Situations like this is when I release some of my redhead rampage 
. Kidding aside, I just ignore people like that and continue riding.
I would mention this to show management when they are on the grounds to let them know. I also would give the names or the rider’s numbers so they know exactly who to address.
My young horse can be spooky so he tends to scare riders and clears the ring for me😉
Let’s see, call natural horseman; have them pick up flag and teach trainer how to yield to pressure.
I’d ride right over her a$$. The beauty of my red headed TB mare? She’s not scared of anyone.
I would definitely speak to management about this behavior.
And, as an aside, what the heck is someone getting a 45 minute dressage lesson at a show for? If the rider/horse don’t know it by then, they certainly won’t know it by tomorrow. Let everyone school around and have a good time allowing their horses to settle. Jeez.
This!! If you don’t know it by now, hang it up
If there is a space I do not find it to be horrible for a person either new to showing, or new to this horse, or first time moving up, having a confidence building lesson at the show.
I know for those of you who do not get so nervous that you can’t remember your birthdate this makes no sense. But for some people a lesson there might not make their scores better, but it might help some of the nerves the next day when your trainer can say “you can Dobbin did this whole test in this ring last night and it was great, now just go have fun”.
The test, sure.
The test a couple times, letting other people in inbetween, yep!
A whole entire 45 minute dressage lesson? NOPE. Too little, too late for that. It’s time to remember the pattern and have a fun time.
Well, there’s a bit of coaching while navigating the warm up ring and other riders (normal) vs an entire lesson eating up the only warm up ring. That’s bananas 
The OP said there were other places to ride, but this was the arena they would be showing in the next day. It’s not fair to monopolize that for the entire evening prior to the show. I don’t care if someone is so nervous they’re pooping bricks, that’s a hill they have to climb.
There are millions of other ways to practice the test without riding it. For the horse’s (and the scores!) sake, they should not be riding it over and over for 45 minutes.
I never said it was fair to monopolize the ring. Not at all.
I am just giving a reason why some people need more help at a show than others.
How somebody wants to train or pre-test warm up doesn’t bother me at all…the equal access thing does though. I think i’d not have been very compliant. I’ve had convo with this OP on other threads and didn’t take her to be a shrinking violet. I suppose in real life, when faced with …faces, gumption fades. Therefore, i’d guess it’s easy to think: I’d do THIS! instead of that, but in reality, who knows.
I think you want a sorting paddle for that, with the big plastic ‘box’ thing on the end. Bonk.
sometimes stuff like this hits us on the wtf note and we are left speechless.
And Girl, do we second guess our knowledge at times. Doubt is a huge shutter-upper.
I see no problem with saying such “rude” things to this trainer who was exceptionally rude and out-of-line.
I would probably just ride round and round the outside. Being highly annoying with my presence. Especially if horsey is wanting to be spooky 
. I know, that doesn’t help the first time down centerline but would be annoying for said arena hog.
Susan
While I’d love to say I would be assertive, step into the arena, and get my schooling done, the reality is that confrontation does not come naturally to me. I’ve learned to do it, but I have a very sensitive horse who would react to my internal stress about it. So like the OP, I’d likely leave.
However 
I happen to carry a natural horsemanship flag in my trailer. I’d be tempted to get it and start working my horse with the flag on the outside of the arena 
In my experience, that tends to upset people more than it does the horses LOL
Just ride. If they tell you go either play deaf, tell them to go and just ride on. Tell them you were told to ride then and let THEM spend their time asking management.
While I haven’t had the pleasure of dealing with this kind of Arena hogs, I have no problems ignoring that trainer who would tell me to leave the arena. If they tell me to leave I would tell them to call the TD and then they can explain why they are hogging the arena for 45 minutes. I don’t put up with BS. Those rings are to get horses familiarized with the arena and the area around it. I also have no qualms about contacting show management about these arena hog trainers.
One time, I was schooling in the dressage arena the day before a show and I was so focused on what I was doing I didn’t realize that people were in a line outside the ring waiting for a chance to ride their test. It probably took me… 3-5 minutes to realize that there was a line.
I hustled out of there, was a million times apologetic, and I still feel bad about it. It was years ago that this happened! It’s still burned in my memories that I was seen as hogging the arena. I probably said sorry a hundred times to the small group of riders outside the ring as I left.
I still just can not fathom how a trainer was physically blocking A!! That is absolutely unreal to me. What an arrogant ass.
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