Woops, out go the lights - Schooling in the dark?

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Baileyhoss

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An interesting schooling session to say the least last night. Riding after work in our small indoor school and the lights go off as I was trotting round. A power cut took out the whole yard, so it was proper 'couldn't see your hand in front of your face' dark. Fortunately B has good brakes, so we just stopped.

So we just wandered around the school in the dark waiting for the lights to come on, then as my eyes got used to it, I could see the silloette of the vents near the roof at the top of the walls. So I carried on schooling, using that as a guide to where the walls of the school were (fortunately no jumps or anything lying about). I was very impressed with B, but I suppose horses can see in the dark quite well.

He felt like he went nicely enough. certainly made me think a lot more about feel and rythm rather than looking at where his head was. I didn't chance canter, but felt safe enough to do so, just thought I shouldn't.

Then my friend came in to check I was ok and gave me her head torch as she was leaving, so I schooled for a bit in that. It was actually quite good. If we didn't have lights in our schools, i would definitely do this rather than not ride mon-fri.

The power was still off when I left the yard over an hour later.

Does anyone else school in the dark or by torchlight?
F x
 
Oh yes
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Have worked by the lights of the A52, by the light of the moon. You're so right, one feels the movement so much more
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I do everynight in the winter. I work until 5.30 and cant get to the yard until around 6ish so by the time I have tacked up it is really really dark!!!
having a dressage horse and not being able to school isnt ideal but we manage in the dark. You feel the movement so much more and I find my horse actually listens better.
Days that I want to practice some harder movements i get my mum and dad to park both cars in the top end of the school with the lights on and work in the 40 x 20 that is left!
 
I often ride in the dark with or without moon light in the summer hacking and schooling (all paces) here as its too hot when the sun is up! Not too sure about in an enclosed arena but I'm claustraphobic so while the horse would probably be fine I would flip!...=)

Working on a sheep station in NZ, we got the ewes out to the back paddock at 9pm and had a 13+km ride home. There was no moon and the only thing I could see apart from the stars (which were wow!) was the white line of the sheep track in the grass there wasn't even any light pollution as we were miles from anywhere! I couldn't even see the horses ears as he was black!
It was a pretty awsome feeling covering the ground (at speed in places!) on a totally invisible and often silent horse. About as close as I'm likely to get to a Thestral! (...yes it a HP reference)

Long distance endurance rides often start in the dark and they just use head torches for km over unknown ground. As some one said horses have much better night-sight!
 
yes in the field for most of the winter, frank is actually much less spooky as he can't see it to spook at! He also listens much more
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Yes; our school isn't finished yet, and the indoor schools at the RS are usually busy at night. I often school on the tracks in the woods at night, or use an outdoor school in the dark.
 
Yep i have schooled in the dark in the arena before, last year we sometimes had dodgy electrics and occasionally the lights would go off, i'd just carry on once my eyes had got used to it.

The best one was when i was practising my dressage test, and i halted at the end, and as i saluted the lights went out!
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Yup. Yard I was on before I moved had an outdoor school but no floodlights for ages. I just used my headtorch or moonlight if nice and bright enough.
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I also schooled in the field with my headtorch there while the school was being built.

As mentioned, horses have great night-vision and as long as you're being sensible it's making the best of a bad situation really. Have to admit that it was really peaceful and pretty schooling by moonlight.
 
Right - I am going to attempt riding in the dark then!

We moved to a yard in the summer and were told that the lights would be up by winter - they still aren't there, so it looks like i'll be investing in a head torch.

Does anyone's horse not like the headtorch? I can see mine getting a bit upset about it.
 
I never had and tend to find if I'm caught out as it gets darker at night mine gets more spooky as she can see silhouettes of horses in the field, machinery in the field etc and she tends to look around and spook a bit more, might be a reaction to me feeling a bit less secure in the dark though. I'd like to try it now though, sounds good working by feel alone
 
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