesson, show or arena hire. There is a great dressage yard 10mins down the road from us who lets us hire their arenas for a great price which we know we are very lucky.

 

[Fourtoomany]

I know a LOT of people who successfully compete at all disciplines with no facilities. Probably more eventers than anything else. But dressage schooling being done out on hacks is something that plenty of people seem to do.

Many years ago a field was all you had! There weren’t many places with outdoor arenas let alone indoor ones. I think generally we are more spoilt for choice these days, but it absolutely is totally achievable. If your other yard has good hacking then that’s absolutely a huge advantage in your favour already.

I think there’s key to it being successful is careful land management though. As long as you’ve got enough space and drainage is good, then go for it.

 

[IrishMilo]

My sister compete BS Foxhunter level and we have no facilities (small private rented yard, basic stables and field setup). I hope to have a ridden horse in the near future and will have it at the same yard.
My sister hacks mostly, we have good hacking to get a good canter in pretty much year round. If the field is dry enough we have a small area sectioned off for light lunging or schooling.
We do have a horsebox though, so she goes out once a week to a lesson, show or arena hire. There is a great dressage yard 10mins down the road from us who lets us hire their arenas for a great price which we know we are very lucky.

Thank you, that's great to hear. I jump.

I've had an idea of sectioning off a track all the way around the perimeter of the field as a canter track.

I'm slowly coming round to the idea of ditching small circles in a school for longevity anyway.

 

[Squeak]

If you have got good hacking it will make all the difference and being able to walk to do the horses is life changing - you can just pop out to check on a horse or change a rug etc. My horse was transformed by moving somewhere without an arena and schooling out hacking and in the fields, tbh it was a bit of an eye opener for me.

I do hire an arena fairly regularly in the winter and do more lessons and competitions than I used to but I think he's healthier and happier for the variety.

Only thing I'd caution would be that I would be stuck without my horsebox as I use it at least once a week - however my hacking is currently rubbish so sometimes I'm boxing to better hacking.

 

[callybbi]

Thank you, that's great to hear. I jump.

I've had an idea of sectioning off a track all the way around the perimeter of the field as a canter track.

I'm slowly coming round to the idea of ditching small circles in a school for longevity anyway.

The canter track is a great idea, I might mention that one to my sister don't get me wrong it has taken a bit of getting used to after having indoor school, 2 x out doors, one international size arena, cross country, horse walker and all the other luxuries. But that yard closed so we had little options from there.
Winter time can be harder to keep the motivation, but once you are settled in a routine I think you will be fine

 

[millitiger]

I think if you can ride in daylight, a school isn't required.

If you can only ride either side of a full time job, it does tend to mean you only ride on weekends for 4 months of the year

 

[Annagain]

A friend took her mare from unbroken 4yr old to qualifying for Badminton grass roots from a rented field that backed onto her house with no facilities at all, not even a stable. She had a bit of hardstanding at the gate where she'd get hay delivered and her trailer was parked but that was a couple of minutes drive from her house as she had to go round in a big loop to get to the entrance. She put a gate in at the bottom of the garden so she could get to her easily and made a little hardstanding area there so she could groom/tack up/ bath her and kept everything in a shed at the bottom of the garden.

She tried DIY livery but her mare hated being in overnight and the other horses at the yard. She'd beat up anything that tried to share a field with her other than babies so my friend got a couple of youngsters to foster until the rescue was ready to start and rehome them. Their costs were covered and she just had to do their day to day care. She had quite a few over the years.

All her schooling was done out hacking, there was a flat piece of common land not too far away where she would school when it was dry enough or she'd find a good firm bit of beach in winter. She'd also use the money she was saving on livery bills to go to lots of lessons. She loved it as she was getting lots of support for the same price as her DIY livery and her mare would just deal with any conditions that were thrown at her as she was so used to working everywhere. Above all, both she and the horse were much happier.

I should add though she is a professional dog walker so could manage her day around riding.

 

[paddi22]

i found it too hard on yards with no arenas, you can school most stuff on hacks, but you still need to be able to do circles, polework, practice dressage tests etc. is there an option for a piece of flat field you could school in? when in that position before I ended up getting a lot more lessons and doing more clinics. it worked out fine, but I did really miss arena.

 

[IrishMilo]

I should add that I work from home and have the luxury of flexi working, so I wouldn't have the issue of being down there in the dark. And the land is flat, so I could ride in the fields if I wanted to.

 

[paddi22]

once you've fields you will be fine!

 

[tda]

I think it depends on what your competition aims are, I know someone who qualified for hoys with a field kept pony, no problem getting him fit enough while hacking . Basic dressage can't see a problem there either.
When I was young 1980s, a local lady did eventing, she schooled in a corner of a farmers field , i dont know how she did enough fast work to keep horse fit.

 

[SEL]

I've got a 20x40 laid out in a field which is really useful. It's the driest, flattest bit so useful for most of the year.

Otherwise I have 2 within a 10min drive which I can hire. Both 60x20 and excellent surfaces. I can also hack to one for a bottle of wine!

My competitive aspirations are very, very low but I don't think the lack of arena is getting in my way (talent maybe....)

 

[TPO]

I don't compete but currently don't have a school and have rented a yard before with no school.

I think you need good hacking to compensate. I don't currently and it's pretty rubbish. Having transport really helps because arena hires ans boxing out is really helpful.

When I was elsewhere I didn't have transport but did have good hacking and areas of stubble, as well as dry fields.

Part of my problem now is that it is so wet almost year round. I'm not on clay but the fields have been saturated. Touch wood, so far not as bad this year as last, but not ground you'd want to be riding let alone schooling or jumping on.

My mum always goes on about no one having schools "back in the day", but I do think the seasons were more defined and weather more stable.

The constant rain is wrecking ground around here.

Would having all the horses at that yard give you an opportunity to save for transport? That would really help

 

[lynz88]

When I was back home we had zero facilities. I rode on a 1/2 mile standard bred track, in fields or in a paddock (sometimes with the other horses in it and sometimes not). Didn't stop us going to shows including the Royal Agricultrual Winter Fair in Toronto. I thought it was actually better to ride without being in am actual arena - you knew your horse could handle open spaces if you got to a show that didn't have dedicated sand rings etc. to warm up in.

ETA hacking also wasn't really something we would do/have unless you literally wanted to take your life in your hands on the road.

 

[IrishMilo]

Would having all the horses at that yard give you an opportunity to save for transport? That would really help

100%. The money I save on fuel will go on transport (either my own if I decide to buy - I'm still a bit hesitant about going for it, or hiring).

The hacking round here is pretty decent, with lots of off-roading.

 

[suebou]

Competed at royal highland (several times ) Blair (most years) Arena Uk and Aintree. No arena and living in north of Scotland. Jumping up to fox hunter. Won BHS Scotland style jumping and collected many rosettes and some prize money!

 

[BallyRoanBaubles]

I should add that I work from home and have the luxury of flexi working, so I wouldn't have the issue of being down there in the dark. And the land is flat, so I could ride in the fields if I wanted to.

In this case I would deffo go for it!

 

[myheartinahoofbeat]

You can school out hacking and do regular arena hires. Having your horses close to home has got to better than any arena

 

[Fieldlife]

I should add that I work from home and have the luxury of flexi working, so I wouldn't have the issue of being down there in the dark. And the land is flat, so I could ride in the fields if I wanted to.

I think it depends on how well draining the fields and immediate hacking is. Some set ups are great, others the field and all the nearby off road hacking gets really boggy in winter, and only safe riding is roads.

Second consideration is what is nearby to hire? Can you hack to an arena? Can you box to an arena? Are there good cheap group riding opportunities e.g. group poles in a surface 15 minutes away etc.

If these points work out okay for you, then with the flexible working hours should be totally fine.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I kept Arabi at a yard without a school and still did ridden Arab shows with him and did ok.

I think being able to move them so near you will out way an arena especially your bedding cost will be less it would be a no brained for me.

 

[Sanversera]

I've never had a ménage,I school out on hacks and in a field corner when the ground is ok. I've backed youngsters and schooled them on this way. Jumping is ok when it's not muddy or frozen and if theres a forest nearby you can always pop a log.

 

[Jenko109]

I have never competed at anything more than low level riding club, however have always done so without a school.

At most we would box out to a lesson once a week but that was it.