Why are some rider difficult to share a school with?

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Happy H

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As title really - there is always one on every yard and although they generally follow the school rules, they are just always in the way!

Is it a lack of consideration and awareness of the other rider? Or is it something else?

Are you that rider?
 
I think for the most part it is just pure selfishness.

However I have come accross one, who had no idea that school rules even applied. Once I told her the basics she apologised and then stuck to the rules. Never a problem with her after and shared with her several times after.
 
I think some people can be intimidating to ride with. I used to dread riding with one who was forever smacking her horse and hauling him up from canter to halt. It used to really freak my mare out. It used to spook badly too and she even crashed into me once when he spooked just as I was passing. I got a mouthful of abuse for not looking where I was going. Very stressful!
 
I've had numerous experiences of people on yards and at shows who when you ask them seem to be totally unaware of some of the fundamental school rules. I've also seen people question them on here. So in some cases, definitely ignorance - and easily sorted by printing them out, laminating and sticking up! Also novice types may well get in the way more as they're probably less in fine control and concentrating more on what they're doing / less used to thinking about dodging others etc.

That said, if both users are doing lots of lateral work etc, it's so easy to get engrossed and not be able to think fast enough to work out which rule applies when you're both off the track doing things!

I don't think I've ever had "one person" on a yard who was usually in the way though despite following the rules :confused:
 
This was me sometime ago, when I learnt to ride you passed left to left in the school, and somewhere along the line it apparently changed right to right ? or t'other way round ?
 
Still left to left for us, though I think one regular has forgotten this and always cuts me up short! Not fun when it's crowded. And there's one I swear follows me around...
 
Some people always seem to circle just as I want to and be in the way, or cut across as you're trying to change the rein or something. I know what you mean and its bloody irritating. Plus you can't say anything because they aren't technically doing anything wrong.

Heck - I probably AM the annoying rider!
 
I think it is because they will be doing shapes that don't match yours, like someone else said they may be doing circles when you are wanting to change rein etc. I think I am a bit of a nightmare sometimes if Arnie is being a monkey as I change rein a lot and do circles off the diagonal and at every marker et cot keep him thinking though I do try to school when others aren't anyway.
 
Most people just work their horses differently and if you are in open order in a small school there are going to be annoying clashes. If I ride with my OH we try to do the same exercises with one following slightly behind which really helps.

We have one rider who cuts you up repeatedly, does serpentines to practice flying changes and hurtles out of control at you barging you off the track rather than staying inside etc, etc... However I did deliberately ride with them to "ringproof" my youngster, he now goes into the collecting ring without batting an eyelid so idiots can occasionally be useful!

Still passing left to left as far as I am aware, but then we now have an increase in the number of peeps jumping fences backwards in collecting rings which really does bother me.
 
There used to be a rider at my old yard that would shout out what she was about to do so you didn't get in her way.

Useful, Yes.
Annoying, Very.

It made you feel like you were always in her way when you weren't!
 
alma said:
This was me sometime ago, when I learnt to ride you passed left to left in the school, and somewhere along the line it apparently changed right to right ? or t'other way round ?
Click to expand...

It's left to left going large BUT if you are on a circle, say 20m at A and on the left rein and someone is going large on the right rein then you pass right to right ;) (Those going large have priority over the track) Good innit :)

This is what repeatedly confuses those new to riding or those that don't know the "rules" so to speak........
 
I have also been taught left to left, with the exception of someone going at a faster pace then you, then they have the priority.

There was a lady when I was at a yard who was very annoying. She would always be in the way!! It annoyed me most when I was having a private lesson and she seemed to always cut across me and I would have to stop for her and then carry on my exercise. I really peed me off that the YO never said anything!! In fact the first time it happened was because the YO's reply when she asked the sand school while I was having a private lesson was 'whatever'!!! Still annoys me just thinking about it!!
 
This is why I will never ride in the school with anyone else, unless it's a friend or I'm having a lesson. I would hate to be in someone's way and I don't want anyone to be in mine.
 
Perhaps because not everyone using a school actually want to school.

There are people ( ME :o ) who find the whole thing totally boring and a total waste of my time.

Occasionally however I might enter one of ours, usually when the big one is flooded, to play in the puddles.

Now I can see that this would be annoying, so I only do it when no one else is around.

On big yards though, there are plenty of people who normally only hack, who may be forced into the schools by the weather, shoots, horses who haven't been ridden for a bit etc etc.

Perhaps you need a quiet chat with the people. They might not realise they are being annoying.
 
I'll be the first to admit that I'll use a school if someones having a lesson. Unless there are rules for prebooking it, then tough. That's not to say that if I can ride before or after I won't. But if I'm already tacked up or can't reschedule then sorry, I'd use it. Prime annoyance on last yard was a lady who thought her lessons were more important than anyone else's riding. Her, & her substandard instructor would regularly tell people they couldn't use the school, usually at peak times. So I would completely ignore them if I wanted the school. Sharing a school is just that. If I'm schooling a young horse & 4 teens come in to race about, that's life, likewise if someone wants to school their difficult horse & I'm doing fast work, that's just the way it goes. If you need/want it to yourself, then up to you to avoid others. Now on a small farm with just the fields, so not an issue.
 
alma said:
This was me sometime ago, when I learnt to ride you passed left to left in the school, and somewhere along the line it apparently changed right to right ? or t'other way round ?
Click to expand...

It's left hand to left hand usually, however some military riding schools/clubs still use the right hand to right hand rule (from swords being carried on the left hand side of the rider/horse and bashing together if you pass left to left).
 
I used to share a school with a horrendous woman who certainly knew the school rules, but she and her horse would engage in an epic battle for domination, with some hard core whacking on the horse's butt and tugging on his mouth, every single time she was riding. And the horse would race around the school like a crazed piece of ****, completely out of control. Riding with the woman was not annoying, just plain scary.
Generally I just rely on common sense rather than the school rules. If you are unfortunate enough to share a school with insane kamikaze rider there's no use persevering with the rules, just do whatever it takes to stay out of trouble. If you share a school with very green riders (or riders on green horses) and you can see that they have difficulties steering - well, pass them on the 'wrong' side, it would't hurt a bit.
 
Just toady there was 4 of us in and a girl decided to start 'western' riding with reins in one hand jogging and cantering in random movements and down the 3/4 line when the rest of us were serious schooling. Never seen anything like it! happens a lot!!! :mad:
 
On the flip side of things, daughter and dolly have shared the school with some amazing riders who have taught them loads! From the lady who used to let them trot behind her huge horsey when dolly used to nap for the door etc.. To older girls who used to say "go where you want, we'll avoid you" and then help when daughter was struggling by almost giving her little lessons and lots of praise! And then the younger ones who have given valuable collecting ring practice occasionally! Lol!! Got to say, I can spot riders from our yard a mile away, as they know the rules and are considerate to others! It's not all bad!!!! : ) x
 
CobsGalore said:
There used to be a rider at my old yard that would shout out what she was about to do so you didn't get in her way.

Useful, Yes.
Annoying, Very.
Click to expand...

I do that :o I also get very engrossed in my schooling and tend to completely forget that there are others in the school at all! The fact that a bad habit of mine is looking down doesn't help :rolleyes:

MadisonBelle said:
It's left to left going large BUT if you are on a circle, say 20m at A and on the left rein and someone is going large on the right rein then you pass right to right ;) (Those going large have priority over the track) Good innit :)

This is what repeatedly confuses those new to riding or those that don't know the "rules" so to speak........
Click to expand...

I never knew that, thanks!
 
I find the I need the school all to my self people the worst especally on a horse they claim to compete because the horse wont work with others in there :confused:.

I generally dont mind sharing a school, with the novices I just make sure I avoid them (great for ponys lateral work ;)) and with those more experianced you can pick up some useful exercises and help.
 
I very rarely use our (small) school, due to there being a couple of people on horses they don't seem able to control in terms of stopping and steering! I usually hack out and school on the way round.
 
We have the rules printed on a board and there are still people who don't know/don't follow them.

I was always taught:-

Left to Left

Rider in walk whilst others in faster paces should stay on an inside track

Lateral work takes precedence

Used to ride in a school with someone who was so awful they would ride at you totally oblivious and countless times caught my horse with a schooling whip! Never learnt however much you shouted
 
What annoys me is the attitude that some people take precedence. If everyone pays the same livery, then providing the basic school rules are followed nobody is more important. If a small child wants to race around, or a novice jog about, they have just as much right to do so as people doing 'serious schooling'.
 
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