Yards and the use of the Menage!

M

MarthaRodman1

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Hertfordshire
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Morning all! OK here's the situation. We are on a lovely DIY yard, bout 25 horses, and just 1 outdoor arena! Myself and my friend arranged a dressage show and Gymkhana last Sun to help raise money for a lung ring. The farmer that owns the yard said if we can raise some money towards it, then he'll build us one. Anyway, we raised £210.00 profit and we're have a BBQ on 14 July to raise more, so hopefully we'll be able to give him bout £400.00. Anyway, we now gotta have a 'yard meeting' cause some people are unhappy with a few things, mainly the school! We have a school booking sheet so if you have a lesson booked you can write it on the sheet, and you also have the option to write 'sole use', so no one else comes in, now when I have my lessons, this doesn't bother me, as long as they stay out of my way, people can come in. But it appears that some people on the yard (not gonna mention names) don't like sharing the school, even when they are not having a lesson! And people have even come into my lesson and lunged whilst I'm trying to practice a dressage test, which I think is v unfair as you can't really stay out of the way when lunging, but you can when riding! Anyway, once the lung ring is built this should eleviate a lot of traffic in the school, but I wondered what other people do? Do you get the option for sole use during lessons? do people get the hump when you have to share the school? Not looking forward to the meeting, I'm quite outspoken and I'll end up loosing my rag with people and what with being pregnant as well my hormones are just all over the place at the moment!

All of this doesn't really affect me to much, cause I'm at yard by 4.15 and generally ridden and out of the school by 5ish, so when people arrive at 5.30 - 6 ish, I'm almost on my way home - but I have to say, I did change my hours of work from 8 till 4 so that I didn't have to share school and I was out of everybodies way!

So, what does everybody else do? Do all of you have similar problems???
Answers on a postcard please!
MX
 
I wouldnt lunge whilst someone was riding in the school. I think that's just common sense isnt it?

why not just write on your slot NO LUNGEING, so riders can come in with you, but not people lungeing.
 
Well you'd think so yes wouldn't you! But the person that was lunging was the daughter of the 'used to be' Yard Manager - who now isn't yard manager and no body on the yard gets on with them - so it just irrupted in a massive row!!! AAAHHHH Stress!
 
Im really lucky in that the arena at the yard im at is massive! It is the size of 3 dressage arenas so we never really have an issue with sharing the arena. Ive shared when i have my lessons and we never get in each others way. The arena is available to hire outside of the yard and when they do this they have to say how much of the arena they need. So if they are doing dreaage they only need a 1/3 so that leaves plenty for everyone else. Every monday i cant ride in the arena as pony club hires the whole thing meanig i have to do something else which is fine.
However at my old yard the arena was tiny, as in only enough to get the horses legs stretched in winter. We had a booking system for that and we had it so it was assumed it was sole use unless who ever wanted to share asked the person who booked. It worked out fine.
Lungeing whilst you are trying to practice dressage is very inconsiderate in my book. I would have kindly asked the person to get out and wait untili had finished!!!
Even though our arena is big if someone is in it when i want to ride i always ask if they mind me sharing!!
Its just common courtesy!!
 
At my previous yard there were 40 horses - and one menage. If there was a lesson going on at any time other riders were welcome in the school - providing they used it in a curtious manner - and didn't get in the way of the lesson.

We had a booking system but this was for information only. If for any reason the person having the lesson wanted it for sole use - they had to pay for the privalidge.

However, if there was a jumping lesson going on it was 'understood' that no one else should use the school.

The people on your yard sound petty, immature and selfish. And if a bunch of adults can't be curtious towards each other - what hope is there?
 
Exactly AmyMay - You took the words right out of my mouth!!! Not a bad idea about paying if you want the privalege of having it for sole use - even if it just a small amount. Think I'll bring that up at the yard meeting? I was so angry when she came in lunging, and like you, I think its inconsiderate, but when I bring this up - I'll be the big bad wolf and everyone will say that I'm the incondsiderate one!!

AAAHHH - Thanks for all your comments, it has helped and I've got some ideas now for the meeting - if I can control myself!

MX
 
My last yard had about 15 horses... one indoor and one outdoor school and a lunging arena and it was a complete nightmare.

The YO was a GP dressage rider and could, potentially, be teaching from 7am in a morning through til 7pm at night. The indoor school was too small really and terribly dark which left everyone fighting over the outdoor. She tried to accommodate people using it but it still got really bad. We had a very strict policy of no lunging in either of the schools... so if the lunging pen was in a state (it flooded), then it was tough luck (lunging messes up surfaces tbh).

Before that i was on a DIY yard that operated a similar system to yours by the sounds of it and that was worse still. People would book the same slot in the school literally weeks in advance.. so the same people always had the "prime time" slots :P

Where im at now, we have 6 arenas and anything ranging from 42 horses to 8 at present. The schools are only exclusively booked for a few particular lessons.. the rest of the time you work around each other but again, absolutly no lunging.
 
we jusy leave a note on white board to say ' <font color="red"> Lesson in school Mon 9th Jul, 3pm </font> ' our school is 50 length by 30 width so a bit too small to share during a lesson but we have 3/4 ponies/horses happily in there when we're just riding
 
Our yard has about 50 horses and 1 arena which is about 25x40. We don't have any problems with the use of the school, there are a wide range of rider ages and occupations so people ride at various times of the day. I will ride in the morning when it is quiet. In the evening it does get a bit busier but if the arena is busy people will go out for a hack.

There is a calendar if you want to put your lessons on but there is only really 1 instructor who comes to the yard and she mainly comes on a friday.
 
I have a yard with one outdoor school - 20x40. People will ride together but ask if the other minds. to be honest I don't mind anyone either lunging or riding in with me as long as they are intelligent enough to be considerate and all my liveries are brilliant. they work around each other and if they can't get in the school they will hack out. To be honest it should not be a problem if you limit the use of the school to no more than two at any one time. I won't allow loose schooling as to be honest it is just someone chasing a horse round with a whip for no end. And I would rather they simply turn the horse out in a paddock for some leg stretch if they need to.

If someone wants to book the school on a regular basis then they are welcome to but if they fail to use it within 15 mins of booking time then, unless there is a good reason, I consider it available for anyone to use.
 
we have a very small indoor (15x30m) and an outdoor (20x40ish) at our yard where there are about 30-40 horses. A lot of people just hack so removes a fair few riders but in the evenings it is always very busy.

We have booking sheets that go up friday each week and run sat-fri. There are 1 hour slots early morning/midday/late evening and 30min slots the rest of the day when at busiest. General rule of thumb is if you book a slot its for sole use, and you shouldn't book two slots in a row unless it is for a lesson especially at the busiest times.

there is no lunging allowed in the outdoor in order to keep the surface good and in winter there is only one light so most people won't go outside as a bit gloomy. Great for me as I'm one of about 3 that will
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Most people are very selfish when it comes to sharing the outdoor. Personally if doing flatwork I have no issue whatever and me and housemate and another lady happily will share our sessions especially as it means we can then do an hour instead of 30 mins without anyone complaining
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It is hard though some say oh no can't possibly share as my horse doesn't like others in the school, well explains why their horses go nuts at competitions in the work-ins as they have no chance to socialise and get used to having to work with more than one horse. And 2 horses in a 20x40 doing dressage isn't exactly cramped!!

We do though pay for the right to use the schools £8 for both a week or £5 for one.

If you were to pay a small amount for sole use rights say £2 an hour then that money could be collected to go towards further facilities on the yard. It will be surprising how quickly it adds up
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sympathise with you. fortunately not many on our yard actually ride but there are 2 people who categorically will not share the school under any circumstances
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indoor is 20x40 and outdoor is probably about 25x50 so not exactly a problem if more than one horse in.
Got to the stage with some on yard (now left) where they told us we couldn't ride in the school when they were in as they had a lesson - fair enough we said, but same people then wanted to come in school with us when we had lesson
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to their surprise we said no - talk about double standards grrrrr
 
Thanks for all of your comments and suggestions! I completely agree that if you don't work your horse with another one in the arena at the same time - then why should they work well for you in the warm up at a competition!!

From the sounds of things, my lot are all a bit 'hog the school' and 'selfish'! It's nice to hear what others do and how others cope with it - so thank you all!

Hope you all have a nice weekend, and weather supposed to be a shade better, so we might even get some sunshine - at last!
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MX
 
i often get down to the yard to find a whole course of jumps up and someone having a lesson. We are allowed to go in when other people are having lessons, but are allowed no more than 3 horses in the arena at any one time - that includes only one person lunging at each time.

Unfortunately i have to grin and bare it, altho its a complete pain in the backside as i normally have tests to practice as i compete BD every weekend. 9 times out of 10 someone is lunging or jumping when i want to practice a test. We arent allowed to leave jumps out in the arena tho which is handy as at least people have to clear away after themselves. I also finish work at 330, so i get to the yard by 4 to ride and generally miss most of the 'traffic'.
 
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