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Arena hogs

I recently attended a schooling show. This show has the rings open for schooling the night before which is great for green horses…if you can get in

Trainers stake out the rings and run 45 minute lessons in them the entire day before the show. If you enter between their riders they ask you to leave the ring. If you ask if you can share they say no.

How do you deal? The trainers have not rented out these rings.

Apparently saying “oh I didn’t know you owned this ring” is rude as well as “oh gosh I’m sorry I thought we could share.”

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Talk to show management? If they’re offering schooling to anyone then it’s on them to get after people using it improperly or being a jerk to other competitors.

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Monopolizing a schooling ring for 45min seems excessive. Show management needs to have rules and enforce them. If they won’t, then take your entry fees elsewhere.

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Not just 45 minutes, but multiple riders.

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I would probably just ignore the random trainer and ride in the ring at the same time as their student.

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Wear is the warm-up steward? I’ve served in that role and don’t permit any such thing.

There’s a jackhat trainer local to me who coaches EVERY STEP of EVERY RIDE for what sounds like EVERY STUDENT in the warm up areas and as can be expected when you are coaching that much at a SHOW… the students are not very good, the horses are completely over it, and the rest of us just plow around them.

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This is partially why warmups are ticketed at some shows - you pay a fee and get your access at a particular time and everything is very clear to everyone.

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i would probably seek more information from show officials. Are those trainers paying for exclusive use of the arena? And, if so, where and how much do you need to pay to also gain access? …just asking the questions alone might change things for you.

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Nobody is paying to reserve the ring. These are schooling shows and this is the night before so I assume no warm up steward?

While I am a firm believer that if I don’t got it by then I’m not gonna get it I don’t mind someone having a lesson, just not taking a dressage ring the entire Night. To be clear, I can ride elsewhere I just like to show my horse the booth and letters.

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If it’s open arena, I wouldn’t even ask. I’d just ride in. If they asked you to leave, tell them no. As long as you have equal right to the arena, I’m astounded these trainers think they can monopolize the whole thing the whole day. Sheesh. The nerve of some people.

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I’d probably march into the ring and if questioned, say that I am showing my horse the booth and flowers during open schooling hours.

If someone wants to throw a fit, let them throw the fit and not you, if you’re not doing anything wrong.

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Wow, how rude. I would ask show management about it. You might let them know that you have been told you can’t share the ring.

A little different but once at a boarding barn (that I was NOT new at) I was told I could ride somewhere else by a client who hauled in for lessons. I was shocked (she didn’t ask, she told me.) So I later asked barn owner of haul in clients rented the whole ring or prioritized over boarders. She said no, I should not have been told to leave by the client.

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ah, sorry- the night before? Missed that. Did you ask the show management if they had rented the ring?

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i haul in and pay for use of the arena, but not exclusive use. Boarders there are very polite. When i have taken a raw beginner they have ridden in the outdoor, upon my coach’s request. Otherwise, sharing the (small) arena I view as a benefit to my horses’ education.

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What’s funny was I was on my young (well behaved horse) and she was on a older horse. I don’t think she knew my horse was young either.

Unfortunately not all the rings are equal at that barn so I wanted that ring for a reason. And I was there first…

Honestly it is one thing to politely request to have the ring to yourself. But she didn’t ask- she told me to leave pretty rudely. I’m always happy to adjust to help people out but I hate when people act like the own the place and are more important than everyone else in the barn.

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I do think it is still something that needs to be brought up to the show management.
They are who made the situation, they are who needs to clarify the situation.

If one trainer is being a problem, they need to discuss it with that trainer.

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Nobody can rent the ring during the show. It’s available for all.

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Adding to my thought, now that the show is over, it is still worth contacting the organizer(s) and explaining the problem that was had in rings during the warm-up day.

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I am really good at playing deaf as needed. Just ride! And definitely tell the show mgmt what a happened, they need to know

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Definitely confirm with show management what the deal is. If the arena is open schooling for all competitors and those people aren’t paying for exclusive use, then they don’t have any business telling you that you can’t go in there.

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